In this episode, Kim reflects on the complexity of her relationship with production staff during her time as a garment factory manager. She addresses how integral the prevailing narrative of good workers versus bad factory managers was in shaping the way she engaged with her staff, and how it fails to capture the real, multi-dimensional dynamics of worker-management relations in the fashion industry. It is an audio version of an article she wrote and published in October 2020 called Ethical Fashion: How Singular Narratives of Worker-Management Relations Fail Us.
This episode is part of the “Crossover Moments” miniseries, where we explore key moments of personal transformation that led people to question and ultimately reject conventional approaches to sustainable fashion.
CREDITS:
Host: Kim van der Weerd
This is a Maed in India production.
Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Nikkethana Kamal Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni