What Happened To The Pay Up Fashion Campaign

By Alex Assoune Jun 16, 2021

Nonprofit Remake's Pay Up campaign is the biggest movement for workers' rights in recent fashion history. It already saved the lives of millions of garment makers around the world.

After large apparel companies decided to cancel orders from their suppliers without paying for already manufactured goods as a result of COVID-19, a handful of women rights advocates lead the Pay Up campaign to save human lives.

With the hashtag #PayUp Fashion starting March 30th, 2020, Remake demands that brands respect their initial engagements and pay for already manufactured clothing.

PayUp Fashion is tracking 40 large apparel companies, including fashion brands and clothing retailers, and encourage them to meet 7 actionable labor rights such as keeping workers safe, being transparent, and ending starvation wages.

Over 21 fashion brands have made a public commitment to pay for their in-production and finished orders in full. And the original Pay Up petition resulted in USD 22 billion collected for garment workers.

To help you make more mindful purchasing decisions as a well-informed consumer, here is everything you need to know about Remake's Pay Up Fashion campaign.

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How did COVID-19 affect the fashion world?

The COVID-19 crisis has sunk many industries, including the textile and apparel industry. Fashion businesses all over the world are in trouble due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

Many brands and retailers worldwide canceled orders and closed stores down. Some of them even refused to pay for already manufactured clothing.

The consequences of COVID-19 are devastating, especially for developing East-Asian countries where most clothing manufacturing occurs today. Factories stood still, businesses went bankrupt, and millions of people lost their livelihood.

Farmers and garment factory workers were laid off and returned to their hometowns without enough resources to nourish their future and their families.

The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters globally. It has been responsible for environmental degradation and human rights violations for decades. The COVID-19 crisis has only made it more obvious.

The most promising change after the pandemic is the globally growing importance of local, fair, ethical, and sustainable apparel production. Fashion doesn't have the luxury to ignore sustainability anymore.

The COVID-19 has forced us to rethink the way we produce and consume clothes. And that's a great thing. Ultimately, every progress takes time. But with a collective effort, we can all work towards making fashion more sustainable.

What is PayUp Fashion?

Pay Up Fashion is a campaign launched in March 2020 by the nonprofit organization Remake. It aims to advocate for garment workers' rights and demand fashion brands honor their engagements, including paying for in-production goods.

The original #PayUp petition is a response to reports coming in from suppliers that brands had canceled their orders as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

With 274,010 supporters, Pay Up Fashion resulted in an unbelievable USD 22 billion collected for garment factory workers, saving the lives of millions of mostly women makers.

With such incredible results, Remake considers the Pay Up campaign a victory. The next phase of PayUp Fashion is a movement to reform fashion through 7 actionable labor rights goals.

What is the goal of Pay Up Fashion?

PayUp Fashion is tracking 40 large apparel companies, including fashion brands and clothing retailers, and encourage them to meet 7 actionable labor rights goals such as keeping workers safe, being transparent, and ending starvation wages.

Remake exists to shed light on the human rights violations and climate injustice being caused by the fashion industry. It demands that brands and retailers utilize enforceable contracts that put workers first.

The nonprofit wants to hold them accountable as these companies hold immense power that comes with responsibilities they have to meet. They can establish environmental standards and labor rights for the whole fashion industry.

PayUp Fashion is convinced that the fight for a better future of fashion has to place worker voices and demands at its core. So it keeps pressuring fashion's most influential companies to meet these demands:

#PayUp
Keep Workers Safe
Go Transparent
Give Workers Center Stage
Sign Enforceable Contracts
End Starvation Wages
Help Pass Laws

What Pay Up Fashion payments are on track?

The original Pay Up petition resulted in an estimated USD 1 billion secured for garment workers in Bangladesh and USD 22 billion globally. This amount accounts for about one-half of the USD 40 billion worth of wages owed to garment workers at the start of COVID-19.

Over 21 fashion companies among 40 major fashion brands and retailers have made a public commitment to pay for their in-production and finished orders in full, including:

Adidas (Reebok, Runtastic)
Amazon
ASOS
C&A
GAP (Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix, Hill City)
H&M (COS, Monki, Weekday, & Other Stories, ARKET)
Inditex (Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Uterqüe)
Kering (Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta)
Levi Strauss & Co.
Lululemon Athletica
Marks & Spencer
Next
Nike (Jordan, Converse)
Patagonia
Primark
PVH Corp. (Van Heusen, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, IZOD, Arrow, Warner's, Olga, True & Co., Geoffrey Beene)
Reformation
Target
Under Armour
UNIQLO
VF Corporation (Eagle Creek, The North Face, Timberland, Vans, Dickies, Eastpak, JanSport, Terra)

What fashion brands didn't commit to PayUp?

PayUp Fashion is tracking 19 brands that have not made any public commitment to pay for their in-production and finished orders in full, such as:

American Eagle Outfitters
Arcadia (Burton, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis, Warehouse)
Bestseller
Boohoo
Edinburgh Woolen Mill (Bonmarché, Peacocks)
Everlane
Fashion Nova
Forever 21
Li & Fung/Global Brands Group
JCPenney
Kohl's
Mothercare
Ross Stores
Sears
The Children's Place
TJX (TJ Maxx, Marshalls)
URBN (Urban Outfitters, Free People, Anthropologie, Nuuly, Terrain)
Walmart/Asda/George
Victoria's Secret

What fashion brands don't keep workers safe?

One of the demands and actionable goals of Pay Up Fashion is to keep workers safe. Fashion brands and retailers must support workers' rights to organize.

Garment factory workers are still facing human rights abuse and violence when protesting for better wages and the right to unionize. Brands and retailers working with factories must ensure that workers receive fair wages and severance.

PayUp Fashion is tracking 12 brands that don't keep workers safe, such as:

Adidas (Reebok, Runtastic)
ASOS
Amazon
GAP (Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix, Hill City)
H&M (COS, Monki, Weekday, & Other Stories, ARKET)
Inditex (Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Uterqüe)
Levi Strauss & Co.
Nike (Jordan, Converse)
Primark
Under Armour
UNIQLO
VF Corporation (Eagle Creek, The North Face, Timberland, Vans, Dickies, Eastpak, JanSport, Terra)

What can I do to support Pay Up Fashion?

It's hard to believe, but many garment factories still operate with sweatshop-like working conditions. New allegations of wage violations are reported at sewing contractors every year, even in the United States.

In East Asian countries, many unsafe garment factories manage to run illegally. And fashion brands and retailers still use these factories to mass-produce cheap clothing.

Apparel companies illegally pay low wages to their workforce, such as those tracked by Pay Up Fashion. Yet, many celebrities and influencers are still their ambassadors and support these brands.

It's very shocking to see journalists continuously report cases of forced labor and child labor in the garment industry. But many people still buy cheap clothing made by brands that don't care about workers' well-being.

Fast fashion is a worldwide phenomenon that has changed the clothing industry fundamentally. Consumers buy more clothes now than ever before.

It's time to promote mindful consumption and choose sustainable clothing made ethically by people treated fairly. Buy clothing from companies that pay fair wages.

A more ethical and fair approach is necessary to limit climate change, pollution, waste, cruel treatment of people and animals in the fashion industry.

As a consumer, you have the power to drive positive change in the global textile and apparel industry. You can transform the fashion world to eliminate sweatshop labor by making conscious choices.
Sign the PayUp Fashion petition.

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About the Author: Alex Assoune

Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.

What We're Up Against

Multinational corporations overproducing cheap products in the poorest countries.
Huge factories with sweatshop-like conditions underpaying workers.
Media conglomerates promoting unethical, unsustainable products.
Bad actors encouraging overconsumption through oblivious behavior.
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