the stay at home report

April 17, 2020 · by Sophie Slater

We founded Birdsong in 2014 as believers in taking action - against exploitation in the fashion industry, and the climate devastation it’s wreaked on earth. To flock together in uncertain times, we want to help you take action too, whilst looking after yourselves and your loved ones in these scary times. Here’s a run down of how we'll be agitating, staying safe, and helping others for the duration of lockdown.

1. where to find us

We’ll be hosting a series of Instagram Live streams with the Birdsong family and some brilliant activists for Fashion Revolution Week. From meditations, to talking more about our brand, the future of fashion, our hopes and dreams, and our inspirations for new collections. Make sure to follow.

Monday 20th 11am: Sophie & Suse talk Birdsong & future plans
Tuesday 21st 3pm: We talk to Mimma Viglezio about the future of fashion.
Wednesday 22nd 3pm: What's going on in the industry with Aja Barber.
Thursday 23rd 3pm: Sustainable Style with XR's Alice Wilby
Friday 24th time tbc:
A guided grounding meditation with Leah, the face of our Spring campaign.

2. how to take action from home

At times like this, it’s easy to feel powerless, but in our opinion we have to be engaged and involved to be empowered to make change. Here's what we'll be doing.

- Staying clued up about the changes in the fashion industry.
- Using sewing skills to make PPE and masks for those who need it most.
- Registering as a volunteer with the NHS, mutual aid groups or food banks.

Last year MPs ignored 18 recommendations in a cross parliamentary report on the fashion industry. Sign this petition to put fixing fast fashion back on the agenda.

Coronavirus is exposing holes in fast fashion - Teen Vogue

The way fast fashion brands in Europe are behaving is creating a humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh. Read first hand about what happens when workers are exploited in a time of pandemic
- Eco Age

They've also brought out an emergency podcast about what else is going on and what needs to change

Susanna our designer spent her bank holiday making face masks for Single Homeless Project . SHP is a London-wide charity working to prevent homelessness and help vulnerable and socially excluded people to transform their lives. Our friend Lydia from @mademywardrobe recruited a team of volunteers to make 60 masks each and they made over 500 for those staying in hostels during this crisis. The pattern can be found here.

3. ...& how to look after yourself

We've been staying busy with a host of online workshops, including online art therapy with Arts Sisterhood, refugee cooking classes from our good friends at Migrateful (resulting in the BEST dahl I have ever made), and free online yoga videos like this one from the NHS.

4. how to support us

While our production and postage are paused for the safety of our workers, we're asking you to still place orders and bank your purchase for a brighter day. We'll get onto it as soon as it's safe.

You can also follow us from £1 a month on Patreon to support our makers. From low income background, migrant, and older women, to adults with learning disabilities, each subscription helps us support our makers who will be amongst the worst hit by the crisis.

5. calling all illustrators & artists

In the past we’ve worked with some remarkable creatives - XXY magazine, Still European, poet Charly Cox, illustrator Drawings of Dogs, artist Amy Isles Freeman and painter James Alfred Hart to name a few. Though our production might be on pause for now, that doesn’t stop us dreaming up the next season’s designs.

We’re setting an artist brief to collaborate with us on our next project. We’re looking for easy to screen print, small embroidery designs, print ideas, maybe illustrations for use across Birdsong, anything that you think represents our values.

The winner will get invitations to behind the scenes access to the production processes, the opportunity to meet our makers, a launch event and media campaign, and a commission on all sales from any products made. Please submit all entries via instagram by tagging @birdsonglondon, or email sophie@birdsong.london. We love this illustration by artist @judith_p.raynault