Eco Fashion World

White socks, skin colored bras, leggings and tops that make you look like a sausage. These items ring our fashion alarm bells since all of them are ‘Super Wrong’. But things are even worst when you think that many cotton farmers still don’t get a fair price for their product. To point to this major problem in a fun and provocative way, STICHTING has initiated the ‘Foute Campagne’ (Wrong Campaign). The kick off was a guerilla fashion show in Amsterdam’s chiquest shopping street. Part of the campaign is the ‘Foute Nacht’ that takes place this Saturday September 13 in concert hall Paradiso. Entrance is free for anyone who brings a piece of cloth made of ‘wrong cotton’ (foute katoen). The aim is to create a mountain of socks, T-shirts, towels and other items that will shows visitors how many items are still being made in a bad way. The art collective ‘Vage Gasten’ will make a huge work of art out of the mountain of cotton items. The program looks promising with great DJ’s & bands and celebrities present as ‘wrong friends’ (foute vrienden).

Although a lot of work needs to be done to transform the cotton market, things are already moving in the right direction. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has once more ruled that the United States must reform its support for cotton farms. In 2002, Brazil had challenged US subsidies before the WTO. Payments to US cotton farmers amount to as much as $ 4 billion a year. Experts believe they depress prices on the international cotton market, causing hardship to producers in other countries, for instance in West Africa. Back in 2005, the WTO had declared US cotton subsidies a violation of international trade law, demanding that Washington changed its policy. That has not happened sufficiently however, as the Geneva-based trade organization confirmed in December 2007. More on the cotton debate you can for example read on WorldView Magazine.

As for the ‘Foute Nacht’ that Max Havelaar organizes, we think it’s a great initiative. The question is only why they don’t organize it in the world’s first sustainable dance club that opened last week in Rotterdam.

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