Toronto, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/20/2014 -- The staggering loss of life which splashed across social media, television screens and print publications mere hours after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex in Savar, Bangladesh in April 2013 shocked the world.

Eighteen year apparel industry veteran Michael Lavergne’s critical response is captured in FIXING FASHION: BEYOND RANA PLAZA, the six month research and manuscript stage of his non-fiction publishing project. Scheduled for release next fall with New Society Publishers in the US and Canada, the book provides a hard look from the inside out at the very real human and environmental impacts of our consumer culture’s addiction to fast, cheap fashion. By examining industry failures in health, labour, safety and sustainability practices FIXING FASHION looks closely at the underlying business issues which the author argues led to the Rana Plaza collapse.

The goal of FIXING FASHION is to leverage Mr. Lavergne’s near twenty years of retail and branded apparel management experience in bringing to light the inner workings of the global textile trade, one valued at more than $US 500 billion dollars and which employs millions of men, women and in some cases children across the developing world. These are the people whose lives are most impacted by the public’s endless desire for cheap fashion and whose stories and voices are rarely heard by consumers half a world away.

Part academic reference work and part industry exposé, this expert’s project is a manifesto for the collective business, consumer and civil society actions needed to fully implement responsible, sustainable practices across the apparel industry. Mr. Lavergne believes an urgent wakeup call is needed in helping consumers and business leaders alike to rethink the way we make, market and buy our clothes in one of the global economy’s most lucrative and labour intensive sectors.

The author seeks crowdfunding support during the critical research and manuscript stage of this book as follows:

- To Conducting primary research/interviews needed to further verify facts at local level.

- To support in-country employment opportunities by contracting local research assistants.

- To fulfill Kickstarter funding awards provided by small-scale, ethical/organic apparel providers.

- To support the pre-publication/marketing efforts needed to bring the book to market.

Kickstarter Page: http://kck.st/1iwDeqn