A community group will focus on the right to clothing and issues around fast fashion this month in its Share&Wear campaign.

Bermuda Is Love is to highlight that everyone on the island “deserves access to high-quality, sustainable clothing”.

Aaron Crichlow, a cofounder of the awareness and activism group, said: “Clothing is a basic human need, similar to food and housing.

“It is necessary for our protection, survival and dignity.

“A lack of adequate clothing, therefore, is one of the most visible markers of poverty and inequality in our society — a society that often defines wealth and status by one’s attire.

“A lack of clothing affects those experiencing homelessness, or who don’t have suitable clothing for a job interview. It affects individuals struggling to make ends meet, and families who are unable to afford appropriate school uniforms for their children.

“A lack of adequate clothing affects not just one’s ability to function in life, but affects one’s ability to thrive and perform to the best of their ability.”

He pointed out that the right to adequate clothing is recognised in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in various international treaties.

Mr Crichlow added: “Bermuda Is Love believes that everyone has the right to access the clothing they need in order to live with dignity and respect, without harming the planet or exploiting garment workers.”

The January campaign will also address the environmental and human impact of fast fashion — the rapid, mass production of garments, often in response to trends.

Mr Crichlow said: “The fashion industry is the third-biggest manufacturing industry and contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined.

“In addition, around nine out of ten fast-fashion brands do not pay their garment workers a living wage.

“By addressing together the issues related to consumers, producers and our planet, we can help to make clothing more equitable, accessible and sustainable.”

He added: “The main goals of the #Share&Wear campaign are to help provide immediate access to high-quality, sustainable clothing for all, encourage a culture of sharing and wearing each other’s clothes and reduce the stigma of second-hand clothes, raise awareness around the problem of fast fashion, and advocate for the right to clothing to be implemented into Bermuda law to ensure that charity is not required for any individual to access adequate, sustainable clothing in Bermuda.

“The full realisation of the right to clothing in Bermuda requires us to learn to be ethical consumers of fashion, to swap, donate, share and wear our clothing, and to limit the amount of clothing we buy.

“It is about each of us who does enjoy access to adequate clothing no longer taking clothing for granted, and reflecting on our relationship with our clothing.

“Our choices as consumers can help shape the fashion industry into being more sustainable and equitable.”

Community sessions this month will include a film showing and upcycling workshop as well as clothing drive, swap and giveaway events.