Happyroots
What is the true story of fashion industry
—— A Review of "The True Cost"
"The True Cost" isn't just a documentary; it's a heart-wrenching journey into the shadowed alleys of the fashion industry, stripping away the glitter and glam to reveal the raw, painful truths that lie beneath. Directed with palpable passion by Andrew Morgan and unveiled to the world in 2015, this film doesn't merely inform; it reaches deep into my soul, urging me to see beyond the allure of the latest trends and consider the profound human and environmental suffering that fuels our fast fashion addiction.
This is a story about greed and fear, power and poverty:
The exploitation and pollution hidden behind the glamorous fast fashion industry: The operating model of fast fashion: fast production, fast introduction of new products, many styles, and low prices, all of which stimulate consumers’ desire to buy. A report released by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2017 showed that in the past 15 years, global clothing production has doubled, but the average number of times a piece of clothing is worn has dropped by 36%, and a piece of clothing is only worn an average of 7 times before being thrown away. , more than 150 billion pieces of clothing are discarded every year around the world.
Clothing waste pollution: The fashion industry is already the second largest environmental polluter in the world after the petrochemical industry. Pesticides and fertilizers used in the cultivation of textile raw materials (such as cotton) are harmful to the soil; a large number of pollutants are produced during the bleaching, dyeing and washing process of fabrics; sewage is directly discharged into rivers without compliance treatment; a large number of materials are non-degradable Polyester fiber will take 200 or even immeasurable years to degrade when it is landfilled in a giant garbage dump. The report shows that textile industry production emits approximately 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases every year, exceeding the emissions from all international flights and shipping combined. According to World Bank statistics, the apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions every year and will rise to about 50% by 2030.
Exploitation of human rights: Bangladeshi garment factory workers earn less than $3 a day to sew clothes for these fast fashion brands, and work and live in dilapidated conditions. They are affected by the large amounts of chemical ingredients in their clothes and shoes. And get all kinds of strange diseases and cancer. It can be seen in the film the collapse of a dangerous building in Rana Plaza and the protests by Cambodian workers demanding an increase in the minimum wage.
What sets "The True Cost" apart is its profound ability to make the global plight intimate and visceral. Each story, each statistic, is a mirror reflecting back our own complicity in this cycle of suffering and destruction. The film implores, with every frame, for introspection and transformation, challenging us to look beyond our desires and conveniences to see the faces and landscapes that pay the true cost of our fashion.
Yet, amidst its deep dive into despair, the documentary's narrative is perhaps critiqued for its sparing provision of hope, of tangible pathways forward from the morass of ethical dilemmas it presents. While it nods to the burgeoning ethical fashion movement as a beacon of change, some may find themselves craving a more robust map to navigate towards a more compassionate and sustainable engagement with fashion.
In essence, "The True Cost" is a soul-stirring clarion call, a film that does more than just question the ethics of fashion—it beckons us to confront the essence of our humanity and our responsibility to one another and to our planet. It is a profound, emotional odyssey that leaves an indelible mark on the heart, compelling us to consider the legacy of our choices. For anyone who believes in the power of change, in the possibility of a kinder world woven from the threads of compassion and sustainability, this documentary is not just important—it's essential.