Maya Aarohi is a student at the University of Malta, where she is currently reading a B. A. in English and Communications. Alongside her studies, she has begun a local sustainable fashion movement to revolutionise the fashion industry and encourage students to be more ethical and sustainable with their clothing purchases.
Maya’s activism is brought about through an international alliance called “Fashion Revolution”, where she has started a new branch called Fashion Revolution UoM.
Through this student organisation, she has brought awareness to the sweatshops, slave labour, and overall inhumane production by popular brands. It has taught students to think before purchasing, and also to question brands on what their clothes are made of.
We sat down with Maya to talk to her about this incredibly important initiative.
Where does your drive to revolutionise fashion production come from?
I think my drive stems from my love for fashion as a form of self-expression, art and identity. This beautiful, dynamic thing (whether you see it as an art form or purely utilitarian) shouldn’t have to come at the cost of the planet or human rights.
What is the aim of fashion revolution UM?
To foster a culture of conscious consumption and consumer activism at UoM through education, practical advice, and events such as clothes swaps and documentary screenings.
What would you say is the most urgent aspect of fast fashion?
It’s hard to single out any one aspect of fast fashion as the most urgent, since they’re all systemic and extremely damaging. Carbon emissions, overflowing landfills, overproduction, throwaway culture, water pollution, slave labour, the list goes on. The fact that brands aren’t held accountable is also an incredibly pressing issue — the total lack of transparency in their supply chains allows them to get away with severe human rights abuse in the name of profit.
How would you recommend your viewers act sustainably (in a fashion sense)?
I think that to successfully ‘act’ sustainably, one must first critically reexamine the way they view clothes and consumption. The lack of transparency in the fast fashion industry combined with fancy marketing deceives us into thinking that there’s no harm in a bit of ‘retail therapy’.
Replacing this misconception with the truth about fast fashion isn’t easy and definitely wasn’t something that happened overnight for me. I’d recommend watching The True Cost or Patriot Act season 5 episode 3 ‘The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion’ on Netflix, and following @fashrev and @rememberwhomadethem on Instagram.
Alongside this, I would encourage people to rewear the clothes they already own and avoid fast fashion if possible. If you do need something new, opt for second hand, vintage, or swap with a friend.
Are you involved in any other environmental initiatives?
Not at the moment no, although I follow local organisations like Zibel, FOE, Fridays for Future MLT and Extinction rebellion MLT quite closely and would love to get involved in the future.
What do you feel was your biggest success so far in the movement?
It’s probably been getting the conversation going and creating a like-minded student community. It’s super exciting to hear students say how they’ve changed their consumer habits after following our page, hearing about how they upcycled a skirt instead of throwing it away or how they’ve decided to boycott fast fashion.
Although it’s growing, the slow fashion community is still a minority, especially in Malta, so whenever I see these kinds of responses I’m always like ‘oh cool, I’m not just screaming into the void’.
Do you recommend getting involved in social/environmental initiatives during your university years?
If it’s something you’re passionate about, I definitely recommend it, it can be great for meeting like-minded people while effecting meaningful change in your community.
Follow fashrev_uom on instagram to learn more about this sustainable fashion movement cause and keep up with campaigns & events!
Have you been following sustainable fashion? If yes, we’d love to hear from you about your experience. Contact us on [email protected]
Emily Galea is a writer and feminist activist in Malta. She is the Vice-President of Young Progressive Beings, Project Co-lead of the Dear Decision Makers campaign, and MA student in Gender, Society & Culture at the University of Malta.
