Sweatshop
- Words by Peppermint
Ever wondered what a day in the life of a Cambodian garment worker looks like? Sweatshop – Deadly Fashion, an online miniseries produced by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten in November 2014, aims to reveal just that by sending three fashion-savvy Norwegians to the other side of the world for an experience they’ll never forget. Five short episodes track Anniken, Frida and Ludvig, along with their Cambodian counterpart, a young factory worker named Sokty, as they step into the shoes of a Phnom Penh garment worker in an attempt to alter their perspectives on fast fashion.
More than 500,000 people are employed in Cambodia’s garment industry, earning on average just one-quarter of what the Clean Clothes Asia Floor Wage calculates to be an acceptable living wage in that country. Large-scale factories are a huge employer in Phnom Penh, attracting thousands of women from rural and regional Cambodia who relocate to the big city every year and go on to produce garments for foreign-owned companies including H&M, GAP, Levi Strauss, Adidas and Target.
The sweatshop is the epicentre of Cambodia’s garment industry, but it’s not until Episode 3 of this series that the Norwegian trio partake in a day’s work on the factory floor. At first, conditions appear good in the well-lit workroom, where workers are filmed breaking for a shared lunch. But as Frida soon reminds us, this is just one example of a factory: there are hundreds of varying quality in Phnom Penh, and most would never let cameras or prying eyes inside. Eventually, it’s the repetitiveness of sewing the same seam over and over that gets to Frida and her friends; the long hours and the effects of little sleep and little food (they refuse to eat most of the Cambodian lunch they are offered) adds up and wears them down.
The trio’s other escapades include spending a night in Sokty’s modest home to experience the sort of living conditions a small amount of rent can buy, and completing a challenge to feed a group of 10 people on an average workers’ wage of $2 per day (although this task neglects the fact that most workers survive on $2 for all their meals, and most don’t have the luxury of pooling wages with their friends). When the Norwegians take Sokty clothes shopping in a flashy retail store, the realisation that the people who sew clothes for brands like Mango can never afford to wear them strikes an unpleasant note.
After some brief coverage of the garment worker’s protests that have been ongoing in Cambodia’s capital since 2013, the final episode of Sweatshop sees the three Norwegians sit down with a group of female workers for a one-on-one chat. Stories of decades spent sewing the same fabric in the same factory day after day, and tragic tales of growing up in poverty and missed opportunities, are translated for the trio. It’s famed fashion blogger Anniken who appears most disturbed by the anecdotes, and she later vows to lead the charge back home and educate her friends and peers about what she’s seen.
Throughout the course of the series, it’s interesting to watch the trio’s prevailing attitude – “at least they have a job” – give way to a torrent of disbelief and eventually anger at an industry that seemingly traps its workers in unnecessary poverty to save on expenses. Sweatshop succeeds in personalising the issue and putting Cambodia’s fight for fair wages into perspective, but unfortunately there’s not enough time to explore the more systemic issues at play – how did these workers get here in the first place? Drawing comparisons between life in Norway and life in Cambodia is certainly a contrast of extremes, and sometimes Sweatshop mishandles the cultural subtleties. Still, this series provides a valuable first-hand account and indicates continuing interest in Cambodia’s struggles, raising more questions around worker’s rights and placing renewed focus on the big brands who exploit factory workers for their own gain.
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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. …
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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! 🪡
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Fabric: @Spoonflower
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“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
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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
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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?!
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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. 🌿
