The exploitation of workers in fast fashion supply chains is partly the result of brands pressuring suppliers to produce clothes as cheaply and quickly as possible.
Leicester has become a central hub for clothing production and many of the scandals associated with workers’ rights in the UK have been found in factories in the city. The drive to produce garments rapidly has led many UK fast fashion companies to reshore clothing production to the UK, where previously almost all clothing brands sourced from less-economically developed countries such as Bangladesh or Vietnam. Factories are expected to produce new lines with only a couple of month’s notice, meaning that their workload - and therefore the amount of employment they can offer to workers - is unpredictable and insecure. But the essential point is that these brands operate on the basis of constantly producing new lines of clothes to meet the insatiable and ever-changing consumer demand for all things new.įaster changing trends means that producers are under pressure to manufacture clothes more and more rapidly. Of course, the flow of causality is not that simple: fast fashion brands are not simply reacting to consumer demand, they are also creating it. In fact, a recent survey found that almost 75% of 18-24 year olds believe influencers can be held somewhat accountable for the rise in disposable fashion. Fast fashion brands often target young people - so called Gen Zs -, who have been brought up amongst social media and influencer culture. A celebrity posts a photo wearing a new outfit, and their followers want it, so fast fashion brands rush to be the first to provide it. The rise of fast fashion is intertwined with social media and celebrity/influencer culture. The company manages to have the piece designed, manufactured and on sale within 10 days of the piece first being worn publicly by the celebrity. In comparison, fast fashion is focused on responding to ever-changing consumer tastes as quickly as possible.įor example, in the BBC’s ‘Breaking Fashion’ show we see Manchester-based fast fashion company, In the Style, reproducing a bodysuit worn by Kylie Jenner.
The pace of change was relatively slow and there were fewer products on offer. At the time of writing, fast fashion brand Shein featured 21,139 clothes under the ‘New in’ section of its website.įashion brands have long used new styles and lower prices to attract customers, but previously brands would plan new ranges many months, even years, in advance. Brands tempt consumers by offering ultra-cheap garments (for example, Missguided’s £1 bikini) and ever-changing new ranges. Fast changing trendsĪt its heart, the fast fashion business model relies on consumers endlessly buying more clothes. Pressures on workers to produce more and at lower prices have grown alongside pressures on consumers to turn to the newest trends. In the last few decades, we have seen fashion trends changing more and more quickly.
In this article we explain what we mean when we say ‘fast fashion’ and why it is so bad for people and the planet. The rise of fast fashion has had devastating consequences, from its reliance on plastic fabrics and its enormous carbon footprint to its erosion of workers’ rights. Fast fashion is ‘fast’ in a number of senses: the changes in fashion are fast, the rate of production is fast the customer’s decision to purchase is fast delivery is fast and garments are worn fast – usually only a few times before being discarded.
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