Venetia Falconer | Producer, Presenter, Sustainability Activist

BUT WAIT, WHAT MAKES SOMETHING OLD? ♻️♻️♻️⁣
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You may have noticed me parading my #OOOTD (old outfits of the day) noting how old each piece is: for example, I’ve had this skirt for about 5 years.⁣
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To some people, 5 years is anything but old. For me, it absolutely is! And this is all related to our personal shopping habits. ⁣
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In case you didn’t know: I’m a recovering fast fashion addict. I used to present a daily live TV show and I never wore the same thing twice. I was in Zara on a weekly basis, took on as much PR gifting as I could and even presented a short travel video for ASOS - delighted about the fact that I got to keep all the clothes. Even now, it’s rare to see TV presenters wear the same thing twice, and I definitely felt that pressure. ⁣
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So what constitutes an item as old? To me, this is totally dependent on your personal relationship to fashion consumption. I only quit fast fashion less than 3 years ago. Before that, my relationship with clothes was much more disposable, often only wearing an item a couple of times, giving it away after one season. ⁣
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There’s every chance you’ve been a conscious consumer for much longer than I have, so me calling an item that’s only 5 years old as ‘old’ may feel jarring to you. And I’m ok with that (and slightly in awe!)⁣
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Some food for thought: ⁣
♻️something is only considered vintage if it’s over 20 years old♻️⁣
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♻️even when a garment might have an old style, it cannot be vintage if it was manufactured in the last 20 years ♻️⁣
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If you’re new to your slow fashion journey, I really do encourage you to keep up the good work. That moment when you look down and realise everything you’re wearing is (your version of) old feels SO good. And celebrating what you already own is a brilliant way to @rememberwhomadethem and show garment workers the respect and love that they deserve, that’s why we start all of our conversations on our podcast asking ‘what are you wearing today?’ ♥️⁣
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#OOOTD: t: depop, skirt: 5 years old, shoes: charity shop find 3 years ago, bag: @tea_and_tequila 🌞

I am so excited to introduce @RememberWhoMadeThem,

I am so excited to introduce @RememberWhoMadeThem, a digital campaign, 6 part podcast series and fundraiser to inspire a new solidarity economy in fashion. ⁣⁣
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The pandemic uncovered the entrenched exploitation that the fashion industry is built on. We’ve witnessed countless brands demonstrate performative allyship to front-line workers, black lives, pride and feminism; when their industry is built on oppression, exploitation, racism, slavery and sexism. Not forgetting the constant greenwashing peddled out by corporations who refuse to acknowledge that we cannot have sustainability without ethics. ⁣⁣
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Solidarity is a tool for reducing inequality and social injustice, based on a common feeling or interest and working with others toward a shared purpose or set of goals. It is not an unethically made t-shirt created in unsafe working conditions in a factory where workers are refused their right to unionise. A solidarity economy always puts the wellbeing of people and planet before corporate profits.⁣⁣
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As a group of concerned feminists, allies, organisers and artists we have come together, catalysed by the plight of fashion garment workers who've globally been impacted by the crisis and been exploited for long before then. In collaboration with existing campaigns, activists and workers’ unions, we are seeking to amplify the messages to show global solidarity with the people making our clothes and to ensure companies who have profited take responsibility to support them.⁣⁣
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We would love your support↓⁣⁣
1️⃣ Follow: @RememberWhoMadeThem⁣⁣
2️⃣Support garment workers directly via our @Patreon patreon.com/Rememberwhomadethem/ ⁣⁣
3️⃣Subscribe to our podcast (out TOMORROW!) Just search for ‘Remember Who Made Them’ on your podcast player.⁣⁣
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I’d like to take this opportunity to give a HUGE thank you to my incredible co-founders @swateedeepak @djlo.djlo and @rubyamelia18. And our extremely talented team of collaborators: @pentagramdesign @dothegreenthing @gina_bak @hollymaguireuk @lifelines_sophie @judith_p.raynault @ici.jozi @melisalerue ♥️ ⁣⁣
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We all love clothes. Let’s remember who made them. ⁣⁣
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🎨 Artwork: @hollymaguireuk⁣⁣
#RememberWhoMadeThem

I am not here to shame or judge anyone’s choices

Many of the world’s biggest fashion brands inclu

Many of the world’s biggest fashion brands including @Nike @Adidas @Gap @CalvinKlein @TommyHilfiger are complicit in the forced labour and human rights violations being perpetrated on millions of Uighur people in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China.⁣
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In April, brands including @HM and @Uniqlo were outed for selling products in the UK that contained cotton from the Xinjiang regio: @HM told the Guardian that they were ‘reviewing’ that relationship.⁣
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So what does this tell us about the fashion industry? ⁣
The fashion industry is built on oppressive and forced labour. Brands continuously pass the blame, but they are the ones who hold the power. If labour is cheap, they’ll make more money. They have little concern for the people who make their clothes.⁣
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Please note: This post is not intended to cause shame on people who support or work for these brands. Instead, I want to highlight the injustice that has long been woven into the manufacture of these companies, and to encourage support for the people who made our clothes. ⁣⁣
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For more, please refer to my previous posts and the highlights on my page.

I’m constantly striving to foster a reciprocal r

I’m constantly striving to foster a reciprocal relationship with the Earth, rather than an extractive one. The more I learn, the more equipped I feel to make harmonious choices that don’t negatively impact Mother Nature. ⁣
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When I’m not able to venture outside (shout out 2020), I find solace in nature documentaries. Not only are are they a soothing distraction when my head feels sore from too much time on twitter🙃, they’re a great way to learn and feel more connected to the ground we’re standing on. ⁣
I recently watched David Attenborough’s Kingdom Of Plants on @SkyTV’s new nature channel. I had no idea how important mushrooms were to our eco systems. Some fun things that I learnt: ⁣
- The majority of fungus is made up of vast tangles of tiny threads underground which can extend for hundreds of yards⁣
- The threads are essential for woodlands and forests and to the cycle of life⁣
- One specimen in Oregon (USA) spread across 4 square miles, making it the largest known living organism on the planet⁣
- Fungi are more closely related to humans than plants. ⁣
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A slightly unnerving thing to think about when you’re tucking into some fried shrooms...🍄⁣
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#SkyNature #NatureAtHome #AD

Topshop, owned by billionaire Philip Green, is sti

Topshop, owned by billionaire Philip Green, is still refusing to pay garment workers for work completed pre-pandemic. ⁣
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Due to the latest @Boohoo slave labour investigation in Leicester, there appears to be a new wave of energy in outing unethical and therefore unsustainable practices by fashion brands. This is hugely encouraging. ⁣
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Some have suggested that our disdain for Boohoo could be due to a certain snobbery around the more affordable fast fashion brands. And our reaction suggests that some of us expect this kind of exploitation in less economically developed countries, to which it’s easier for us to turn a blind eye, but not here in the UK, even though these accusations have been cropping up for years. ⁣
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With all that in mind, we need to keep our foot on the gas for all unethical practices within the fashion industry. Let’s bring the same amount of outrage for the luxury brands who burn £28m worth of clothes (Burberry, 2018), the ones who claim to be the “second most sustainable option after being naked” (Reformation), and the brands who are STILL yet to #PayUp. This leads us on to @Topshop. ⁣
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While we’re here, I want to say a massive shout out to the team @RemakeOurWorld for successfully unlocking payment from Gap via their digital #PayUp campaign. Online activism works! ⁣
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This post is not intended to cause shame on people who support or work for Topshop and fast fashion brands. Instead, I want to highlight the injustice that has long been woven into the manufacture of these brands, and to encourage support for the people who made our clothes. ⁣
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For more on what you can do, please refer to my previous posts.