Fair to Wear focuses on an aspect of the clothing industry that is often overlooked or ignored - Fair Trade clothing. While Fair Trade is a well-known concept when referring to food and beverage products, few people seem to be aware of the impact the clothing industry has on the environment, the poor working conditions of the people making our clothes, and the unjust trade agreements made with producers. This is symbolic of the prevalent cultural difference between 

consumers (generally from rich western nations) and producers (generally from poor developing countries). 

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After doing some research on the issue, we were surprised to find that there are only 8 Australian brands that can claim to manufacture clothing using Fair Trade cotton. You can view the full list           One of these is Melbourne based company called Etiko clothing, who is one of only two brands to be featured on the Australian Fashion Report Executive Summary with an A+ ranking. Rather than being a brand that is 'for profit,' they promote the idea of 'for profit for purpose', and are an example of how we can do things differently. This is the same message that Fair to Wear hopes to spread. Fashion, consumer culture and ethical standards do not necessarily have to be on opposing sides of the spectrum; we all have the choice to join and support a movement against poverty and exploitation. 

We will be targeting audiences that are interested in fashion, active online, and engaged with social and environmental matters. We will mainly be reaching out to young adults aged between 20 to 35 years. The consumers that lie within this age range can also be defined as 'millennials'. According to statistics provided by Millennial Marketing (2017), currently in the U.S. this demographic makes up 21% of consumer purchases, or the equivalent of a trillion dollars in direct buying power. These consumers are also much likelier have an interest in social issues, with 50% willing to make a purchase from a company if their purchase supports a cause and 37% willing to purchase a product to support a cause they believe in, even if it means paying a bit more (Millennial Marketing 2017). This means that people within this demographic have a lot of spending power and these are the consumers that we want to influence. In terms of location we are mainly targeting consumers within Melbourne, and particularly in inner city suburbs where there is a higher influx of our target population. 

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References: 

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Fairtrade 2017, Fairtrade Australia Cotton, Fairtrade Australia, viewed 11 April 2017, <http://fairtrade.com.au/~/media/fairtrade%20australasia/files/business%20and%20workplaces%20resources/cotton%20list_website_%20march%202017.pdf>

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Millennial Marketing 2017, Who Are Millennials, Millennial Marketing, viewed 13 April 2017, <http://www.millennialmarketing.com/who-are-millennials/>

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Nimbalker, G, Mawson, J & Harris, C 2016, Australian Fashion Report, Baptist World Aid, viewed 11 April 2017, <https://baptistworldaid.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016-Australian-Fashion-Report.pdf>

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