Fast fashion refers to “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions

that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers”
(Merriam-Webster). Brands such as H&M and Zara sell fast fashion by creating low-cost
clothing collections that mimic current luxury fashion trends so that clothing trends can be
readily accessible to consumers, while benefiting from the increased sales of these types of
brands. Although this seems convenient for those who like to be trendy and in style at all times,
the idea of this concept comes at a cost to the global environment, human health and wellbeing.
Specifically, due to the high demand in fast fashion for cheap and trendy clothes, the prices of
making the clothing and the production time are both reduced. This means that garment factory
workers, from mostly third-world countries, have to work in unfavorable environments for
extremely low wages and that the environment is negatively impacted by the depletion of
non-renewable resources, the use of significant amounts of water and energy, and the emission of
greenhouse gases. Therefore, fast fashion is both unsustainable and unethical. Many companies,
organizations, global brands, and other influential individuals are making changes towards
improvement in the fashion industry. For example, Margaret Burton, a sustainable streetwear
designer, approaches the issues of fast fashion by creating upcycled old clothing into streetwear
in a way that maximizes the benefits to the fashion industry and that minimizes the impacts on
the environment.
Fast-fashion is a business model that began in the 1990s as part of the general movement towards
globalization and consumerism. The word ‘fast’ describes the main mechanism behind this new
practice: to have ever-so inexpensive clothes readily available and easily replaced. Just to
quantify such a description, since the 2000s the production of garments has doubled, reaching
100 billion pieces per year and offering a new collection every week (UNDP, 2019). In order to
be able to produce this much at an unrealistically low price, multinationals started competing for
a ‘race to the bottom’. That is, they started looking for ever cheaper sources of both labor and
raw materials, to the detriment of employees, their safety and the environment.
Many people around the world are not aware of the detrimental effects and their ways of living
as a result of choosing to buy from fast fashion companies. People all across the globe are
overconsuming clothing garments and it’s embarrassing the number of clothes we think is
necessary. In fact, the average American throws away about 81 tons of clothing each year
(Gilmore). As a result of the overconsumption of clothing worldwide, more jobs need to be filled
in fast fashion factories. Due to the constant high demand for cheap clothing items, developing
countries like Bangladesh, Mexico and China are being taken advantage of for their low
socioeconomic status in order to produce clothes that are then delivered and sold in industrial
countries. In these countries, employees of the fashion industry have to work extremely long
hours, in terrible conditions and for very low wages so that companies are able to provide low
prices, while maximizing profit. For example, the garment factory workers in Bangladesh earn as
low as one US cent per hour, not providing them that individual money to support themselves or
their family, forcing them to work longer days. According to the War on Want, a registered
charity fighting against global poverty, “Many are forced to work 14-16 hours a day seven days a
week, with some finishing at 3am only to start again the same morning at 7:30am. On top of this,
workers face unsafe, cramped and hazardous conditions which often lead to work injuries and
factory fires” (waronwant.org/sweatshops-bangladesh). One specific tragedy is the 2013 Ranza
Plaza collapse. More than 1,100 people, mostly female garment workers, were crushed to death
in the 2013 Ranza Plaza collapse.

The work environment of low-wage fast fashion workers in Bangladesh can change for the
better, regardless of being in a third-world country. A possible solution to these issues would be
to give a fair share of profits to garment sweatshop workers. Low wage workers are the basis of
the fashion industries as well as many other industries, and they should earn what they deserve.
Another solution is to have safety standards being enforced and required to meet a certain
standard before enabling a factory to open and mass-produce products. As well, garment
factories should receive habitual checks on the workplace by professionals to make sure it is up
to code to ensure the safety of workers

(The low prices are designed to appeal to the mass market, ensuring consumers can afford a new
look as often as clothes are rotated and displayed in store windows. )

The employees of the fashion industry are working for, far less than a minimum wage or
living wage. Inhumanity working conditions exist in most of the factories. One of the major
issues is long working hours and overtime. The normal working hours are between 10 and 18
hours a day. But during peak seasons or when factories face deadlines, working hours can even
arise. Employees do not have a day off and often forced to sew until their arms feel sore and .
stiff. Sometimes they have to work both shifts, day and night. If they cannot keep up,
they face different kind of abuses and dismissals. .
Many of the third world countries will make the clothes for cheap, the United States and
the Europe look to maximize production while still minimizing the cost they pay,
therefore maximizing profit. Although the big businesses look to pay less, they do not
realize how it affects the companies they are paying to make the clothes and who they
employ. The garment factory workers in Bangladesh are paid around thirty dollars a
month; this is less than what is considered a living wage in India, which is around fifty
dollars a month. Not only do the workers get paid less, they also work more hours and
in worse conditions than many people, especially when compared to those in Europe
and the United States. According to the War on Want, a registered charity fighting
against global poverty, “Many are forced to work 14-16 hours a day seven days a week,
with some finishing at 3am only to start again the same morning at 7:30am. On top of
this, workers face unsafe, cramped and hazardous conditions which often lead to work
injuries and factory fires” (waronwant.org/sweatshops-bangladesh). The owners of the
garment factories are usually very strict and care more about getting the clothes
The workers in the Bangladesh factories
finished than their own employees.
are unsafe, they work long hours and only get paid about $2 a day.
The effect of the workers being paid so little is that clothing is cheaper
to make in foreign countries. While it is convenient to have
inexpensive trendy clothing, the workers making the items are
suffering.

Fast fashion can be traced back to the early 1990s when Zara opened in New York and
the New York Times used the words "fast-fashion" to describe Zara's incredibly fast
production model that could bring clothing from design to stores within two weeks time.
After that, more retailers like H&M, J.Crew, Gap, Forever 21, Top Shop and many more
fast-fashion retailers began producing clothing in record time

Lower materials, landfills, cheap labour

Before the 1800s, the fashion design industry was moderately paced. There weren’t
concepts such as overproducing or wasting natural resources. You had to source your
materials like wool or calfskin, prepare the material, and weave them to make a dress.
The Industrial Revolution presented modern technology like the sewing machine. The
dress became simpler, faster, and cheaper to create. Dressmaking shops rose to cater
to the middle class. A parcel of these dressmaking shops utilized groups of clothing
workers or domestic laborers. But at this ancient time, fast fashion was not yet
recognizable, since creating clothes still took much effort and dedication. It was around
this time that sweatshops developed, in conjunction with a few recognizable security
issues. The first major garment factory calamity was when the fire broke out in New
York’s Triangle Shirtwaist Production line in 1911. It claimed the lives of 146 young
workers, numerous of whom were youthful, female immigrants.

By the 1960s and 70s, young teenagers were making new patterns, designs, and
clothing styles that made fashion become a frame of individual expression, though there
was still a qualification between high design and high street. Fashion became more
accessible to the majority of the community, and it slowly transformed into a piece of art.
Within the late 1990s and 2000s, low-cost design reached its pinnacle. Online shopping
took off, and fast-fashion retailers like H&M, Zara, and Topshop took over the large
fashion industries. With new designs, cool innovations, and accessible products, it’s no
wonder consumers were obsessed with these stores. These brands took the beauty and
components from the best high end fashion industries and replicated them rapidly and
cheaply to attract more customers. With everybody presently able to shop for an
on-trend dress at any given instance, it’s easy to understand how and why the marvel of
fast fashion caught on

The environmental impacts of fast fashion are vast and include the depletion of
non-renewable resources, the use of significant amounts of water and energy, and the
emission of greenhouse gases. In fact, according to Business Insider, fast fashion
production is responsible for 10% of the total global carbon emissions. Therefore, in
recent years, there has been a call for fashion to become more sustainable. Sustainable
fashion takes environmental and socio-economic factors into consideration when
clothing, shoes, and accessories are manufactured. Teaching students about fast
fashion and sustainable production is important because they will be able to make a
conscious decision to invest in a sustainable wardrobe to contribute to the ultimate goal
of a more sustainable future for us all!

Fashion is always changing; month after month companies are coming up with new
styles for the upcoming season. Particularly in stores like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21,
they come up with fashion ideas and designs week after week. These stores are a part
of big business, specifically when it comes to fast fashion. The phrase ‘fast fashion’
refers to designs rapidly move from the runway and into stores in order to have the
current fashion trends. Although this seems like a fantastic notion for those who like to
be trendy and in style at all times, this idea has more cons than pros. With this concept
in mind, clothing chains have become more and more unsustainable, causing harm to
not only the earth but to people as well. The cheap clothes that are

Fast-fashion is a business model that began in the 1990s as part of the general
movement towards globalization and consumerism. The word ‘fast’ describes the main
mechanism behind this new practice: to have ever-so inexpensive clothes readily
available and easily replaced. Just to quantify such description, since the 2000s the
production of garments has doubled, reaching 100 billion pieces per year and offering a
new collection every week (UNDP, 2019).
In order to be able to produce this much at an unrealistically low price, multinationals
started competing for a ‘race to the bottom’. That is, they started looking for ever
cheaper sources of both labor and raw materials, to the detriment of employees, their
safety and the environment.
The $450 billion global fashion industry is one of the most important economies in the world. It
produces clothes for people all over the world and employs over 25 million workers in more than
100 countries. Top three of the most successful fashion brands in 2013 were: Zara, Nike and
H&M. But they do not only share popularity, also the 'Made in' label. China, Bangladesh,
Indonesia etc. are the norm. Most of the clothes are produced in developing countries, but
mainly delivered and sold in industrial countries. To stay competitive and being able to provide
low prices, companies not only decrease production salaries, but also working conditions.
Furthermore it will be discussed who is responsible for these issues and what can be done
about it?.

Fast fashion may provide affordable and fashionable clothing to many people, however, it comes with an
ethical price. This industry is one of the leading causes of both water pollution and carbon emissions.
Workers are paid unlivable wages without benefits and are exposed to many hazards. Many young
women are exploited for the benefit of these large companies. So next time before you buy fast fashion
items, think of the consequences of your purchase. Look for alternative shopping methods such as thrift
shopping.

The fast fashion industry is booming as a result of globalisation, with garment

manufacturing primarily found in developing countries, operating in factories of
which some are known as sweat shops. Workers in these sweat shops are
subjected to forced labour working conditions 2 which are completely
unacceptable in any form. In addition, the fashion industry is known to have one
of the highest, negative impacts on the environment with its level of affordability
constantly increasing production demands

Fast fashion was coined in fashion retail to describe the quick turnover of
designs that move from the catwalk to current fashion trends and became
extremely popular in the early 2000s. Retailers aimed to increase profit by
focusing on key elements of the supply chain with an emphasis on increased
manufacturing speed at a low price. The concept has changed the industry
dynamic with a quick response philosophy that has resulted in increased
forecast accuracy because of the shortened timeframe and the ability to
generate quick turnover of merchandise for major retailers.