Tenzin Chime

MEDIAPL 202
Professor Artel
February 8, 2020
Beat Memo
Beat Name:​ In With Sustainability and Out With Fast Fashion

Beat Type:​ The target audience for this beat is not only people who are interested in fashion but
consumers in general. Regardless of age, gender, race, or class, this beat will help anyone who
buys clothes to be aware of the decisions that they make and inform them of environmentally
conscious methods of purchasing clothes.

Beat Data:
Fast fashion has always been highly scrutinized and remains a very controversial aspect
of the fashion industry. It is one of the major polluting industries in the world. The production
and distribution of the crops, fibers, and garments used in the clothing all contribute to varying
forms of environmental pollution, including water, air, and soil pollution. The textile industry is
the second greatest polluter of freshwater in the world. Some of the main factors that contribute
to the cause of the pollution are the vast overproduction of fashion items, the use of synthetic
fibers, and the agriculture pollution of fashion crops.
The amount of new clothes bought by Americans has tripled since the 1960s. This
staggering increase causes the need for more resources, and the need for a faster process from
which the clothes are produced. One of the main contributors to the rapid cause of pollution is
the fast production of clothes due to the increasing consumption of customers. Every year the
world consumes more than 80 billion items of clothing. Those clothes contribute to waste
pollution because most of these items will be thrown out one day.
People are consuming more and want it for cheaper prices. The companies that produce
these cheap clothes who are making a profit want the clothes as fast as possible, this is what
ultimately leads to the rise of fast fashion. The main concern with fast fashion is the clothes
waste it produces. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 15.1 million tons of
textile clothing waste was produced in 2013 alone.
Due to the harmful nature of fast fashion, companies and people have been trying to
make an effort in increasing sustainable fashion and decreasing the production of fast fashion. In
2019, it was announced that France was making an effort to prevent companies from this practice
of burning unsold fashion items. This beat will uncover various other methods of sustainable
fashion as well as the ethics behind fast fashion.

Beat Sources:
1. Alden Wicker - Eco-Fashion Journalist and Blogger
 She is a freelance journalist who has contributed to T​he Cut​, ​Vox​, ​Vogue Business​,
Newsweek​, and ​Refinery29. She also founded ​the leading international blog on
sustainable and ethical fashion.​

Email​: ​rawicker@gmail.com
2. Timo Rissanen - Associate Professor at Parsons School of Design
He is an associate professor of Fashion Design and Sustainability. He currently serves as
the School Associate Dean of the School of Constructed Environments, and is one of the
Associate Directors of the Tishman Environment and Design Center.

Email​: timo@newschool.edu
3. Kate Fletcher - Research Professor at University of the Arts London
She is a research professor of Sustainability, Design, Fashion at the Centre for
Sustainable Fashion where she explores change through many different projects.

Email​: ​kate@katefletcher.com
4. Tasha Lewis - Associate Professor in the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel
Design at Cornell University
She teaches a course called Global Fashion Management where students explore social
and economic impacts of producing ethical fashion.

Email​: ​tll28@cornell.edu
5. Dana Thomas - Author and Fashion/Culture Journalist
She wrote the book, Fashionopolis: The Price go Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes.

Email​: ​contact@danathomas.com
6. Jasmine Malik Chua - Writer for ​Vox
She wrote an article titled, “The environment and economy are paying the price for fast
fashion— but there’s hope”.

Email​: ​hello@jasminchua.com
7. Elizabeth Cline - New York-based author, journalist
She is an expert on consumer culture, fast fashion, sustainability and labor rights. She is
the author of the book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.

Email​: elizabeth.l.cline@gmail.com
 8. Amy Dufault - Sustainability and Communications Director for Kathy Hattori of
Botanical Colors
She is a sustainable fashion writer that has written for ​The Guardian​. She has also
represented many emerging sustainable fashion designers.

Email:​ amytropolis@gmail.com
9. Greta Eagan - Sustainability expert & eco-fashion stylist
She helps promote eco-fashion in the digital and print space. Greta is the founder of
FASHIONmeGREEN, a sustainable fashion awareness project and eco-fashion
integration creative agency.

Email: ​N/A
10. Adriana Herrera - Founder and CEO of Fashioning Change
It is an online fashion boutique where you can find people and eco-friendly alternatives to
the brands.

Email:​ N/A

Beat Competitive Analysis:

1. Is 2019 The Year Fashion Finally Takes Sustainability Seriously?
This article provides information on brands that have now started to focus on sustainable
fashion. For my article, I can advance this story to discuss how fast fashion is no longer
the choice that designers are making.
2. Why Sustainable Fashion Matters
This article discusses fast fashion in the beginning and goes into why it is a problem in
today’s society. It then gives the reader suggestions into how they can make more
sustainable choices. I would refer to this article when I talk about more sustainable
fashion decisions
3. Ethical Taste on a Fast Fashion Budget
This article wasn’t fact-based but instead an informative article that gives readers more
sustainable choices without having to break their bank. I would use this to reach a wider
audience so that it is more relatable and relevant.
4. Fashion Nova's Secret: Underpaid Workers in Los Angeles Factories
This article touches upon the widely-known fast fashion brand, Fashion Nova, and how
they underpay their workers. I would use this as an example to discuss the ethics behind
fast fashion brands.
5. Fast Fashion, Explained
 This article breaks down what fast fashion is and why consumers choose to buy fast
fashion. I would use this to inform the audience of the decision that they make and how it
affects a much greater aspect.
Beat Stories:
1. “Can Fast Fashion Ever Be ​Slow F ​ ashion?
This article would discuss if it is possible for fast fashion brands to keep their same
“aesthetic” but remodel their marketing so that they change into a sustainable brand.
2. “Why is Sustainable Fashion SO Expensive?”
This article would delve into the reasoning behind why more eco-friendly choices are
more expensive than fast fashion and why in the long run, it is the better choice for the
consumer and the environment.
3. “How Social Media Plays A Part In The Rise Of Fast Fashion”
This article will discuss how social media and “influencers” affect the sales of fast
fashion and how young are susceptible to choosing fast fashion because of social media.
4. “I Bought $100 Worth of Forever 21 Clothes. I Never Wore Them.”
This is more of an anecdotal article but still informative. I would discuss a personal story
of mine and then relate that to how most of fashion is not durable because trends are
always evolving.
5. “Undercover: A Fashion Juxtaposition”
I would make this an investigative video where I go “undercover” to different fast fashion
and sustainable stores and compare similar pieces by researching the origin, material, etc.
6. “Why Does My Fashion Choices Affect The Environment?”
In this article, I would discuss why and how consumer decisions affect the environment
and give tips on how to make more sustainable choices.
7. “Is It Too Late To Break Up With Fast Fashion?”
This article will delve more into the question, is it too late to change my choices? It
would give them sustainable choices without having to spend a lot of money.
8. “My Money, My Choice… Or Is It?”
This would be an investigative article where I would find people who shop fast fashion
and ask them why they are making that choices and inform them of sustainable choices.
Could I change someone’s mind?
9. “The Rise of Fast Fashion and Decline of Employment”
This would be an informative article on how fast fashion is increasing but factory
employees are decreasing due to the conditions.
10. ​“When Fast Fashion Gets Dark”
This would discuss the history behind fast fashion and many accidents have occured in
factories due to this. It would showcase the “dark” side of the industry.