Reflective Project

Research Question:

‘Is the movement of the fast fashion industry towards more sustainable practices a solution to

negative environmental impacts?’

Subject: Art and Design

Page numbers: 26
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Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………..………….….3

Methodology……………………………………………………………………..……………5

Main Body…………………………………………………………………………..………...7

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….……...17

Bibliography and references………………………………………………………………….18

Appendices………………………………………………………………....…………...……23
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Introduction

The production of ethical and sustainable clothing and garments has slowly become a market

pull for the fashion industry due to the developing awareness of the negative impacts of fast

fashion. This means that there is an increasing demand for natural materials such as wool,

cotton and silk, as well as consumers wanting to see fast fashion companies change their

ethics and behaviour. Fast fashion is “inexpensive clothing that is produced rapidly by

mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends” (Fast Fashion: Definition 18). This

industry alone produces around 1 billion garments annually and profits around 3 trillion

dollars per year (Kianna 17). In recent years, consumers have become more ethically

conscious of the ways they shop. A study done in 2017 focusing on corporate social

responsibility revealed that 88% of the survey takers will be more loyal to a company that

supports social or environmental issues (Butler 16).

This consumer influence has caused brands to adapt their ethics and sustainable practices to

these wants from their market. The linear clothing chain is also a key issue raised about the

current practices of the industry.

Figure 1 and 2: “A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion's Future – Download the
Report Infographics.” Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 6 Dec. 2017,
www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/a-new-textiles-economy-redesigning-fashions-future
-download-the-report-infographics.
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The question in which I will be exploring and researching is ‘‘Is the movement of the fast

fashion industry towards more sustainable practices a solution to negative environmental

impacts?’’ I feel that this question is a good representation of my interests as well as my

BTEC subject - Art and Design, as I am passionate about sustainability in design, as well as

human rights issues and animal welfare. I have learnt to buy second-hand clothing items to

stop the support of big fast-fashion chains. Although I support the slowing down of the fast

fashion industry, I also want to discover the opposing arguments of why fast fashion is

beneficial to some and what are some of the positive impacts.

Figure 3: “6 In 10 Say It's Important to Buy From Socially Responsible Companies.”

Marketing Charts, 6 Jan. 2017, www.marketingcharts.com/brand-related-73384.
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Methodology

For my local and primary research, I will be interviewing Sarah Garner, by sending interview

questions on a google form. She is the founder of Retykle which is a Hong Kong based

children’s clothing recycling organisation and e-commerce platform. I want to know her

opinions as she is a local business owner with the ideology of combatting fast fashion and

upcycling. As Garner is the business founder, there may be some bias to her answers,

therefore I aim to create interview questions that are as neutral as possible, while still

allowing me to find useful information. If further clarification is needed I will be able to ask

for further clarification via email, or by setting up an interview that can be done over the

phone.

For my secondary research, I will be using relevant sources to collect information from

interviews such as TED Talks, as well as using journals. I am taking two directions for

researching this topic as it is quite broad. I will use more factual sources such as articles for

reliable, unbiased information and statistics, but there could be a limit on the type of

information on the issue, and they’re also could be a lack of local data for Hong Kong.

I will also be using blogs and video resources to add more insight to the social aspects of the

question, and also looking at interviews of the relevant perspectives I have chosen. This is a

less formal way to gain information and will allow me to access another angle of advocates

and the general public’s response.

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When using news sites, I have made sure to use factual sources, to reduce bias and increase

reliability. I have also used podcasts for some research which can be biased as it is their own

thoughts and opinions, but I want to be able to contrast the different views and approaches.
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Main body

Fast fashion can affect people differently depending on socioeconomic status, location and

one’s own opinion. The increasing pushback from the younger generations has caused a shift

in companies corporate social responsibilities, as well as fewer people purchasing from fast

fashion companies and looking towards smaller businesses and second-hand items. These

organisations provide cheap alternatives to haute couture designs that help people who cannot

afford luxury brands to feel comfortable and included. Although this can benefit those from

lower-income backgrounds, there are many issues with environmental and human ethics of

these fashion giants.

Jenny Welbourn is a social media influencer who is an advocate for slow fashion and

sustainable living. She believes that there are important things in the fashion industry that

need to be changed and incorporated which pushed her to change her consumption of fast

fashion. From seeing how the fast fashion industry functions first hand, also steered her away

from supporting these companies, now actively pushing to help workers and change company

policies is important, rather than passively consuming

Buying clothes for instant gratification and not thinking about the contribution to the

environment is a prime example of passively consuming. “People need to think about buying

better quality items by investing money into longer-lasting clothing from sustainable small

businesses or vintage or second-hand items” (Welbourn 18). These small changes to daily life

have big impacts. The encouragement of creating, producing, selling and buying at a slower

pace must be incorporated into daily life. Jenny’s viewpoint and actions are beneficial to the

environment and advocating this on a large platform can be impactful, however, she is in a
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privileged position to be able to afford such price points. Most small, sustainable businesses

have high price points due to the quality of material and fair payment of workers and

suppliers.

Popular sustainable brand, Reformation sources ethical fabrics and pays fair wages to

employees, causing their price range to be substantially higher than brands such as H&M or

Uniqlo. Despite their transparency and ethics that benefit all, a single dress from their brand

can be up to $1920 HKD compared to a dress from H&M for only $70 HKD (Stein 17). This

impacts consumer choices when purchasing items as a majority cannot afford prices as high

of these, which benefits fast fashion companies brand loyalties. H&M has been called out for

greenwashing in their Conscious Collection, as it was stated that garments were made from

more sustainable materials such as organic cotton, but couldn’t name their source for this

material. With no measurements of how sustainable their claims are, it is hard to tell what is

real and what is fake. This is a problem as there is so much discussion about sustainability, it

has been swept up into a ‘trend’, which just creates noise. Due to a lack of a standardised and

legal framework that decides the information brands must share about their sustainability

initiatives, it creates thought out selections of information that is shared with a misleading

picture of what the companies efforts look like (Wicker 22). This allows brands, like H&M to

perform these unethical practices. In comparison, Reformation’s brand transparency is a

noticeable element to the company. This type of transparency of detailing specific benefits of

each fabric, where the materials were sourced and manufactured etc. is a growing element for

brands who have more sustainable practices, allowing consumers to know who, what and

where their garments were made.

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Reformation, Juliette Dress Linen-blend dress

Price - 1,850 HKD Price - 279 HKD

Sustainability impact - Sustainability Impact: Not specified

9.0 lbs of carbon dioxide savings
4.0 gal. Of water savings
0.0 leg of waste savings
Place of production -
Los Angeles
Place of production - Not specified, but
H&M have factories in China, Bangladesh
and other places in Africa.
Fabric - 55% Linen, 45% Cotton

Fabric - 100% Viscose made from wood

pulp. From the non-profit group Canopy
who drives change for forest products

Figure 5: Comparison between a Reformation dress and a H&M dress with product

information.
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“Juliette Dress.” Reformation, www.thereformation.com/products/juliette-dress.

“PDP.” H&M, www2.hm.com/en_asia1/productpage.0821336005.html.

It is also easier to find fast-fashion chains when out shopping than sustainable stores due to

popularity and demand, only adding to the preferability of consumers as it is easier and faster.

For example in Hong Kong, Mee & Gee is a popular second-hand clothing store, but

locations are scarce in comparison to H&M branches.

Figure 6: “Mee & Gee.” Google Maps, Figure 7: “H&M.” Google Maps, Google,
Google, https://www.google.com/maps/search/H%2
www.google.com/maps/search/mee+%26+g 6M/@22.2995635,114.1461712,14z.
ee/@22.2995654,114.0219285,11z.

Buying second hand can be an alternative but it is a time-consuming option as one must

search through piles of clothes with a lack of size range, as well as there being garments with

flaws such as loose seams or running colours. Second-hand shops aren’t necessarily ‘trendy’

either, making them less appealing as they aren’t highly promoted.

To continue, another alternative to fast fashion is upcycling old garments through reselling. A

popular platform for this is Depop. Depop was founded by Simon Beckerman, and was
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created with the vision of the app being a “global marketplace - a mobile space where you

can see what your friends and the people you’re inspired by are liking, buying and selling” (

“About” 17). Depop is powered by 200 employees and practices creativity and

entrepreneurship. There are 15 million registered users in 147 countries (Smith 18). Their

sales have increased by 130% since 2017, therefore showing the accessibility and useability

of the app.

Figure 7: Ruback, Brianna. “Depop Raises $62 Million To Fight Counterfeiting, Expand
Globally.” Retail TouchPoints, 10 Jan. 2020,
retailtouchpoints.com/features/financial-news/depop-raises-62-million-to-fight-counterfeiti
ng-expand-globally.

A large majority of people prefer to shop online nowadays, especially when it comes to

buying second hand as it eliminates the time spent searching for the right sizes and pieces.

The interface is easy to use, which allows people to access a more sustainable,

environmentally conscious way of shopping for clothes while at the same time being easy to

access. Depop also skips the step of having to change a pre-existing company's CSR as it is a

newer organisation whose original business model aligns with ethics and sustainable

practices, allowing for more transparency in the business. However, Depop prices are

dependent on the seller of the garment/item, therefore prices can drastically vary. As Well as
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it being a worldwide organisation so it could be difficult for people who live in countries

where it is a less popular interface to buy and sell due to expensive shipping prices.

Sarah Garner is a local Hong Kong business owner, who runs the company named Retykle.

She began working within luxury fashion companies such as Shanghai Tang, which gave her

a front-row seat to decades worth of fashion consumption. After having her first child, she

was confronted with the rapid outgrowing of clothes and wanted to combat this issue.

Retykle is an upcycling focused clothing company that involves people turning in old,

outgrown clothes for profit. The clothing is picked up and put up onto their website for

reselling, with sellers earning 50% of the profit.

Figure 8: Garner, Sarah. “How It Works” Retykle, https://retykle.com/pages/how-it-works.

Some of the challenges that Sarah has faced in the fashion industry is the stigma of

second-hand shopping. There is a challenge to allow secondhand to grow as people need time

to shift mindsets and learn about the benefits of upcycling clothing and the negative impacts

of sending old clothes to landfills.

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According to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, in 2015-2018, around

22,300,000 tonnes of waste was sent to landfills, with 42% being domestic waste (Hong

Kong Waste 17). It also states that more than 340 tonnes of discarded clothes and textiles are

thrown out daily (Textile Waste in Hong Kong 21).

Garner stated that “Fast fashion and sustainability conflict with each other. By its definition,

fast fashion is trend-driven and positioned to create obsolescence within your wardrobe.”

This means that something you may have bought a few months ago will have fallen out of

style, therefore causing you to throw it away. Fashion companies evolving to be more

sustainable is occurring because they can see that consumer behaviour is developing and will

care more about social and environmental practices rather than trends. “They are

incorporating changes for their survival, not because it's at the core of their values.” (Garner)

On the contrary, fast fashion is a way that people of all economic backgrounds can feel

included in today’s society. There is a large amount of psychology behind clothing and the

way it represents oneself to others. The psychology of fashion is defined as ‘the study of the

impact of clothing choices on how we perceive and judge each other,’ but it is also important

to consider that the studies look beyond the impact of clothing as ‘it’s focus is on

transcending clothing and the impact of many other products that express self-identity’

(Soloman 18).
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There are many drivers to what makes people want to be fashionable, including conformity,

and seeking validation. What someone is wearing can strongly impact the way that they are

perceived and treated by others. A study named ‘Enclothed Cognition’ by Alex D. Galinsky

in 2012 found that clothing one wears systematically influences the wearer’s psychological

processes as well as the attention and treatment which other’s have towards them (Adam 17).

He stated that “We posit that wearing clothes causes people to ‘embody’ the clothing and its

symbolic meaning.” Small details are found to be fundamental to who we are, providing a

feeling of confidence and inclusivity (Eil 17) .“By wearing the newest trends, people may be

more accepting of you because you are within this framework of what is acceptable in society

at the time” (Adam 17). These psychological effects show why people tend to follow fashion

trends advertised by fast fashion companies for the feeling of being included in something

bigger than themselves. Feeding into these trends and wanting to be accepted can be a larger

issue for people than considering the environmental effects of their purchasing decisions.

To continue, fast fashion is an extremely large industry, allowing millions of people to be

employed worldwide. According to the British Council, the UK’s fashion industry is worth 6

billion pounds and offered 800,000 new employment opportunities in 2016, as well as the

wool industry making up to almost 80% of the exports from the British Isles. Not only does

the fashion industry offer employment opportunities, but it also enables soft power benefits as

well. Fashion is a highly regarded, and developing higher education option, with an estimated

1,600 international students enrolling in these programs in the UK each year (“The power of

Fashion” 18). London, alongside Paris, Milan and New York, are all a part of the ‘big four’

international fashion festivities, allowing young designers and multicultural talents. The latest
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London Fashion week showcased 80 designers from 24 countries. Among them, 4 Indonesian

designers displayed Muslim fashion in combination with a cosmopolitan future, indicating

the importance of London being a centre of catering for international and diverse markets.

The textile industry is one of the largest industries in the world, employing millions of people

worldwide. In the past, labour workers have been known to be employed either directly by

the company or through external suppliers. There have been many cases that involve abuse

and mistreatment of these workers. 84% of Bangladesh's export revenue is due to the garment

industry, and although this seems beneficial, there are many unethical practices taken place

by large organisations (Frayer 22). Fast fashion giants such as H&M and Levi’s, it has been

found that their suppliers in Bangladesh have not been paid correct amounts or haven’t been

paid at all. On top of this, the working environment in some supplier factories has extreme

health and safety issues. In 2013, 1,138 workers were killed due to the Rana Plaza factory

collapsing in Bangladesh. The factory had housed thousands of employees who worked

overtime by many hours, in overheating factors without any proper fire exits. Sweatshops like

these factories in Bangladesh are spread across parts of the world with cheap labour costs,

putting thousands of lives at risk.

As technology has progressed, the manual machines that were being used to produce these

garments have been replaced in many workshops, by machines that produce textiles, patterns

and sew automatically, meaning businesses no longer have to pay ongoing supplier fees.

Involving innovation like this into the production of garments can be beneficial to the

company as it reduces regular upkeeps and corporate social responsibility checks, but it can
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be extremely expensive to purchase enough machines to maintain the work level and

productivity level that is needed to produce the required output levels.

Another example of innovation in the industry that Is being used in fast fashion companies is

the reuse and upcycling of materials. An example of this is a clothing company called

Thread, that produces recycled polyester from plastic bottles. Zara has recently created their

‘Join Life’ branch of clothing, where upcycled fabrics and waste fabrics from the production

of other clothes are being reused and upcycled for the creation of other garments. This

movement towards more sustainable practises is a good step forward, but it is still

questionable whether this can be upheld due to the focus of these businesses being

predominantly on the speed product turnover and selling poor quality clothes for cheap.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, after researching and discussing the benefits and drawbacks of the ethical

dilemma of the fast fashion industry moving into more sustainable practices, I believe that

these ‘good intentions’ are more to suit consumer wants and needs, rather than being actual

company values. Although these industry giants offer employment opportunities as well as

help those in all communities of socioeconomic backgrounds to feel welcomed and included,

the sheer amount of waste this industry creates is staggering. At the beginning of the research

process, I had the mindset that the industry is aiming to become more sustainable with good

intentions of aiding and improving their ethics qualities and values, but after interviewing

Sarah Garner, someone with years of experience being on the frontline of fast fashion, her

words consolidated my new beliefs and thoughts. Researching Sarah Garner as well as Jenny

Welbourn, has inspired me to completely avoid and cut out this industry, and stick with

Companies with good intentions from the beginning such as Reformation and Depop, who I

hope will be the new future of fashion in terms of ethics, sustainability and overall brand

quality.
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“The Environmental Cost of 'Fast Fashion' Is Not Sustainable.” Phys.org, Phys.org, 8 Apr.

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7Seas, 26 Mar. 2019, 7billionfor7seas.com/fast-fashion-facts/.

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fast-fashion-leaders-hm-and-zara/#77cb35af6f48.

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st-fashion-with-30-of-shoppers-using-instagram-for-inspiration-20388.

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 21

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thebillieupcycling.com/textile-waste-in-hong-kong/.

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onavirus.
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Appendices

Interview with Sarah Garner

What’s your background?

<Written in 3rd person> For over a decade, Sarah worked with some of the best luxury

fashion companies in the world. Starting her career in Toronto as a Buyer for Holt Renfrew,

Canada’s luxury department store, Sarah became restless for change and was drawn to China,

the geography with explosive growth in her industry. Sarah arrived in Hong Kong in 2007

and was lucky enough to land a coveted role at Lane Crawford as their Womenswear Buyer.

After several years of Milan, Paris and New York fashion weeks, Sarah moved on to a larger

global inventory management role at DFS in their fashion division. From there she moved on

to a dynamic and creative role at Shanghai Tang as Head of Product Development, Design,

Merchandising, Planning and Visual Merchandising. Being immersed in the front lines of

fashion consumption for over a decade left Sarah feeling disenchanted with the industry. She

wanted to apply her experience to a side of fashion that offered solutions to the mounting

environmental and social issues associated with the industry. The idea for Retykle started

after her son was born and she confronted the issue of a closet full of outgrown clothes and

the challenges associated with how to manage the cost and the hassle of a constantly rotating

kids wardrobe. With her first hand experience and industry experience, she felt she was well

positioned to create the solution.

How did you get started in the fashion/sustainability industry?

 24

Above :)

What was your inspiration for starting Retykle?

Also covered above

How does Retykle work? (what are the steps and processes)

Free up closet space by taking the great clothes that your kids have outgrown and turning

them into cash. Just fill up any bag from home with items that meet the RETYKLE standards,

then schedule a free pick up on our calendar or drop them off at our studio. You can then sit

back, relax and earn 50% cash or 55% Retykle credit of the selling price of each item sold.

How has this shaped your shopping habits for yourself and your family?

We buy less and buy better quality and avoid plastic and packaging whenever possible. We

shop second hand across many categories of our lifestyle from furniture, toys to clothing. We

think about how we will use the item, how long it will last and then finally how we can reuse,

repair or consciously dispose of the item at the end of its life. We do our best to teach our kids

about responsible consumption and the impact of plastics and clothing. Our kids are starting

to shape their desires with these considerations in mind.

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Have you implemented any other sustainable practices into your everyday life?

I still vividly remember how horrified I felt the first time I threw away a plastic bottle in a

garbage can when I moved here from Toronto. It was such an unnatural reflex after coming

from a city that is passionately committed to recycling. We quickly invested in a filtered

water system built into our sink. We fill up glass water bottles in our fridge and have cold

water at the ready. It’s such a small change, but it has such a huge impact on water waste and

plastic packaging!

I have been a strict vegetarian for 25 years and though it has always felt like a natural

inclination, it has become a lifelong commitment that I strongly believe has a net positive

impact on the environment. I’m delighted to see the positive changes in the F&B industry

over the past decade, with so many more fantastic plant-based options. I also appreciate that

many of the new restaurateurs seem to have an all-encompassing dedication to more

sustainable business practices. I particularly love MANA’s in this regard, and am happy to

see them thrive.

We shop almost 100% secondhand for the kids via Retykle. My single largest piece of advice

is firstly to buy better quality fashion pieces, thereby allowing for your items to live beyond

you, and secondly to buy second-hand where it makes sense for your family. There are

enough clothes in Hong Kong to circulate for years. Let’s work on ways to redistribute what’s

already out there rather than contribute to landfills.

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Have you seen any positive changes in Hong Kong after starting Rektyle?

Yes there has been momentum around conscious consumerism and a will to shift lifestyle

habits to improve the future prospects of our planet and thereby our kids future. It has

become a collective movement through businesses, schools and individuals striving to

educate the public and inspire change - I believe it is taking hold one change maker at a time

and that Hong Kong's environmental future is looking brighter. Every single small change

counts and never underestimate your power to influence another.

What challenges have you faced in this industry?

Secondhand still carries a stigma for some people and so shifting mindsets takes time and

education. We believe that secondhand is as good, if not better than new. The challenge to

allow resale and secondhand to take hold on a much larger scale is still evolving through

technological advances that allow for unique skills to be handled with the same efficiency as

first-hand retail.

What are your opinions on fast fashion industries becoming ‘sustainable’?

Fast fashion and sustainability conflict with one another. By its definition fast fashion is

trend-driven and positioned to create obsolescence within your wardrobe - something which
 27

you will not desire in the months to come because it will fall out of 'fashion'. Fast fashion is

evolving to incorporate more sustainable practices because they have seen the writing on the

wall that future consumers care far more about their social and environmental practices than

their predecessors. They are incorporating changes for their survival, not because it's at the

core of their values. I think there will always be a customer for very cheap fashion but as

customers start to realise the hidden costs of a cheap garment, I believe they will shift to

alternatives such as secondhand which can provide a much higher quality item, more

ethically made and sourced and which does not require any new environmental damage -

production, packaging etc - and can cost the same as fast fashion. While there is still demand

for fast fashion, I hope that those companies will make real positive change in their practices

as they have enormous influence in the industry and supply chains. All new fashion is

detrimental to the environment in one way or another so choose wisely and avoid trends.

Is there anything important that you would like to add? (optional)

Kids, youth and young adults have an incredibly important vote. Each time you shop, you are

casting a vote for the future you want. The fashion industry is a massive polluter and

educating yourselves on the companies and practices they follow, will allow you to cast more

informed votes. The industry will shift according to your demands. You have the individual

and collective power to shift the industry towards eco conscious fashion. Fashion is fun, but it

shouldn't cost the earth.

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