In this project photographer Pieter van den Boogert followed the life cycle of clothes in three chapters, including production in Bangladesh, consumption in the Netherlands and the re-use of worn clothes in Ghana. This trilogy can be seen as a visual example of the way Western wealth and trendy consumption cannot be viewed in isolation from poor working conditions and global market mechanisms. The harsh conditions in Bangladesh contrast starkly with the Western world’s need for cheap and trendy clothes.
Clothes used to have a protective purpose but nowadays it is a product that is greatly influenced by trends and commercial interests. After the clothes have been worn, most of them end up in the containers of charitable organizations. They collect the clothes and of- ten sell them to commercial sorting companies. Most of the usable clothes are sold to Eastern Europe and Africa. Ghana’s geographical location near the sea and its stable political situation makes it ideal as a hub for western exports…
Photo: Textile worker is instructed by her floor manager