Hello, Darlings!
Welcome back, and welcome to another blog from the Future of Fashion, a place where we can magically impact the future of fashion, beauty, and creativity for all living creatures.
This week, we are discussing a big subject or a phenomenon: how fast fashion became a phenomenon. Firstly, what is a phenomenon?
This is how the OXFORD LANGUAGE DICTIONARY defines it.
phenomenon
/fɪˈnɒmɪnən/
noun
noun: phenomenon; plural noun: phenomena
1. A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question."Glaciers are interesting natural phenomena.”
2. A remarkable person or thing: "The band was a pop phenomenon just for their sales figures alone."
Fast Fashion can be said to be both: “a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.”
And also: “a remarkable person or thing.”
In summary, Fast Fashion could be “a situation that exists, whose existence is in question and also a remarkable thing for its sales figures alone.”
Nowadays, fast fashion is such an intrinsic part of our everyday life that it seems like it’s always existed, but it hasn’t. So, let’s briefly explain the history of fast fashion. First of all, what is fast fashion? Fast Fashion is a term that describes the fast production of inexpensive, low-quality clothing, which is fundamentally trend-driven, mimicking high fashion labels by constantly providing new clothing and tantalising trendy clothing at very low prices. Today's most well-known fast fashion brands include Shein, Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo. Brands that fundamentally encourage consumers to keep buying more and more clothing and discard that clothing as soon as it goes off-trend, which is usually within two or three weeks.
I have spoken a lot about fast fashion in these blogs and have no intention of vilifying fast fashion. I genuinely believe that the original intention to create a democratic fashion for everyone was a great commitment. This had the greatest intention to provide clothing for everyone, regardless of class and status. Much of this was driven by the self-expression found in the 1960s through designers such as Barbara Hulanicki at Biba and Mary Quant. However, I’m sure these amazing ladies had no idea how far it would go and how great the impact of their commitment to the democratisation of fashion clothing would go.
I have studied and researched a lot of fashion history, especially from the 20th century. I wrote my university dissertation on “The transformation of women’s fashion from the post-war years to the present day”. I interviewed so many people who were involved in the fashion industry or customers during that time. The shift was incredible. Fashion went from very uptight and limited fashion modalities where if you could afford anything, it was literally made to measure. Then, after the Second World War, the ‘60s came with mass production, and many people looked to the US as a world leader. Everyone was looking for something new, exciting and innovative. This was a new era. The 1960s revolution brought about extraordinary youth culture and the power of women’s liberation. Biba and Mary Quant completely shifted the fashion environment, creating weekly trends and making fashion affordable and part of your self-expression.
From this, High Street fashion labels were created. I remember that, as a child, we went shopping every week. It became a weekly pastime whether we bought something or not. It was something we did. We always looked at what was in store. It was something we truly loved to do. Admittedly, my family is very fashion-focused, but, nevertheless, fashion was very important.
The first time the phrase “fast fashion” was used was around 1990, when “The New York Times” had an article on the subject. It was a piece about a “new fashion retailer with a mission to transform a garment from an idea in the designer’s brain to be sold on racks in only 15 days”. Safe to say, by the mid-'90s, fast fashion had arrived. I remember going to Zara in Paris, right next to L’Opera, and being amazed at how trendy and affordable these clothes were.
In these blogs, I always look at fashion psychology: why we buy the things we do, why we are driven to shop and acquire more things when we have more than enough in our wardrobe and why we constantly say, “I have nothing to wear.” One of my commitments is to be known as a fashion philosopher and psychologist.
The mid-’90s brought an acceleration in fashion retail. Very soon, the online retail space came. Speed and convenience became the gas to the engine of fast fashion at the same time. The NAFTA trade agreement was established and issued, making it so easy for these fashion retailers to produce in low-cost countries, primarily in Asia. Once the Americans went, factories were built, supply chains were established, and it was very easy for the Europeans to follow. It was the perfect environment for this industry to grow.
As with the 1960s democratisation of fashion, it was very exciting when fast fashion through the likes of Zara and H&M arrived. We (as people in the industry) were always looking at how to make the most innovative, creative and cost-effective product for our customers in the West, how to create new best sellers, and have our designs in shows, on celebrities and in magazines. Rather naïvely, we believed this was the future, and it truly was an extraordinary time. I don’t think any of us expected how impactful this would be.
We’ve all heard the stories of sweatshops, environmental impact and workers exploitation. All of that is very relevant; on the other hand, we have created work for many. This is where it all gets very conflicted for me because I’ve been a key part of the growing fashion industry. Its accessibility, democratisation and ease of production and sales. Let’s return to the question: “How did it become a phenomenon?” The advancement of technology, the opening of trade agreements, the masterminding of marketing, and the commitment of Chinese, Indian, Bangladeshi, Korean, and every other Asian nationality to create a future for their country through manufacturing. All these factors became a driving force for the success of this industry.
People became trained to keep buying, shopping, and needing more. “Consumerism” in fast fashion could be seen as how valued clothing items were taken from value to something we consumed, like fast food. As I said before, I don’t want to vilify fashion; the luxury goods industry has also become part of the overproduction consumerism.
So, where do we go from here? Question yourself: do you want to keep buying more and more polyester items that fundamentally damage the environment? If you do, that’s fine. Do you understand that the cost of anything isn’t the price you pay? There’s always a cost elsewhere: textile waste, workers' exploitation, environmental impact, and your own freedom, in essence. The origin of many things is created with good intentions. Which the fast fashion industry was, and yet its acceleration, growth and drive can and has become toxic, all-consuming, distorted and quite scary.
Let’s all be present and create a future where we have a choice.
As always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.
Kate xx