After the blog post INSIDE THE FASHION INDUSTRY - Where to Shop in NYC?, a lot of you reached out to me with questions about fast fashion and why I mentioned in that blog post that this niche of the fashion industry is so important - especially if we are talking about third world countries. So, to try better explain my point and why the industry needs fast fashion, let’s dig into this topic together.
I have to admit that, with all the replies I have received about that blog post, I was expecting more criticism about my favorite brands and where I shop. After all, we all love good quality things, but affording them is a different story. So I was expecting more judgment, but it turns out that all the feedback I had from the INSIDE THE FASHION INDUSTRY - Where to Shop in NYC? post was very supportive and focused on comments about fast fashion.
There are different topics when we are talking about fast fashion. In one of my previous blog posts, INSIDE THE FASHION INDUSTRY - Costing & Profit Margins: High Fashion VS Fast Fashion, I spoke about the cost of producing fast fashion, production numbers, and profit margins when producing fast fashion garments. That is a great reading if you are trying to better understand how this industry works and where you should invest your money - in case you are an investor or a designer and want to start a clothing brand. But let’s focus on an overall picture of this niche.
Even with all the scandals about fast fashion, its issues regarding slavery and child labor, the impact on the environment, and copyrights, this is a niche of the fashion industry that cannot and will not die. Why? Tell me where most of the fast fashion manufacturers are located. Yes, in third-world countries. Tell me where most fast fashion brands and wholesale stores are located. No, not only in New York City or around the US! Forever21, H&M, Burlington, and all the other fast fashion stores around the US are not the only wholesale stores around the world. The opposite! The majority of fast fashion and wholesale stores are also located in third-world countries. Want some examples? Pompeia and C&A are two huge wholesale stores in Brazil.
We all know that consuming fast fashion is not the best thing to do not only because of the impact it causes but also because of the quality presented - which leads us to consume more and more since the garments are mostly disposable. But the truth is that thanks to fast fashion, millions and millions of people around the world are employed. It is also thanks to fast fashion that millions and millions of people around the world are dressed. Pret-a-porter brands and high fashion brands do not survive because of their international sales, they survive because of their quality, loyal customers, and the price on their tag. If you go to Brazil, Colombia, or any country in South America or Africa, a minority (almost not existing) part of the population is buying Chanel or Fendi. But the economy keeps running because the majority of the population can afford fast fashion.
To be clear, I am not defending fast fashion! This is the reality of this industry. I am also not saying that buying fast fashion is wrong. As I mentioned in my previous post, INSIDE THE FASHION INDUSTRY - Where to Shop in NYC? I also buy from fast fashion retailers and I think it is normal. We all have done it, we all do it and there is absolutely no problem with that. This is a necessary niche in the fashion industry because, admitting it or not, it does help the economy around the world. And, let’s face it, we want to point fingers and judge fast fashion businesses because of their work ethics and their impact on thousands of lives, but look at Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, and many high fashion brands that have been dealing with ethical issues.
I understand that fast fashion lives under pressure way more than high fashion brands because of its impact on the environment and the quantity of waste generated every year, plus high fashion brands are, mostly, very well covered when doing things that are not supposed to leak. But we also have to look into the reason why it is easier to point fingers at fast fashion companies.
If you come from a third-world country you would understand the point of what I am about to say but let me try to explain the best I can. Third-world countries have very different work laws, the work hours are different, the work schedule is different, and the minimum wage is completely different. No, none of these is an excuse for child labor or slavery, BUT these things do come easier when working with manufacturers in third world countries and, sometimes, manufacturers can easily hide it. This is one of the main reasons why quality control and different types of certifications are now required by any ethical retailer. Fast fashion or not. Walmart is a great example!
Any retailer like Walmart requires a series of documentation proving that the manufacturers and wholesalers working with them are following labor laws, environmental laws, chemical laws, importation laws, and everything else involved in running a fully ethical business. It is not an easy process to go through and the certifications are not easily provided because there are inspections and a long list of documentation that needs to be provided. It is, most of the time, also a long process to go through. But this is all part of quality control and helps avoid illegal work issues around the world.
The fashion industry is adapting to this new world where people are concerned about the environment, employees' rights, and ethical issues. Fast fashion has, indeed, made changes and has been adapting to new requirements and laws. We all know that this is a long process, but it does show a light of hope for a better world. As I mentioned before, fast fashion cannot and will not die because this niche of fashion keeps the economy running in the majority of countries around the world. Buying fast fashion or not, investing in it or not, that is not, the issue goes beyond that. Quality and manufacturing control is something that became bigger within the past few years, so, hopefully, in a few more years we will experience a different industry with fewer and fewer ethical issues.
PS: honestly, hard to say and predict things. After all, I am only a product development and production management expert, but speaking from personal experience in everything I have done and seen in this industry, there is certainly hope and things tend to be harder and harder for fast fashion companies that are not adapting.
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