FAST FASHION & ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD

The fashion industry generates 80 billion garments a year, which is 400% more than what used to be produced 20 years ago. Fast fashion is, in contrast to sustainable fashion, the mass production and consumption of clothing. They are usually and most likely replications of designs from independent designers or luxury brands, made cheaper and more accessible for the greater population to consume.

Fast fashion became more prominent in the early 2000s when there was an influx of cheaper clothing being made, the need for fashionable clothing by mainstream consumers, and the increase in purchasing power. Fast fashion retailers will be able to introduce multiple new products in a short time to keep up with trends.

Shopping was once a seasonal event where consumers would save their money to buy clothing at certain times in the year. In the late 1990s, that changed as fashion became a form of entertainment and the demand for clothing increased.

The assumption fast fashion gets its drive is that consumers want high fashion at a low price. Although fast fashion is responsible for much of the profits in the fashion industry, it is bad for the environment, contributing to a large portion of the pollution we are experiencing. Due to the cheap manufacturing by the use of mostly artificial, man-made fibers, most of the textiles used in the production of these clothes almost never break down. Since fast fashion is mass production of these cheaply made garments, we end up disposing of them fairly quickly and they all end up in landfills and in our oceans and even incinerated adding to global warming.

It is very hard to leave fast-fashion behind because consumerism is something we are used to, but with time, and by supporting slow and sustainable designers, we will be able to help take care of the environment and aid the decline of pestilence of mass production.

Post by Sara-Lee Barnaby