Torn

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Gus Casely-Hayford unpicks the hidden histories behind what we wear.

Gus Casely-Hayford unpicks the hidden histories behind what we wear by exploring ten key moments in fashion spanning the globe and five centuries.

Gus Casely-Hayford unpicks the hidden histories behind what we wear by exploring ten key moments in fashion spanning the globe and five centuries. From the start of the global trade in cotton, to the accidental invention of artificial dyes, to Nike Air Jordans, Casely-Hayford reveals the historical weight we carry through our clothes and the statements we make just by getting dressed in the morning.

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Torn: The stories behind the clothes we wear: Readymade Suit

Readymade Suit

The stories behind the clothes we wear

BBC Radio 4 - Torn, The stories behind the clothes we wear, Readymade Suit

Gus Casely-Hayford unravels the past and present of garment sweatshops.

Gus Casely-Hayford tells the story of the quest to make clothing at low prices and the past and present of sweatshops.

It's 1848 and a London-based company is changing the way that clothes are made and sold. E Moses and Son operate out of striking buildings across the capital. Men from all points of the compass are converging on the store with one thing in mind. They want a suit. 

 In episode six of Torn, Gus Casely-Hayford finds that quick returns, division of labour, economies of scale and thoughtful innovative investment in advertising are among what will shape the history and present of low cost fashion. 

While there is no evidence that E Moses and Son used sweated labour, their innovation led to plenty of their competitors to do so, particularly sweated women.  Gus explores how the advent of sweatshops in the 1860s gave rise to exploitation in the garment industry. From the British city of Leicester that saw higher than average infection rates during COVID, to the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka where over 1000 workers died in a building collapse in 2014, the legacy of exploitation continues to the present day.

With historian Sheila Blackburn, child labourer-turned-activist Kalpona Akter, and archival material from the readymade suit manufacturers E Moses and Sons.

Presenter: Gus Casely-Hayford
Executive Producer: Rosie Collyer
Producer: Tiffany Cassidy
Assistant Producer: Nadia Mehdi
Production Coordinator: Francesca Taylor
Sound Design: Rob Speight

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Torn: The stories behind the clothes we wear

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