Why what you wear is about more than fashion

Far from being frivolous, fashion is cultural currency, a tool of self-expression, and a much-loved confidence boost, but sadly it’s a problematic friend. Whether you’re donning Primark or Prada, thanks to hazy supply chains and labour practices, there’s no guarantee as to who made your clothes, and how sustainable they really are. In this episode of TEDxLondon’s Climate Curious we’re joined by Baroness Lola Young, an activist, author, crossbench peer in the House of Lords, and Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, widely known for her contribution to creating legislation to eliminate modern slavery, a number which shockingly still stands at 40 million today globally. This pioneer urges us all to wake up to the labour behind the label, and to disengage from the fast fashion blame game and change what we can, today, with the resources we have. Tune in with Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst to understand why it’s not about banning fast fashion – it’s about pressuring governments to make firms smarten up their act to end modern slavery, discover why being more thoughtful about people is the first step to being more thoughtful about consumption, and explore the surprisingly easy thing you can do today to make a difference – simply wear your clothes more! In this week’s Climate Confessions we take on shoe addictions, shopping to make yourself feel better (we’ve all been there) and recklessly running the hot tap for no good reason – why not!?