Fair Indigo: Bringing "fair" back to the fashion industry
Five years ago, the concept of sustainability was an afterthought in fashion. Dressember is helping change that. As we all start to prep our wardrobes for this upcoming Dressember season, I am reminded of when our CEO Blythe Hill wore only a handful of dresses for all of Dressember 2017 and 2018 to show us all that advocacy for Dressember cannot be complete without opening a dialogue for sustainable and ethical fashion. Ethical fashion companies seek to address common issues in the Fast Fashion Industry such as unfair working conditions, worker exploitation, unsustainable production, and animal maltreatment. Ethically motivated partner companies like Fair Indigo address those issues head-on.
Fair Indigo employs small organic cotton farms in Peru as well as small workshops and cooperatives that provide fair wages and safe environments for their employees. I had the opportunity to speak with Fair Indigo’s co-founder Robert Behnke who explained what separates Fair Indigo from other fashion brands; “We really really strive to build clothing that will wear beautifully for several years - using super premium fibers like organic Pima cotton and alpaca. We try to keep our prices as accessible for as many people as possible.” Fair Indigo's commitment to education is demonstrated through the Fair Indigo Foundation, a non-profit that funds two local schools in Peru. The Foundation was started to help improve educational opportunities for Peruvians living in the communities where their products are made.
“We really really strive to build clothing that will wear beautifully for several years - using super premium fibers like organic Pima cotton and alpaca. We try to keep our prices as accessible for as many people as possible.”
Fast fashion is the world’s second most polluting industry, contributing to 25% of all pesticides used. Fair Indigo combats this by sourcing cotton from an organic farm, using earth-friendly dyes, and eliminating hang tags on all products. Fashion and style seem to be constantly in flux but as Behnke explains, “we have to show people, and ourselves, that there is something inherently beautiful about the minimalistic side of fashion - that buying a piece you can wear this season - and the next and the next and the next is good on so many levels.”
Fast fashion is flooded with clothing pieces made with cheap and toxic materials by unsupported workers; 98% of the world’s garment workers aren’t paid a living wage and the overwhelming majority of these workers are women. Fair Indigo is actively fighting against this social injustice by providing, “living wage jobs in developing countries that give women opportunities. Because a population whose women are empowered is less likely to allow too many to slip through the cracks into the world of human trafficking.”
On October 6, 2019, Fair Indigo and Dressember will team up to bring REVIVE, a sustainable fashion show, with one-of-a-kind dresses made from discarded clothing by designers from around the country. The fashion show event will take place in Madison, WI. Following the fashion show will be an online auction at 9 pm CST, with proceeds benefiting Dressember and a mission that matters.
“REVIVE is a great opportunity for us to join like-minded organizations like Dressember,” he added. “It’s about repurposing discarded materials. And really, for Fair Indigo, it’s about teaming up with Dressember in order to put people first, to banish human trafficking and to create meaningful work. All of this really makes a difference.”
The mission of Fair Indigo is honorable: create beautiful and ethical products, treat employees and suppliers with fairness and dignity, and reduce waste and pollution in the fashion industry. Robert Behnke puts it best when he said, “we strive to change the way you think about your clothes”. If you join us for REVIVE, you are sure to find unique pieces that you can wear with confidence knowing that you are not contributing to the fast fashion industry this Dressember!
Fair Indigo would also like to offer a 15% off promo code REVIVE15 that will be valid until Oct. 31, 2019. If you are still trying to hunt down that perfect piece to rock during the 2019 Dressember Campaign, this is the place to look.
About the Author
Elisha Stauffer is a junior at THE Ohio State University studying Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy with a minor in Slavic Studies. Her daily life is consumed by reading Czech literature, weird yoga poses, and rewatching episodes of Brooklyn 99. She is certified by the Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and plans to make advocacy a focus for the rest of her life.