Join the Revolution
- Words by Peppermint
Who made your clothes? If you don’t know the answer, it might be time to find out. Today is Fashion Revolution Day – marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed 1133 people and injured over 2500. Fashion Revolution Day is a new annual global movement founded by Fair Trade and ethical fashion pioneer Carry Somers. The campaign wants you to be curious about your clothes and do something to help raise awareness of fashion’s social and environmental impact and create positive industry-wide change.
We’re showing our support of Fashion Revolution Day by acknowledging and celebrating brands producing beautiful fashion that’s kind to the planet and its people – such as Brisbane-based ethical fashion label One Colour. “The Rana Plaza disaster drew a line in the sand for me and for others,” says Di Stitt, founder of One Colour. “Fashion Revolution Day makes sure we don’t forget the beautiful young lives lost and that our choices absolutely, definitely matter. After seven years of actively engaging in retail and wholesale from a grassroots level up I can say that there has been a definite mental and emotional shift. That shift is great but I still think there is a great ease in shopping without thinking about the implications. Who made my clothes? Great question that needs to be asked over and over again. More work to be done, I’d say.”
Anyone can take part in Fashion Revolution Day and make those choices matter – all you need is curiosity, a camera and an internet connection. Today, put on your clothes inside out, take a photo of yourself wearing them and share it on all your social media networks with the hashtag #insideout. You can also take part in a series of ‘global media takeovers’ at @Fash_Rev and @Fash_Rev_AUSNZ on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and discuss a range of topics relevant to sustainable fashion, including Q&As with Greenpeace and the Fair Trade Foundation and first-hand accounts of what life is really like for those who work in the factories that supply some of our favourite fashion retailers.
As a green fashion and lifestyle publication, Peppermint has always advocated eco-friendly clothing and consumer goods, and has a long history of supporting campaigns that increase social and environmental awareness. “The reason Peppermint started in the first place was because I was designing a small clothing range and decided to research more about the fashion industry – the fabrics, the workers, the environmental impacts,” says founder and editor Kelley Sheenan. “The more I learned, the more passionate I became about finding a better way. If, as a designer, I didn’t know the facts behind where my clothing was being made, how was the general public meant to know? It’s important to remember that there is a story behind that cheap t-shirt… and it’s not likely to be a fairytale with a happy ending. There are many dark sides to the fast fashion industry, from the toxic chemicals used to workers’ rights being violated, and at its worst, tragedies like Rana Plaza.”
But campaigns such as Fashion Revolution Day can help avoid similar tragedies happening in future, which is why we’re encouraging everyone to get involved. We’ve created our own series of photos wearing sustainable and fair trade labels, saluting brands who are taking important steps to ensure that ethics are as important as style. “Fashion Revolution Day is a fantastic initiative to help bring awareness to the people behind our clothing – who grew the cotton, who spun the textiles, and who sewed the garments,” says Kelley. “There are now so many great labels that are designing with people and planet in mind. These labels need be celebrated, supported and sought out. It’s worth taking the time to ask, ‘Who made your clothes?’”
Images clockwise from top left: Kelly is wearing Kowtow, Carody is wearing Mata Traders, Rebecca is wearing Tluxe and Cara is wearing One Colour. Visit our Facebook page for the ethical stories behind the brands.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Hang out with us on Instagram
🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
