Deirdre O’Shaughnessy has been wondering for a long time just who makes her clothes. She went to Cambodia to find out. As we approached the factory, a steady stream of young women, and some men, flowed out from a side door. Colourfully dressed, a few wearing hijabs, the workers made their way out the front gate, [...]
Only a few things in life are universal. Birth, death, taxes, and clothes. You might not be interested in them; you may not spend much on them; but you wear them. And unless you’re a fashionista, or what might be unkindly termed a hippy, you probably haven’t thought much about where they come from. Whether they’re [...]
Garment workers eating lunch outside under a tree. Photo: Rory Coomey We'd arranged to meet union leader Sun Lyhov at 11am, the workers' breaktime. A working day in a garment factory is from 7-11 and 12.30 - 5, and as we arrived a steady stream of young men and women poured out of the [...]
Inside the Man Ou garment factory. Photo: Rory Coomey. A hectic two days deserves more than a brief blogpost, but time is tight and we have a 5.30am start tomorrow to meet some kids from Anita's Orphanage at their schools. Can't get your kids up for school at 9.30? Try sending them to school [...]
Fiona Kehily-Ives, originally from West Cork is a public relations consultant in London. Q When it comes to buying clothes, what's your top priority? I have a few - the quality of the material is imperative, its origin (I prefer natural fibres produced in sustainable environments or localities in the UK or Ireland), how a piece is put together [...]
Emer O'Mahony is a Director of Lockdown Models and founder of Cork Fashion Week. She blogs at Irish Fashaholic. Q When it comes to buying clothes, what's your top priority? When shopping for clothes my biggest priority is quality. I believe in less is more, in buying less quantity of garments (i.e. a new 'trendy top [...]
