What the Hack? Fashion Revolution Week
Fashion Revolution is nothing new. We are all aware that the fashion industry contributes massively to our global waste problem. The Hashtag Revolution Campaign are doing something about it…
Run by the social entrepreneurs: What the Hack and in line with Fashion Revolution Week, from April 19th to the 25th, the date is chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more on 24 April 2013.
What the Hack have organised a 3 day Hackathon to help drive change within the fashion industry in Ireland, through the use of social media!
Who can join: Teams are welcome to join from anywhere. You can join as a pre-made team or they will match you up with other participants. Teams are tasked with creating social media campaigns to spread awareness of issues in the fashion industry and push companies towards transparency. The team with the most engagement on their campaign wins the challenge! Participants of any age, from anywhere in the world are welcome to join! Teams are expected to participate in the workshops and final pitches to be determined for the final prizes. Bear in mind that the workshops and pitches will take place on Dublin Time (GMT)!
The Challenge: Over the few days, you will hear from speakers who are experts on fashion, corporate structure, production and other relevant topics surrounding the current issues that exist and what the possible solutions are. Each team will need to identify a specific aspect of listed companies’ production practices that they are hoping to change. They will be tasked with creating and implementing a social media campaign to draw attention to the issue and to influence the relevant companies.
Mentor session: Sunday 18th 2pm- 5pm) Teams meet during the day with a mentor to discuss their campaign and get last minute feedback if needed. Mentors include experts in sustainability, fashion industry, communication, social media, animation, design.
Action Day: Monday 19th All-day. On the first day of the Fashion Revolution 2021, teams will have 24 hours to put their social media campaign out there and measure it’s impact!
Success will be measured in the number of people they manage to connect with (through shares, likes, views, etc), the amount of action they are able to affect (through petition signatures, emails sent, etc), and whether they were able to get a response from the target company. We will wrap with a talk from a relevant marketing expert on how to create a campaign that draws attention to a relevant issue and affect action.
Results Day: Tuesday 20th April @ 6pm – 8pm. Wrap up. Teams will present their campaign to the panel of judges. The winning team (based on the pitch impact numbers, and any other criteria that can be determined) is announced!
The Prize: The winners will get their own blog post on Fashion Revolution and be included in the Fashion Revolution weekly newsletter. So they can share what they accomplished with the world!
Teams are expected to participate in the workshops and final pitches to be determined for the final prizes. But why would you not want to participate and meet great people anyways!?
About Fashion Revolution:
Fashion Revolution is a global movement of people who make the fashion industry work. They are designers, academics, writers, business leaders, policymakers, brands, retailers, marketers, producers, makers, workers and fashion lovers.
Fashion Open Studio, the global fashion showcasing and mentoring initiative of Fashion Revolution has announced the 2021 cohort of international designers who will be opening up their studios and their practice to the public this year and sharing their solutions to the urgent challenges facing
the fashion industry. Check it out here: Fashion Open Studio
The Vision of Fashion Revolution is to see a global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit.
Their AIMS: An end to human and environmental exploitation in the global fashion industry
Safe, dignified working conditions and living wages for all people in the supply chain
Redistributed and more equal balance of power across the global fashion industry
A bigger and stronger labour movement in the global fashion industry
A global fashion industry that works to conserve precious resources and regenerate ecosystems
A culture of transparency and accountability across the value chain
An end to throwaway culture and shift to a system where materials are used for longer and nothing goes to waste
Heritage, craftsmanship and local wisdoms are recognised and valued
How they work to facilitate change:
Culture changes: Raise public awareness and educate people about the systemic challenges facing the global fashion industry
Build a diverse movement, mobilise communities and bring people together around the world to take collective action
Help people understand the impacts of their clothes and how they can influence the global fashion industry
Collaborate with artists and activists to reframe powerful narratives embedded in the culture of fashion
Create tools for people to use their voice and make changes in their personal lives and work
Inspire people to consume less, value quality and take better care of their clothes
Provide a platform that enables more visibility and fewer barriers between consumers and producers
Industry Changes: Conduct research that shines a light on the social and environmental impacts of the global fashion industry
Highlight where the industry is moving too slowly and push for faster change
Influence brands and retailers to change through consumer pressure
Incentivise and promote transparency and accountability across the supply chain
Policy Changes: Advocate for policy changes and influence governments to play a more active role in better enforcing laws and regulating the industry
Find out more about Fashion Revolution here: Fashion Revolution
