Australian textile, clothing and footwear manufacturing will be in focus during Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2026, with Ethical Clothing Australia bringing workers, accredited businesses, unions and industry advocates together to highlight the skilled labour behind locally made products.
Running from 10 to 20 September, the program will feature in-person events and online webinars focused on workers, Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation and ethical Australian manufacturing.
The organisation’s 2026 theme, All clothing is handmade, aims to highlight the human skills involved throughout the manufacturing process, from design and pattern development through to cutting, sewing, quality control and dispatch.
Ethical Clothing Australia Interim National Manager Angela Bell said the theme reflected the range of roles involved in Australian clothing manufacturing.
“Someone designs it, develops the pattern, cuts the fabric, sews it, adds trims or prints, checks the quality and prepares it for dispatch,” Bell said.
“Machines may help along the way, but they do not replace the skilled workers whose hands and knowledge bring a product into being.”
The program will include Voices Behind The Seams at Collingwood Yards in Victoria on 10 September, featuring stories from workers and outworkers, accredited businesses and industry representatives.
In Brisbane, Made by Queensland will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on 18 September, with a panel discussion examining the capabilities and developments of Queensland’s textile, clothing and footwear industry.
Bell said the week would also encourage consumers to consider how clothing is produced and the businesses involved.
“We want Australians to look twice at where their clothing comes from and to recognise the businesses that treat workers as an asset rather than a cost,” she said.
Ethical Clothing Australia said its accreditation program continues to support worker protections and ethical local manufacturing. According to Bell, the TCF Union completed more than 1,200 compliance audits through the program in one year, identifying and resolving more than 3,300 breaches across the supply chain.
The organisation said the audits also contributed to the recovery of almost $800,000 in unpaid wages, superannuation and workers’ compensation for workers.
“Our work helps workers receive their legal entitlements and work in safe conditions,” Bell said.
