MY TAKE ON THE FAST FASHION CRISIS
This is a project I created in my Integrated Illustration Design class. I researched the impact of fast fashion and molded a maniquinn body to show the solidified impact that can't be broken. It's draped with paintings that detail settings of the workspace in the fast fashion industry. For more on the project: click the image!
The fashion industry and consumer capitalism have been impacted by the simplicity of a needle and thread, leading to an unconventional influence known as fast fashion. This phenomenon has allowed for current fashion trends to be accessible to the public at cheaper prices through various stores. However, the ease of producing new clothes relevant to popular trends comes with negative consequences. The reality of fast fashion is deceptively simple, and consumers are often unaware of the injustices it relies on, including sweatshop labor and negative environmental impacts. Sweatshops, which are the main source for fast fashion's success, have led to human rights violations and exploitation of uncompensated workers. These workers have been subjected to psychological, physical, and financial abuse, and any pecuniary accommodations made by managers do not compensate enough. Despite continued campaigns and intermittent outrage, consumers continue to condone these actions towards labor-inducing production. Full awareness of these injustices is necessary for people to shop responsibly. The production of garments through fast fashion has also had a significant impact on the environment by producing chemicals and textile waste. Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, have doubled in textiles in the last 20 years and are likely to continue growing to reach nearly three-quarters of total global fiber production in 2030, with polyester accounting for 85% of this share. Polyester is already found in more than half of textiles and emits noxious chemicals. The ease of obtaining this fabric is due to the fact that it is made up of non-renewable resources, which immediately links it to fossil fuels. When burned, it increases pollution, and the carcinogens in polyester are especially dangerous if transmitted to the air and water. Shopping for cheap and trendy clothes at high-end stores is only hurting the environment, and consumers are not innocent. The marketing tactics of fast fashion stores have manipulated people's confidence. Although all true, these tactics have coerced too many people into shopping unethically for their own benefits. Fast fashion retailers have guilted and shamed buyers, insinuating that shopping high-end makes them appear weak to society, while fast fashion builds them up to be independent people who use their brains. In addition, greenwashing is another cynical marketing ploy that shields the reality of how their clothing is produced. It is ironic that people who shop high-end are called "slaves and worshippers" when, in reality, consumers are slaves to the capitalist system. It is crucial to recognize these tactics and make informed choices as consumers.