‘I had to take action’: Rankin fashion book shows devastation of acid attacks

The publication features portraits of 59-year-old Belgian activist and acid attack survivor Patricia Lefranc, who tells her personal story and details the pain and suffering she has endured.

As well as showcasing the devastation caused by these horrific attacks, the book aims to grab the attention of the fashion and textiles industry. The Acid Survivors Trust, which was established in 2002, estimates that more than 10,000 acid attacks take place globally each year, predominantly on women and children, and the organization found a large proportion of these occur in South Asian countries where many fashion and jewelry factories operate and where hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acid are easily accessible.

These incidents have risen by 90% over the past decade and over half of them go unreported.

By advocating for a more rigid and safe manufacturing process when it comes to the use of acid, the campaign is calling on the textile industry to create a more responsible supply chain.

With a foreword by HRH The Princess Royal, who is patron of the charity, the campaign follows the format of a traditional fabric swatch book that is commonplace within the fashion industry.

“I have a special affinity with the fashion industry and I’ve been delighted to see the changes that have taken place within the industry in recent years to make it more sustainable and responsible,” commented Rankin. “When Acid Survivors Trust International explained to me the issue of acid misuse within supply chains, I knew I had to take action.”

The book is being shared with fashion, retail and textile business leaders to encourage them to engage with the trust in helping improve standards of acid control. Reference copies will also be shared in libraries in the hope that the topic will become part of the conversation around ethics and sustainability in the fashion industry.

Guy Swimer, executive creative director at McCann Health London, added: “We needed to talk to the fashion and retail industries in a language that was specific to them but with a hard-hitting message. We hope Patricia’s bravery to tell her story can help stop these attacks.”

Rankin is no stranger to working with charitable organizations. In 2021, he teamed up with Water Aid to lift the lid on the sanitation crisis going on around the world and recently he shot a campaign starring Maxine Peake that highlighted clothing poverty in Manchester.