This week we join brands and citizens around the world for Fashion Revolution week, a week that marks the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more in 2013. This global movement calls for greater transparency, sustainability, and ethics in the fashion industry. They started by asking “Who made my clothes?”

We want an industry in which we don’t have to question if our clothing is made in a safe, clean and fair way. So we do what we can with what we have, and this week we shine some extra light on our amazing production team. We asked them why their work at PUP and the movement back towards slow fashion is important.

“Fashion often comes at the cost of people and the environment. Fashion Revolution Week calls attention to the need for transparency in the fashion industry. As consumers, it is important that we know who made our clothes and the conditions they were made in. When we start asking companies “Who made my clothes?”, we are demanding more accountability and making a first step towards positive change in this industry.” Sara Blythe, Studio Assistant

“Slow fashion is so important. I think everyone needs to be more aware of where and how their clothes are being made. It scares me when I think of Fast Fashion and how many clothes/materials are being thrown away. That's why our work is so important. We are using materials that were headed to the landfill and giving them a second life. Why buy new when there are so many materials that can be repurposed? It may sound small compared to all the waste out there, but I like to think we have a part in spreading awareness.” Jessica Bricker, Director of Design + Fabrication

"I am always excited to see what material we will get to work with! From different events around Indianapolis, public or private, it is an adventure to see what you will unroll next.  Knowing that we are saving this material from sitting in a landfill and seeing finished product in people's hands is why I enjoy what I do.” - Jason Chisham, Resource Manager

"My work at PUP is exciting because I am able to witness and be a part of the transformation of useless materials into useful products." Jenny Rivera, Studio Assistant

“When I first became interested in sewing upcycled items, I saw it as cool and artsy, and as an inexpensive way to create unusual statement pieces. That vision has changed since becoming more aware of global sustainability efforts and the need for protecting the limited resources of this one planet we’ve been given. It’s an essential and necessary way forward. We aren't all in a position to make the large scale environmental decisions that directly affect our earth but once we have an awareness, we simply can’t not make the small everyday changes within our grasp. Working for PUP has been a perfect mix of the creative and the responsible, a purposeful focus on local community sustainability with more than an artistic nod to great design.” Amy Beemer, Product Designer