The Welsh premiere of a shocking new film documenting the true cost of fashion has been shown in Breconshire by a retailer promoting a clothing revolution.

The True Cost was brought to Hay by fair trade retailer, Louise Davies, who works with one of the film’s executive producers.

Shown at a Fairtrade Hay film and fashion show at the Globe in Hay-on-Wye last Friday, October 23, it told the true story about how clothes are made and the impact on the world.

It revealed that the true cost of fashion comes at a high price to human health, wealth and the environment, with fast fashion garment workers being paid as little as $2 a day by factory owners in developing countries who are squeezing prices to win contracts.

Many of the clothes that end up on UK high streets have been made with hidden costs attached; blood, tears and even death.

Workers are being killed and beaten for complaining about working conditions - low pay, hazardous work environments and long hours.

The film also revealed that the heavy and costly use of pesticides on cotton fields in the Punjab region of India had caused a sharp rise in the number of cancer cases and children born with deformities and brain damage.

Farmer suicides in the area had risen to 250,000 in the year the film was shot as escalating production costs plunge growers into debt with farm land hooked on chemical narcotics.

Elsewhere water courses were shown to be running with hazardous heavy metals, a by-product of tanning leather, which is also contaminating drinking water.

The problems are being compounded around the world by consumers in search of a fix from cheap fashion who are at the mercy of fashion house “propaganda”.

Louise, who runs Hay’s fair trade shop, Eighteen Rabbit, with partner, Andrew Williams, said the film leaves people with a sense of helplessness.

“I can’t believe these things are happening in a civilised world. It leaves you with a sense of helplessness because it’s such an overwhelming problem. You look at it and think how can I make a difference?

“There’s no magic wand. A lot of it is the general public’s attitude to buying stuff, which has changed massively.

“Now there’s a different range in shops every week. Something has happened in the last 20 years.

“If you buy a T-shirt for £8 clearly someone has lost out somewhere,” said Louise.

She is trying to make a difference by showing the film and stocking fair trade products herself.

“Sometimes people come into the shop (Eighteen Rabbit) and say they can’t afford this and it’s difficult to explain fair trade. At some point we need to say maybe it’s about need not want,” she said.

Louise has seen first-hand the difference fair trading has made to women’s co-operatives in Mexico where workers are being paid fairly and education is being provided for their children.

“It’s that sense of dignity and they are able to keep traditions and techniques learnt through family. We have assisted some projects in Mexico.

“We met the people who run Fabrica Social,” said Louise, who is wearing a denim dress from the label, traditionally finished with Mexican embroidery. Her shop is the only outlet in the UK where you can buy the clothing.

“On all the dresses it says who has made it and how many hours were spent making the item,” said Louise.

She’s a member of voluntary community group, Fairtrade Hay, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of fair trade and has wanted to show The True Cost in Hay since it was released at select venues around the world in May this year.

Louise has worked with one of the film’s executive producers, the journalist and broadcaster Lucy Siegle, who says she is “consumed with the environmental impact of the fashion industry”.

The two set up the Observer Ethical Awards which rewards community groups, shop and brands for their ethical behaviour to encourage ethical living.

Last Friday the film was introduced by chair of Fairtrade Hay, Jo Eliot, who said the evening was made possible due to a grant from Fairtrade Wales.

She said profits from the event would go to Shared Interest, a lender to fair trade businesses.

Jo also helped organise the fashion show that followed and featured fairly traded clothes from Hay’s Number Two, Flow, Eighteen Rabbit and Hay Makers shops.

Number Two’s Sue Cutting said: “I thought it was a really great fashion show. For a small town to have three shops selling fairly traded clothing is pretty good.”

Fairtrade Hay will meet next on November 2 at 8pm at Tomatitos in Hay when there will be a talk from Shared Interest about investing in a fairer world.