At her Stitched Up book launch in London, author Tansy Hoskins took one sexy looking Prada dress and unzipped its full history, from the polluting, labour-exploiting textile industry in China, to the 14 year old models they use to exhibit it...
"I wanted to get people looking at the fashion industry and actually seeing what it represents" she said "and hopefully it will bring you to the same conclusion that it brought me to – that there is no way we can deal with the problems of the fashion industry by shopping differently. This goes way beyond that. The issues that this dress represents go way beyond what you put in your shopping bag.
"It's a central part of the neo-liberal society today that teaches you that you change things as an individual, and that freedom is just variety on the shelves; that we must trust in the market, trust in a just capitalism" she scoffed "...So let's work together and collectively and support the trade unions in Bangladesh and campaigns by War On Want and Greenpeace. Let's tackle this in a way that will terrify the fashion industry."
Moving between Karl Lagerfeld and Karl Marx, Tansy's book explores consumerism, class and advertising to reveal the interests which benefit from exploitation. Like she says, she wants to "unpick a bit of capitalism" – and show that the fashion industry really isn't sexy underneath the hype.
To watch Tansy Hoskins' speech and find out loads more about her book – click here
Stitched Up Book Launch and Talk
Saturday 7th March 2pm
Working Class Movement Library
The Crescent
Ballad singer Jennifer Reid will also be performing alongside the talk.
Stitched Up: the Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion is published by Pluto Press price £13.50 (£45 hardback) and can be bought online at www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=9780745334561
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