We often talk about slavery as if it were a thing of the past. A horror from another era perpetrated and permitted by people who have nothing to do with us. This is very wrong. Slavery remains a serious problem in the 21st century. The difference is that the slave of the 21st century and the slave of 100 years ago are not the same. The portrait of the new slaves shows us people from poor or developing countries looking for work in clothing and footwear factories, but all they find is labor exploitation. Globally, an estimated 24.9 million people are victims of forced labor. It is estimated that 16 million are exploited by multinationals and companies rather than by private individuals, as in the case of sexual exploitation. According to the report we are analyzing, one of the sectors in which we find more "textile slaves" is the textile and footwear industry. An industry that moves 3,000 billion dollars annually. Not only does accessories brand Nisolo fight forced labor with its sustainability framework, but it also aims to tackle the greenwashing phenomenon that so many fashion brands take part in. Instead of using loose terminology surrounding its supply chain operations and manufacturing practices.
Accountable Fashion Based in Nashville, Nisolo is a certified B Corp brand that has mastered the art of shoemaking. Founded by CEO Patrick Woodyard in 2011, it produces jewelry, accessories and Leather Working Group certified leather shoes of premium quality. Nisolo has set the bar for other fashion brands, as it has established its very own Nisolo Sustainability Framework. After ten years of research and development, the framework was put in place to push the brand’s standards to achieve a more holistic approach.
The critical pillars of the framework come down to people, planet, transparency, accountability, and collaboration. Nisolo pursues 100% living wages for its employees throughout the supply chain as well as 0% net carbon, by making calculated decisions to reduce and offset its carbon emissions. In terms of transparency, the brand accurately measures, tracks, and then publicly discloses its Sustainability Facts for consumers’ knowledge. The brand keeps itself accountable by seeking the certification and verification of third-party evaluations, to make sure its practices are environmentally sound, as well as kind to its employees’ health and well-being.