Put simply, fast fashion is a process of design, manufacture and marketing with the sole intention to produce clothing at a rapid pace and at mass volumes to keep up with trends and market demand.
Driven by mass media, especially social media, consumer need to keep up with the latest fashion trends has created an industry synonymous with overconsumption. The implications are grave – for our planet, for workers, and for our wallets.
Fast Fashion: A Timeline
The first fast-fashion business model was pioneered in the 1990s by the founder of the parent company of Zara, Inditex. Zara had diverged from the traditional seasonal cycle of production to weeklong “micro-seasons” throughout the year. Retailers also realised that if they took their manufacturing process overseas to countries with considerably more relaxed labor laws with lower wages and overtime hours, this only made them more profitable. The quick releases, low prices and constant cycles of novel fashion trends had consumers well and truly lured in. It became an addiction which was only going to get faster, cheaper and bigger.
How Bad Is It, Really?
If you’re thinking the fashion industry’s contribution to the most serious threats facing the planet pales by comparison to the worst offenders – power generation, heavy industry, transport –
