Introducing my topic...

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What is fast fashion?

The fashion textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. This is referring to the fast fashion industry, that involves the production of clothing in response to emerging trends at a rapid pace and low price. The clothing items are made rapidly due to high demand in the market, resulting in them having a very short life cycle, further increasing consumption and wastes. Some brands that may be familiar to you that are the biggest culprits of this are Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, & Forever 21 to name a few.

Who is responsible?

We are all responsible for fast fashion, as at one point in our lives we all have been a consumer. By 2023, the fast fashion industry’s carbon emissions are estimated to increase by 49%. How do we go about making a change to protect our environment from these harmful wastes? Even the smallest changes can help reduce the harmful impacts on our environment. For example, one of my personal favourite high fashion brands Vivienne Westwood, partnered up with the British Fashion Council to encourage fashion brands to promote and switch to green-energy suppliers around the United Kingdom during fashion week 2017. Some ways for you to help the change is to up-cycle, shop from small businesses, purchase from vintage stores, swap your preloved items, choose environmentally friendly fabrics, and most of all educate yourself and others to increase awareness.

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What is the impact on the environment?

The fast fashion industry is destroying our environment and increasing pollution and climate change. The reason I am so passionate about this industry is because of the detrimental impacts it is having on our environment, and how majority of us are not aware of these alarming statistics. This industry impacts the environment in many ways through water pollution, carbon emissions, and landfill from production, preparation, and even your consumption of the products. Remember that t-shirt you purchased from Uniqlo or H&M? Just to produce this single item it takes 713 gallons of water, not including the textile dying process which is the 2nd largest water polluter in the world and produces over 1.2 billions tonnes of CO2 a year. Cotton, being one of the most common fabrics used in fast fashion businesses is the fabric with the most detrimental environmental footprint. Moving towards a slow fashion approach can help reduce these statistics, which will in turn, protect our environment from the fast-fashion industry.

Narrating Personal Interest

Where did my interest in sustainable fashion and protecting our environment come about?

© by Green Fashion Society

“This photo above showcases my favourite, recently purchased pre-loved finds from a few vintage stores around Paris!"

Welcome to my first blog post on Green Fashion Society! My whole life I have been obsessed with fashion and the way I express myself which has automatically pushed me to research and expand my knowledge of the whole industry. With family working as models and stylists in the high fashion industry, my love and interest in fashion, fashion production, consumption, and distribution is constantly growing. My awareness about the negative impacts of the fashion industry on our environment came about 3 years ago when I had seen an influencer, I follow on Instagram call out popular fashion brands for breaching environmental safety standards. At this point in time, I was 17 and I did not know much about the fashion industry and how detrimental it can be to our environment.

I was purchasing from popular fast fashion brands such as H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo, and didn’t see any harm from purchasing from these brands. After reading more into the impact, I had felt guilt for being a reason for global warming and environmental harm. Fast forward, to now, I only purchase second hand pieces from online or in-store op shops, and I have never turned back. I have found my most amazing and beloved items in vintage stores, and they help express my love for fashion and style guilt free! Trust me when I say the vintage designer scene is better than firsthand! I believe that there is a bad stigma associated with op shopping, as people believe that you’ll never find anything new or up to your standards. I believe that this is the wrong attitudes coming particularly from the younger generations as, there is so much out there, you just have to look and be aware of where to look.

I am very interested and baffled by how many people continue to purchase from fast fashion brands even after knowing the many negative impacts. There are many negative impacts of the fast fashion industry, although my interest is focused upon the negative environmental factors and how this is affecting the way we live and our future. I have always cared about the environment and the world we live in, so it naturally attracted me when I had first come across articles relating to how fashion is ruining our environment.