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Let's be friendsEdinburgh take action to protest against Topshop
Edinburgh student Fiona details an action by Edinburgh university students against Topshop's failure to join the ETI
Students from Edinburgh University crept into the huge Arcadia Tower alongside the throngs of busy Saturday morning shoppers. They headed straight for the racks of gaudy underwear avoiding the watchful eye of the pant police (aka, paranoid Topshop security) and decorated them with labels questioning their ethical credibility while redistributing the ‘pants’ pants throughout the store.
They also sought out the measly arrangement of t-shirts made with Fairtrade cotton and decorated them similarly, highlighting their presence as a “token gesture” and asking ‘what about the rest?’
They hoped to use Fairtrade fortnight as an occasion to sustain the pressure on Topshop and draw attention to the fact that their current efforts towards Fairtrade are not enough. Coupled with their failure to join the Ethical Trading Initiative, Topshop continue to lag significantly behind in the challenge of improving the lives of those who are involved in the garment industry from seed to shirt.
