A comprehensive discussion guide will be posted in the near future. Using our guide after a screening will enable audiences to:
- Build a human connection to and awareness of the production process of apparel in the context of global commodity exchange;
- Increase public access to information about the origins, processes, and by-products of commodities (i.e., supply chains) with a focus on cotton apparel;
- Support a multidisciplinary discussion addressing health, environmental, economic, and human rights issues associated with global commodity exchanges.
In the meantime, follow any of the links below for more information about the range of social, environmental and political concerns in textile supply chains.
For further reading
The following books provided a lot of context for making Cotton Road. Read them to learn more about the complex issues facing the global textile and garment industries.
The China Price by Alexandra Harney
Factory Girls by Leslie Chang
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli
Threads: Gender, Labor and Power in the Global Textile Industry by Jane Collins
Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline
Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys by Kate Fletcher
Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry (article), published by National Institutes of Health, Environmental Health Perspectives (free from copyright restrictions)
Fashion Industry Statistics - a few statistics with links to sources
United States Department of Labor statistics on the fashion industry in the United States
Nordic Fashion Clean and Ethical (NICE) consumer guide to clothing: A quick overview-- from the raw materials used in clothing production to how to dispose of and recycle used clothes.
Educational resources suitable for classroom use (K-12)
Nordic Fashion Clean and Ethical (NICE FASHION) info-graphic/poster on clothing production impacts and clothing life cycle (downloadable pdf)
Nordic Fashion Association's summary of topics/issues that impact the creation of a more sustainable textile future
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON...