Ethical vending machine

Berlin – Challenging the high street's addiction to cheap goods, this interactive installation highlights the human cost of the fast-fashion industry.

• Many fashion industry workers are paid 13 cents per hour
• Consumers are looking behind the logo, for brands they can buy into on a deeper level

There may now be a bewildering number of ‘commemorative days’ to keep up with, from international Hug Day to Star Wars Day, but 24 April saw an event that we can all get behind. Fashion Revolution day is the brainchild of an organisation of the same name, and this year’s event marked two years since the Rana Plaza tragedy, in which more than 1,000 Bangladeshi clothing workers lost their lives when a poorly maintained factory collapsed.

The organisation came up with a powerful interactive event to draw attention to the issue of cheap clothing. Setting up a vending machine selling €2 T-shirts in Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, unsuspecting punters inserted their money only to be greeted by a short film detailing the grim realities of fast fashion. Armed with this knowledge, it was then their decision whether to continue with their purchase or donate the money to Fashion Revolution. The result was that 90% of those initially attracted to the low price chose to donate their money instead.

The Big Picture: our SS15 macrotrend Whole-System Thinking emphasises the growing importance of acting ethically – for brands and consumers.