The issue with fashion and it’s continuing addition the world’s environmental issues is the one that so many seek to answer, and so many feel that slow fashion is the way forward. But could that potentially only add more issues to the cloud of environmental and ethical issues surrounding the fast churning fashion industry?

To assess what the impacts would be we need to understand the differences bewteen fast fashion and slow fashion. Fast fashion is the business model based on churning out products quickly, efficently with more regard for trends and short life span than quality. Fast fashion is a by-product of the societies desperate need for “now”, the shoppers of today want fast access to any item that catches their eye, amd with the strong relevnace of social media platforms in todays social enviroment, the desire for seeing and wanting immediatly is prevelant. The industry has risen to accommodate and to cash in on this social drive, knowing that these are impulse purchases, driven by trend and also quiute often imitiation of popular styles, taking the design process to a bare mimimum. The clothing is cheap, and when considering the environmental effects, also “nasty”.

The problem with fast fashion as a business model, while profitable, has devastating impacts on the earth, often using synthetic materials that aren’t degradable, as they are a cost effect option, promoting a short life span of clothing, not designed to last, and ending quickly as waste, either due to to the poor quality, or because being trend based, the wearer has quickly moved on. These items of clothing are inexpensive and it’s known on purchase that, that the clothing is not designed to last.

Slow fashion on the otherhand is the promotion of quality over quantity, it focuses on a longer design process, natural fibres used in the garment, fair wages, lower carbon footprints and zero waste, which of course sounds ideal, the dream of any environmentalist, or anyone that cares which direction the earth is heading.

The issue lies in so many other areas though, the mass majority, will choose a low cost item to make them feel amazing, as opposed to spending triple on an item that will last them for times as long, as they have been heavily conditioned to want the immediate gain. Yes, choosing an item that is better for the earth FEELS good, you’re doing good, but the people choosing fast fashion options currently, have to be given a way they can do both, find something affordable, without it costing the Earth…. literally.

Fast fashion also contibutes to millions of jobs across the globe, while a large majority of these need to have their employment conditions improved the board, these people are at the very least employed, to aim to shut down or heavily minimise the fast fashion industry, would mean losss of income for millions.

So what is the solution? How do designers and companies find a way to bring the ideals of slow fashion, to the fast fashion market?