Before you read any further, I must tell you something first. The show I am about to share is broadcasted on Dutch television, so it therefore is in Dutch. I like to have consistency in my blog, that’s why is blogpost is in English. So, if you’re not Dutch, you probably can’t understand the show. Or you can work on your Dutch haha. Anyway, the series ‘Genaaid’ is a show about fast fashion ánd sustainable fashion. And I feel like you should watch it.
Fast Fashion
You’ve probably heard me say this a million times: fast fashion is horrible. If you’ve read my blog before, you probably know why. You’ve maybe read this, this or this blogpost in which I tell you why fast fashion is horrible. If you’re new to this blog, I am telling you now: fast fashion is horrible. It has a huge impact on our planet due to the massive production which causes carbon emissions, it pollutes water (because clothes have to be dyed), it causes tremendous amounts of trash (because we buy and throw away so fast) which we then export to poor countries again so they can’t built their own economy, it causes droughts (cotton needs loads of water for production) and it pollutes our water because most clothes contain plastic which is released when we wash them. You think that is bad? Yeah, me too.
But that’s not all! I’m not even talking about the people making our clothes. Because, most of the time, we don’t even know who that is. Or even more important, what their working conditions are. People die for fast fashion, because their wage is so little they starve. When I am writing that down my heart sinks. Yes, that t-shirt you see hanging in the most ‘regular’ stores, like H&M, Zara, Topshop, Pull & Bear, people die for those clothes. Working conditions are horrible. The people working in the factories work all day and all week, for little money. They often get sick due to the chemicals or injured due to heavy or dangerous work. I said it before: horrible.
‘Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere, is paying’ – Lucy Siegle
Sustainable fashion
Okay, so now you know that. Great! Now you can do something about it. Because there is an alternative! There are sustainable brands all over the world, you just have to find them. Companies who care about people, and our planet. If you look around on my blog you can find some brands which I personally love, like UnderProtection. Via Good on You, you can look for a brand and see what their policies are, and if they’re sustainable. If the brands not there, ask! Ask companies where they make their clothing, and whether they have certain certifications, for fair trade fashion for instance.
But, most of my posts on this blog are about secondhand fashion. That’s the other option, beside fair and sustainable new fashion. The even better option, in my opinion. For secondhand fashion there are no new resources needed, there’s no new process. Secondhand is a bit more of a challenge, I agree. You have to look better to find something your style, your size and the quality you want. But once you find it, you’ll have something special which no one else has. That is what I like so much, since everybody wears the same Zara t-shirts and pants these days. I know, it’s called trends and some things are cool and some things aren’t cool at the moment.
But that’s really what the industry wants you to think, because if there is a new trend, you’ll have to buy new stuff, and you’ll spend new money. I have found some amazing thrifted items the past time, like this bathing suit for instance, or this sweater and jacket. The options are endless.
‘Genaaid’
The series ‘Genaaid’ is that little piece of consciousness on the television here in the Netherlands. We really need it, to see what’s truly behind our cheap fashion. In the show there are 5 young adults who think they’re on a show to made a collection for the Dutch Sustainable Fashion week. But, once the show starts, the producers think they need to know what sustainable fashion is and why it so important. So, they’re sent off to Myanmar, to work and live just like people in the fashion industry. Of course, their eyes are opened. But, what I also love about this show is that they also see the alternatives of fast fashion. They see how things can be different too. And so, they can make good choices for their collection they are going to present at the Dutch Sustainable Fashion week.
The Episodes
I am going to give you a quick summary of each episode, if you don’t want to know anything, but want to watch yourself (which I fully encourage), skip this part.
Episode 1 – In the first episode the young adults are introduced and they find out what they’re really in for. They are going to Myanmar.
Episode 2 – The episodes are based on the most common route fashion has. So, they start at the cotton industry. The young adults are going to pick cotton and process it too.
Episode 3 – The young adults are going to work in one the most polluting industry: leather. They have to get rid of the hair, bathe in chemicals and cut it too.
Episode 4 – Onto the next stage of fashion, the garment industry. They are going to experience what it feels like to be a garment worker. Long hours and little money.
Episode 5 – This episode highlights the darkest side of the fashion industry: the sweatshops. They are even worse than the ‘normal’ garment factories. They see child labor with their own eyes.
Episode 6 – In the final episode, the young adults are going to make they own fashion collection back in the Netherlands. It’s time to show what they’ve seen and learned.
Must watch
I really think this is a must watch (duh, why else would I be sharing it, right?). I think it is so good because it also shows how things can be done different, when the young adults go to factories that make sustainable fashion. The series is so important, because it seems like fast fashion is so normal these days, even though the thing itself is far from normal. We need to stop buying fast fashion. You can watch the series ‘Genaaid’ here.
Have you seen the series ‘Genaaid’ already?
Yours sincerely,
Romee
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