Era of slow fashion

OVER a year after the Rana Plaza disaster, during which the collapse of the factory building in Bangladesh killed over 1,300 people, intricately made apparel with traceable origins has become more appealing to consumers with a conscience. Now, despite the continuing demand for $10 tank tops to don and dump, the notion of buying a $200 scarf that took four days to handcraft isn't quite as foreign as the ingestion of chia seeds to a McDonald's devotee.

"Because we are so used to mass-produced goods at affordable prices, consumers often neglect to recognise that someone else is actually trading their own precious time and effort to physically create a product," says Colin Chen, co-founder of Tyrwhitt General Company.

"We decided to focus on artisanal and crafted goods because we believe that there is more to buying than just the physical transaction and ownership. Consumers have a right to know how the goods came about, the story of the makers behind the goods, why they are doing it and even the social impact of production."