Glegalization in the fashion industry is nothing new; the Roman Empire exported fabrics and carpets alongside other goods, while China has long traded in silk and India in a range of textiles, using the aptly named Silk Road network of interlinking trade routes, connecting Asia with Europe. However, the last few decades have seen an increased separation of fashion brands from the people and places that produce their clothes. With global outsourcing to countries with cheaper labour costs has come the recognition that these often came hand in hand with poor working conditions. Fashion brands and retailers are increasingly juggling the pressures of the market alongside demands from campaigners, the media and, to some extent, customers to be responsible for improving these conditions even though they no longer own or run the manufacturing themselves.
展开▼
