We shared our Will Smith and David Beckham approved Father’s Day Gift Guide.* So what do these celebs have in common with our Fathers of Fashion?
Answer is, they all want a brighter future for their children. This Father’s Day we honor the dads who make our clothes. From Haiti to India to China, these dads work long, hard days in factories to create our clothes and keep their children in school.
* We’re still waiting to hear from Will Smith and David Beckham to confirm their likely adoration of our guide.
Bruce
Ouanaminthe, Haiti
“I am 22 years old and have been sewing American Eagle T-shirts for 3 years. I dropped out of school because my girlfriend became pregnant. I wish I had a degree but now I just hope that my son gets a college degree and a better job than me. My days are tedious, but what keeps me going is a hope that he will someday become a better man than me.”
Abdul
Panipat, India
“In the mornings before work, I drop my youngest children with great pride to school. Affording education, especially for my daughters, was not possible with my salary. But now, because my factory works with a special non-profit called GoodWeave, my kids are eligible for free education at the community school, built steps away from our home.”
Guerrier
Ouanaminthe, Haiti
“For the last 7 years I have swept denim scraps off a clothing factory floor. I have no dreams of my own. Dare I dream as a sweeper? But I recently took a financial literacy course and saved enough to build a more permanent house. I live here with my wife and two children. My other three children live with my sister because my house is too small. If you ever see a Made in Haiti label, know that your clothes have allowed some of my children to live with me in a better house.”
Wang Xiao
Guangzhou, China
“I work really long hard hours, standing on my feet, to dye your fabric. Dying fabric is a dirty but necessary business. I go to the labor union office once a year to get body scans because of all the chemicals that I handle. My wife and two children live over six hours away and I only get to see them once a year. But in 7 more years my children will be done with school. I hope my son joins the army, and I can go back to chicken farming and the peace of my village. I dream of that day.”
This Father’s Day, let’s share the stories of these badass dads on Twitter and Facebook and #remakeourworld.
Cover Image: Devin Edwards/Unsplash
Join the Conversation