From London to Paris

In the fashion world, cotton is one of the most durable fabrics. Some call it “white gold” due to how much it is used and how profitable it has become; but others know the dark side of cotton.

Child labor, pesticides, excessive use of water and lack of compensation for workers are just a few of the controversies surrounding the cotton industry.

The Environmental Justice Foundation, a London-based charity, was established to empower those who suffer most from environmental abuses, focusing greatly on injustices in the cotton industry.

Liz Ricketts, a fifth-year fashion design student at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, found EJF’s website via Google. The Goodrich, Michigan native was drawn to the issues addressed by the EJF because it combined a love of fashion with a deep concern for the environment.

The EJF investigates by equipping organizations with the tools to document their hardships. Once the problems have been discovered within the organizations, the EJF seeks ways to help end their internal struggles while broadening the knowledge of those outside the industry.

Established in 2000, the EJF has spent the past 10 years gaining global visibility and becoming an advocate for local and global changes in peaceful ways. The organization has produced six documentaries and a series of training manuals for grassroots activists.

The EJF sponsors The Great Fashion Cycle, a 300-mile biking adventure from London to Paris, to raise awareness of human and environmental rights violations within the fashion industry. This year’s trip takes place from July 14 to 18.

London and Paris are two of the world’s fashion capitals and the EJF hopes to truly make an impact in these influential cities. The trip concludes with a celebratory meal at the Eiffel Tower.

“Fashion is just one way of making our world more beautiful and that is my mission,” Ricketts said. “If I don’t hold myself accountable for the environmental concerns linked to my creative efforts, I will never be able to accomplish such a goal.” 

When she found out about The Great Fashion Cycle, Ricketts e-mailed the EJF with a plea to join their cause, despite being past the registration date. She was accepted and began raising awareness by starting a fundraising website, creating a Facebook fan page and posting flyers in coffee shops around Cincinnati.

She has been preparing for the trip by biking, running and spreading the word about the EJF, all the while working on completing her coursework and senior fashion design thesis.

“I love the creative freedom,” Ricketts said. 

She believes that fashion is an industry of “big dreams and big ideas.” She is most looking forward to returning to London, where she worked on co-op for six months last year.

With Kim Burgas, an alumna of UC’s sociology program, the two will be the only Americans participating in the trip. The money raised for The Great Fashion Cycle will go directly to the EJF to help end environmental injustices.

Injustice in the cotton industry is one of six campaigns the EJF is currently concentrating on solving, along with climate control, illegal fishing, shrimp farm pollution, deadly chemical pesticides and illegal trafficking of plants and wildlife.

By sending representatives around the world to raise awareness, EJF is doing their part to fight for justice.

The EJF’s “Pick Your Cotton Carefully” campaign has garnered support from actors and actresses, musicians, fashion designers and top fashion models.

Notable supporters include designers Luella Bartley and Christian Lacroix, along with models Lily Cole and Chanel Iman. Musician KT Tunstall publicized the organization at the Live Earth concert in 2007.

At this year’s London Fashion Week, designer Alice Temperley publicized the organization by designing a shirt that raises awareness of cotton-picking injustices and included it as a piece in her runway collection.

The EJF has uncovered injustice in 16 cotton-producing countries thus far, including Brazil, Vietnam, Mali, Sierra Leone, Uzbekistan, Mauritius and Indonesia.

Many grocery shoppers consider where their food has come from before they purchase; the EJF believes that clothing deserves the same consideration. All clothing items have their own histories, and often times they
are unpleasant.

The past has been dark, but the future can change with the help of dedicated supporters who are willing to fight for justice. The EJF and its supporters hope to help the cotton industry emerge from its black hole and keep the future of “white gold” bright and promising.

“One would hope this massive industry would improve the lives of the local people,” Ricketts said. “Unfortunately, this is not the case and several issues need to be addressed.”

Ricketts aspires to work in behavioral design, materials development and help third-world countries after graduation and the trip have passed.

In her time at UC, Ricketts has been a Cincinnatus Scholar, made Dean’s List every quarter and received DAAP’s Golden Brush award for excellence in
fashion illustration.

She can often be found taking walks around Clifton and enjoying the outdoors, or painting and drawing at home. Upon graduation, Ricketts will miss her professors as well as “the collaborative community” that UC offers.

“Please help me raise awareness of this organization so they may continue to do what they do best,” Ricketts said.

She hopes all those who hear about the cause put forth an effort to donate and spread the word to end global environmental injustice in every way possible.