As we near the first anniversary of Bangladesh's Rana Plaza factory collapse, it's a good time to take check on the fashion industry and where it's at in terms of its social and environmental impacts. Here, we've collected 20 of the best tweeters to help keep you informed, from journalists to textile consultants and charities. We've featured some of your suggestions from last year but we always welcome more. Please pop them into the comments section below.
To join the wider #whereyouwear conversation around clothes provenance, submit a snapshot of yourself explaining where your outfit was made via Guardian Witness.
Lucy Seigle
Journalist for the Observer and author of To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? Siegle tweets on the ethics of fast fashion among other things.
This is what your rubbish goes in if you live in Mayfair pic.twitter.com/WNqnkOCB6E
— lucy siegle (@lucysiegle) February 21, 2014Arthur and Henry
Arthur and Henry is a London based menswear retailer which sells organic and fair trade garments. They are a self-professed slow-fashion business.
285,000 people worked in the UK textile, apparel & footwear manufacturing in 2000. In 2009 only 99,000 did. http://t.co/kD6QgmVCz9
— Arthur & Henry (@ArthurandHenry) March 20, 2014Lucy Shea
CEO of Futerra Sustainability Communications and self styled godmother of swishing. Shea tweets on upcoming Fashion Revolution Day, swishing and everything sustainable fashion in between.
Aunty loves Swishing RT @lucysiegle: 'swishing' was just a question on University Challenge. That's pretty cool
— lucy shea (@swishinglucy) January 16, 2014Livia Firth
Creative director of Eco Age, Firth is 'queen of the green carpet and professional agitator.' She tweets on sustainable luxury fashion and ethical glamour.
“@Fash_Rev: April 24 will now be known as Fashion Revolution Day I talk to @vogueaustralia @eco_age #insideout pic.twitter.com/yqYrhBPsmU”
— Livia Firth (@liviafirth) March 23, 2014TRAID
TRAID works to end exploitation in the global textile supply chain by collecting unwanted clothes for reuse in the UK. They tweet self-styled second-hand outfit ideas, events and inspiration.
Want to make a rucksack from waste denim? pic.twitter.com/DFtmu63VqB Join us Thurs 3 April #latenighttraid Shepherds Bush http://t.co/1gz82ym6AT
— TRAID (@TRAID) March 20, 2014Ethical Fashion Forum
The industry body for sustainable fashion, Ethical Fashion Forum tweets events, inspiration, industry news, and often retweets for other eco-fashion businesses and organisations.
Did you know, source has over 600 articles dedicated to helping fashion professionals across the sector make... http://t.co/c3fnDrvi4T
— EthicalFashion Forum (@EthicalFashionF) March 12, 2014Fashion Revolution
Tweeting about Fashion Revolution Day and provenance.
'We’ve been stuffing ourselves silly – gorging, even – on fast food equivalent of fashion for years now' @susiebubble http://t.co/HijXzX5SsP
— FashionRevolution (@Fash_Rev) March 24, 2014Tansy E Hoskins
Tweeting on politics, books and the business of fashion. Author of Stitched Up - The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion. Often writes for Guardian Sustainable Business Fashion blog.
@aifric_aifric @Primark How was it made? Who stitched on all those tiny beads?
— Tansy E Hoskins (@TansyHoskins) March 19, 2014Kate Fletcher
Design activist, writer, consultant and researcher working at the convergence of sustainability, design and fashion. Author of Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys.
If best way to reduce calories and increase nutrients in food is to make it at home, could it be the same for fashion?
— Kate Fletcher (@katetfletcher) February 6, 2014Dilys Williams
Williams is the director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Challenging, provoking and questioning the fashion status quo as a designer, collaborator and facilitator of change. Tweets a lot of images, which is always nice.
Wearing the city in style #unbox2014 #Habitat13 @sustfash how's this for maker-user centred design! pic.twitter.com/VihWCFyPkq
— Dilys Williams (@dilyswilliams) February 24, 2014Tommy Crawford
Strategist, writer and creative troublemaker at Greenpeace. Tweets on environmental and social issues, plus campaigning posts related to luxury fashion brands.
#TheKingIsNaked! Causing a stir at #MFW among the #fashionistas, calling on @dolcegabbana to make toxic-free fashion! pic.twitter.com/pE8C8F39oR
— Tommy Crawford (@theecowarrior) February 23, 2014The Good Wardrobe
The antithesis of fast-fashion, The Good Wardrobe loves long-life style and is a style-sharing hub. Their website is a great resource for tips and information as well.
Like #cycling and #slowfashion? Here's our pick of ten accessories for the sartorial cyclist: http://t.co/qqC5FmDmEW
— The Good Wardrobe (@TheGoodWardrobe) February 11, 2014Love Your Clothes
A new campaign to help you #loveyourclothes, developed by the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan and WRAP. Tweets on upcycling, events and other similar campaigns.
Inspired by Helen Mirren's 1 dress 5 ways? Here are our tips for creating a fresh look from your wardrobe staples: http://t.co/nWssRKgeoV
— Love Your Clothes (@loveyourclothes) March 11, 2014Sass Brown
Brown is an eco-fashion activist, author of Eco Fashion and ReFashioned: Cutting-Edge Clothing from Upcycled Materials. Brown is also NY editor for Coco Eco magazine, and an educator and researcher tweeting on design, activism and sustainability.
Just love this image from Gibbbous Fashions, it says it all, quirky, creative, unique! pic.twitter.com/YA5EvxL19F
— Sass Brown (@EcoFashionTalk) March 10, 2014Orsola de Castro
A sustainable fashion powerhouse, de Castro is chief rubbish collector for From Somewhere and Reclaim to Wear. She is also co-founder of Estethica at London Fashion Week and co-founder of Fashion Revolution Day.
Will never know who knitted my 2hand jumper but it is worn by me + daughters #insideout #Fash_Rev loved things last pic.twitter.com/2Hn0ZBPe57
— orsola de castro (@orsoladecastro) March 24, 2014Magnifeco
Where ethics meets aesthetics, magnifeco.com is a digital source for eco-fashion and sustainable living.
We are speechless! Thank heavens @ELLEmagazine asked a Bangladeshi @TanwiNandini to comment http://t.co/lWtvuycsJB pic.twitter.com/GKGWUNWui4
— Magnifeco (@Magnifeco) March 9, 2014Slow Fashion Forward
Slow Fashion Forward is a strategic and creative consultancy for sustainable fashion and textiles, sharing events, campaigns and information.
How NYC's 'Slow Fashion' Movement Is Revolutionizing the Industry by @StyleRealist http://t.co/4gh1qgt4Ht via @policymic #slowfashion
— Slow Fashion Forward (@SlowFashionFWD) February 28, 2014TheGreenShows
The Green Shows is an event, education and consulting company dedicated to promoting the luxury sustainable fashion movement.
Vegan Couture Goes Under Water...For Water - CocoEco Magazine recently featured “Hart of Dixie’s" Claudia... http://t.co/7vlyU86UGg
— TheGreenShows (@greenshows) February 24, 2014Craft of Use
A fashion research project from Kate Fletcher and the Centre for Sustainable Fashion based at London College of Fashion, Craft of Use explores how we use garments in resourceful and satisfying ways. Contributions from designer, artist and natural dyer, Katelyn Toth-Fejel.
The tailor's shears still in use at @AbusKeys pic.twitter.com/jyl9uAtJyg
— Craft of Use (@CraftOfUse) March 19, 2014Designer Jumble
Designer Jumble is a pop-up with a conscience, run by former editor of vogue.com, Abi Chisman. It sells second-hand designer garments at affordable prices, and promotes craftsmanship and sustainability.
We applaud Meryl Streep for many things including the durability of her fashion choices: same dress, 35 years later pic.twitter.com/FN1dQqlrho
— Designer Jumble (@designerjumble) March 27, 2014