Fashion Is Killing the Planet!

Oxfam has dubbed the month of September, 'Second-hand September’ asking the public at large to refrain from buying any new clothes, opting for either a model of no consumption or shopping exclusively at second-hand and charity shops. The perpetual rise of consumerism and its detrimental impact on the planet is inexcusable and the industry is providing unsatisfactory, short-term solutions. Environmental activists are no longer standing by and are shifting the blame to major players of this seemingly luxurious industry.

The timing of this initiative is a cosmic joke as September is the month of new beginnings; for students going back to university, the start of a new season, the inevitable haul for an autumnal wardrobe (as if the jumpers and coats from February have lost the capability to insulate) and the beginning of a new fashion year. September is a pivotal month in the fashion calendar, housing releases of the coveted ‘September issues’ and countless fashion shows. These fashion shows are promoting consumerism and the 21st-century mentality of “more is more”. But the conversation of pollution isn’t limited to the runway and can be attributed primarily to fast fashion.

Fast fashion is a relatively old phenomenon. It began in the 1960s; war rationing was a thing of the past and trendy clothing was all the rage. To emulate the fast-paced nature of trends, the younger generation turned to less expensive and therefore cheaply made clothing. Fast fashion reached exorbitant heights in the 90s and early 2000s partly due to the introduction of European retailers such as H&M and Zara in America. These retailers could churn out trendy clothing faster than their American counterparts. Fast fashion brands from Europe have dominated the global retail market ever since and show no sign of stopping.

In the past 15 years, global clothing consumption has doubled but the utilisation of clothes has dropped by 36%. Mainstream media and the advent of social media created a consumer culture that views garments as disposable. Instagram has changed the way the retail industry works; Making shopping quicker and contributing to shopping addiction. Influencers, in particular, are known to purchase clothing for the content and are hardly seen repeating outfits. This culture of YouTube hauls, Black Friday sales and “more is more” is deemed normal in the digital age and it needs to stop.

The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry after oil and a major proponent of climate change. The actions taken by the government and retailers is laughable in the ongoing climate crisis. The United Kingdom, in particular, is responsible for some of the worst consumer habits; One in three young women consider garments worn once or twice to be old. UK consumers have also sent 300,000 tonnes of textiles to be burned or dumped in landfills in 2018.

British heritage brand, Burberry, in the past year has been criticized heavily on their recycling model. To maintain a standard of luxury that would drop by the sale of unwanted stock at knockdown prices, the brand opted to destroy unsold goods worth £28.6m instead. Burberry has since promised to rectify the problem but the issue of incinerating unwanted clothing is still the norm across fast fashion and high-end retailers.

On June 5, France published plans to outlaw the destruction of unsold consumer goods, including clothes and beauty products, by 2023. The United Kingdom has failed to tackle the problem in a similar manner, rejecting the Fixing fashion report in February. This report demanded the government to tackle the epidemic of disposable fashion by going straight to the source and increasing pressure on retailers to account for poor working conditions and their impact on the environment. The proposal suggested charging fast fashion producers one penny for each garment, a ban on incinerating unsold stock and mandatory environmental targets for fashion retailers with a turnover of more than 36 million pounds.

Extinction Rebellion used Instagram to declare their intention to “cancel London Fashion Week”. The caption reads “We face an existential threat if we do not change course by 2020, yet meaningful action has not yet begun, Fashion is one of the most polluting industries and one of the most influential. Fashion should be a cultural signifier of our times, and yet it still adheres to an archaic system of seasonal fashion and relentless newness at a time of emergency. ”

The protests are in response to the British Fashion Council and a repeated rejection of their requests to replace fashion week with a “People’s Assembly of industry professionals and designers, creating a platform to declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency”. The activist group have also asked for a boycott of new clothing and textiles for 52 weeks in response to the ecological breakdown. This may seem extreme to the majority but in this time of crisis, our consumer habits need a shakedown. The truly sustainable practice is indeed not shopping at all.

As a fashion student and enthusiast, fashion week is my version of Christmas. Large sets, opulence and decadence are unparalleled by any other industry. It is my time to soak up new talent and marvel at beautifully constructed garments. So for me to admit that the fashion runway should be made obsolete is particularly heartbreaking. A funeral of fashion could act as a spectacle; a trending topic on Twitter and a couple of meaningless Instagram stories. But will it genuinely ignite a change?

Cancelling fashion week impacts young designers and independent brands. The revenue and impact on the economy generated by the fashion industry will also be compromised; as it should. Fashion conglomerates are funnelling profits and generating revenue on the backs of slave labour and cheap materials. But a point of debate remains: can fashion conglomerates provide the necessary changes required to simultaneously sustain the earth and the economy or will the workers in developing countries suffer the brunt of the boycott?

By Zara Afthab

(she/her)

Zara is the Fashion and Beauty Editor @ PARDON!

Read more about her on OUR TEAM! page.