When we talk about sustainable fashion, we often focus on materials, chemistry, and circularity — but behind every garment stands a person. OEKO-TEX®’s new podcast, The Fashion Stitch, gives voice to those people. Through honest conversations about labour rights, working conditions, and shared responsibility, the podcast explores what “fair fashion” truly means — and why social sustainability is just as essential as environmental progress.
A new platform giving voice to the people behind our clothes
Sustainability in textiles is often discussed in terms of chemistry, carbon and circularity, yet at its core lies another equally vital aspect — people. OEKO-TEX®
has launched a new podcast, The Fashion Stitch, to shine a light on the human stories woven into the global fashion industry.
In collaboration with Fashion Changers, The Fashion Stitch explores the social side of sustainability, focusing on labour rights, working conditions and the shared responsibility across the supply chain. The first episode, Fighting for Fair Fashion, hosted by journalist Clare Press, invites listeners to hear directly from those at the forefront of the fight for dignity and fairness in garment production.
Giving Workers a Voice
The opening episode paints a vivid picture of modern garment work — far removed from romanticised notions of craftsmanship. It tells the stories of Anahà Cruz
and Daisy Gonzalez from the Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles, who describe 55-hour working weeks and pay rates as low as 1.58 US dollars per hour. Labour organiser Katie Quan and Sabina Kaldonek from FEMNET
add insight into systemic exploitation and the persistent global struggle for living wages.
The conversation also travels beyond the United States, exploring the Dindigul Agreement in India, which aims to protect women workers from harassment and gender-based violence, and examines continuing child labour issues in Turkey. Each perspective reinforces that the challenges of “fair fashion” are universal, demanding collective action.
Certifications, Accountability and Human Rights
Among the voices is Carolin Franitza of OEKO-TEX®, who discusses how certification systems can strengthen social responsibility within the textile industry. She emphasises that due diligence and transparency go hand in hand — certification alone cannot solve complex problems, but it provides a framework that helps brands and consumers make informed, ethical choices.
At TESTEX, as an OEKO-TEX® institute, we see this conversation as an important extension of our mission: ensuring not only environmentally safe textiles but also the fair and humane treatment of everyone involved in their production. Addressing labour rights is a crucial part of achieving truly sustainable supply chains.
Listen and Join the Conversation
The Fashion Stitch is more than a podcast — it is an invitation to rethink the meaning of sustainability in fashion and to listen to the people whose voices are too often unheard.
🎧 Listen to Episode 1: Fighting for Fair Fashion
Follow The Fashion Stitch on your preferred podcast platform and stay tuned for upcoming episodes that will explore other critical dimensions of sustainability in textiles.
