Thanks to the pandemic, many of us are now familiar with both the benefits and perils of working from home.
That’s old hat in the garment business: for decades, Australia’s fashion industry has relied upon the labour of outworkers sewing in their lounge rooms, kitchens and sheds. This hidden workforce is mostly made up of new migrants who pick up orders through word-of-mouth referrals.
For Emma Do, a fashion writer who has worked for Frankie and Broadsheet, it was a revelation to discover Vietnamese names and faces behind many well-known brands.