The 2 Euro T-Shirt - A Social Experiment

Fashion for a bargain - that‘s what everyone wants. A T-Shirt for 2€ isn‘t inconceivable nowadays. Unfortunately, people don‘t often consider who is paying the real price. #whomademyclothes

We placed a bright turquoise vending machine, offering t-shirts for 2 Euros, at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, to test whether people would still buy it when they are confronted with the conditions in which it was produced. Eight out of ten shoppers decided against it!

24 April every year is Fashion Revolution Day which is held in memory of the 1,133 workers killed in 2013 when the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed. We need greater transparency in the fashion supply chain because we can't improve conditions or protect the environment without knowing where our clothes are made. We need to challenge brands and retailers to take responsibility for the people and communities on which their business depends. Ask the brands whose clothes you love #whomademyclothes and help start a Fashion Revolution.

Fashion Revolution is creating a series of mini videos as part of the European Year for Development. Find out more by following the hashtag #EYD2015 on social media and subscribing to our YouTube channel.

[SMOHIDULALAM]

I am from Bangladesh, I witnessed the Rana Plaza collapsed in my country. All the money(14m USD) that were set on a budget to help the victims is still illegally captured by our corrupted Prime minister. I hope international media will write about it.

[FashionRevolutionGlobal]

Wow - Thank you so much for your response and overwhelming feedback!
Thanks for watching and please keep on sharing our message!

We’re very grateful for all your comments and will try and answer them within our capacity but might not get to every single question.
In general we would like to say the following:

Fashion Revolution's mission is to achieve more transparency in global textile supply chains and work to improve working conditions in the manufacturing countries. We believe in a fashion industry that values people, the environment and creativity in equal measure.
We DO NOT want you to stop buying clothes made in Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, etc. but ask brands who sell clothing produced in these countries to take responsibility for the people and communities on which their business depends.


Re: Where do the donations end up?:
This was an experiment and initially the money was handed back to the people using the vending machine in the video. 
However €250 were collected by people who explicitly wanted to donate which we will now pass on to the OPORAJEO Project, which was setup after the Rana Plaza disaster on April 24th, 2013 to create job opportunities for some of the survivors as a rehabilitation program.



Re: Where can I buy ethically produced clothing?:
We’re not asking people to boycott their favourite stores, we need to change the fashion industry from within.  By asking the brands and retailers where we like to shop Who Made My Clothes? we can put pressure on them to be more transparent about their supply chains. 
Additionally watch out for the labels of global organisations who help to improve global working conditions in the textile industry such as Fairtrade and Fair Wear Foundation. 
You can also check the following labels for more sustainable fashion (GOTS), TextileExchange & Blue Sign.  Also second hand or upcycled clothing are another option.


Re: Who is to say Manisha will earn a better wage if I buy a €50 Tshirt?:
If you buy cheap fashion it is very unlikely to have been produced in an ethical way.  However, buying expensive clothing is no guarantee that the people who made it got paid a fair wage or enjoyed good working conditions - often it will have been made on the same production line as a fast fashion brand. 
This is why we work for more transparency and want people to ask their brand: Who Made My Cothes?

This should be a simple question, but a new Behind the Barcode Report published  to coincide with Fashion Revolution Day found that 48% of brands hadn’t traced the factories where their garments were made, 75% didn't know the provenance of their fabrics and 91% didn’t know where the raw materials came from. We need to build a more open and connected fashion supply chain because greater transparency is a prerequisite to improving conditions.

[arafatrahman]

I feel ashamed as a Bangladeshi when I see people all around the world are aware of our loss, they share their feelings and try to help, while the govt. might have forgotten everything!!

[bebeeru]

This is incredible, I hope there are more stands like this installed in other cities. I quit fast fashion about three years ago when I watched the documentary the TRUE COST

[TheJamShot]

I can't help but think of the fact: 0, 13 cents vs 0 cents, having food on the table vs starving? The world is unfair yes, not buying 2 dollar t-shirts won't change that. If it's free market capitalism vs having no market at all I know what I'd choose. Judge me if you want, just being realistic.

[GantugsSuhkbaatar]

When i read "thank you" just cried.

[lcephoenix]

Das Problem ist ja, dass man selbst bei einer 70€ Jeans nicht automatisch davon ausgehen kann, dass die Arbeiter(innen) auch mehr verdienen. In der Regel ist es nur die Marke, die dann das ganze zusätzliche Geld schluckt...

[qpae]

The reality is even the 20 Euros T Shirt is made by '' Manisha the slave '', the only diference is, it's branded in Europe or UK and sold ten times more ! :)))

[JeanPierreBro]

I'm sure a whole lot of people just pressed on "buy". I certainly would've. About 70% of the donations will probably go to the charity, and only a small part to the people.

But still... what are we donating for?

[mi_nmi_n.zemi]

This video was used as the theme for a short essay on the Japanese high school entrance exam. These things are also regarded as important in Japan. Happiness comes to everyone. I want to live for that.

[jokermodele]

The T-shirt is too expensive. In itself, it’s a T-shirt, a salary.

[MonikaMarkez]

Usually $350 T-shirts are made for the same hands. It's better if you support your national industry.

[vixxcelacea]

I hate when people give up just because this won't fix things completely and definitely not overnight.

The point of any movement is to make things better, not make them perfect.

Try, that's what we all should do.

[boredoutofmymind]

What would the message be for the person who pressed the "buy" button instead of the "donate" button? Cause by pressing the "donate" button, the person gets a message saying "thank you". But if a person pressed the "buy" button, then will the message be "fuck you"?

[Night_Hunter_Watcher]

学校の英語の授業で、知りました
世界で、人々が安い賃金で、
働いているという衝撃を、
受け、毎回泣いてしまいます。
私も、募金を、したいと、改めて思いました。

[SebJae]

Great idea... Lack of information is the big problem. Happy that you placed that machine in Berlin. I started to realize that the taking part in social ideas is nothing special anymore here... its just normal.

Good work!

[PonzooonTheGreat]

And THAT'S why you should buy only OUR brand of t-shirts for $50! Made by elves and fairies! Totally not in sweatshops!
That is also why we should all boycott Manisha's t-shirts so that she doesn't even have the 13-cent-per-hour job that many more would KILL for! It is definitely NOT the case that she chose the job voluntarily because that is the best option in her desperate circumstances! Instead we should take away what she considers to be the best option so that she and millions more should have nothing at all, right?! Wouldn't that be fantastic!?

[DnnnOz]

This is probably the most beautiful video i have ever seen. A true revelation, hit us where it hurts the most. :)

[vanjerre]

plot twist: everybody pushed ''buy''

[kostenrechnung]

Hey, I really love your initiative... There is only one problem: almost all big retailers buy at sweatshops in Bangladesh,  China, India, Africa, o.e. and sell at any price (even ridiculously high prices with a big margin for themselves). Even big brand names buy at sweatshops! (remember the nike scandal?) So a high price that Americans and Europeans pay for clothing, is in no way any guarantee that these cloths are not made in a sweatshop. I still love your initiative to make people think... yet, inform them even more please.. Big brands have responsibility too, and they are the biggest buyers and sellers.