How Community Organizing Is Changing the Fashion Industry for Workers and Beyond [Video]

The fashion industry has often been criticized for its mass production of clothing, promotion of overconsumption, and systems of abuse that have largely gone unchecked by the industry. However, organizers and activists around the world are working to change that by raising awareness of the effects that the textile industry has on climate change and workers across the supply chain, from factories to models and beyond.

During a special panel at Parsons in New York City, co-hosted by Teen Vogue and moderated by Style Director Alyssa Hardy, activists Sarah Ziff and Summer Dean spoke about their work organizing in fashion. Ziff is the founder and executive director of the Model Alliance, a nonprofit and labor rights movement dedicated to providing research, advocacy, and legal aid to models and other workers who have been exploited. Dean is a climate influencer and founder of Climate Diva, which promotes sustainability, “slow fashion,” and climate action.

The Model Alliance was sparked by Ziff’s personal experience as …