Amy Boote on LinkedIn. In Marrakech last week I purchased a handcrafted leather belt from Mohammed.

We spent some time chatting whilst he altered the belt to fit, and I discovered that himself along with his four brothers used to supply a well-known retailer of fast fashion. However, this buyer-supplier relationship broke down as the retailer failed to pay a decent cost price…demanding a lower cost per unit for the same high-quality product, meaning Mohammed wasn’t taking home any profit.

This is just one individual in the fast fashion supply chain. There are millions of highly skilled craftsmen like Mohammed, constantly being pushed out of business as fast fashion brands prioritise profit maximisation over people.

Long-term supplier-buyer partnerships, built on mutual trust and respect, are needed in the fast fashion supply chain…low cost prices aren’t sustainable, they are exploitative!