Slavery in the fashion industry and child trafficking were among the issues highlighted by the “THE UNHEARD AND THE UNSEEN” exhibition held at the University of East London at the end of November.
Beverly Coldron, the artist who created the art installment, told Rising East: “There are so many things going on that we are not aware of.”
“We shouldn’t take things for granted. With the fashion industry growing, many voices are left unheard and unseen,” she added.
Beverly, a third-year fine art student at the University of East London, used the Chinese brand Shein and the underpaid and overworked workers as examples.
In October 2022, an undercover investigation from Channel 4 exposed that Shein employees worked the whole week, some getting a base salary of only $556 per month to make 500 pieces of clothing per day, an earning of two cents per item of clothing.
In addition, in June 2022, TikTok users shared the hidden messages they found on Shein’s clothes with many of the videos going viral. Every hidden message had a tag that allegedly said “need your help.” Shein responded to the claim on their official TikTok account, saying there has been some confusion. They intended to remind customers to help soften the fabric by using fabric conditioner when washing.
The exhibition was a collective display of the untold stories of those workers and the “unseen” dark side of the fashion industry. Beverly’s frustration about how workers are treated in the fashion industry is reflected in her art pieces.
Edited by Maxi Pfeifer