A rag factory in Panipat, India. Photo courtesy of Meghna Gupta and Soul Rebel Films.
I already know how I’m going to die: I will be smothered by an unbalanced pile of vintage clothing and discovered by one of my cats weeks later. Turns out that thanks to the West’s appetite for fast fashion, however, this scenario (minus the cats) is a real possibility for some women in India.
Although the concept of “fast fashion”—quickly and inexpensively made garments that move from catwalk to consumer in ever shorter time cycles—might appear to be a modern construct, the strategies that prompted it have been around since Benetton adopted the business model in the 1980s. Since then, global retailers such as H&M, Zara and even Target have capitalized on the trend such that fast fashion already accounted for 40% of all clothing purchases made a decade ago.
If Americans alone discard over 11 million tons of textiles each year, what amount of waste has 35 years of fast fashion produced worldwide? And what happens to it?
Watch this fascinating short video to find out. (I apologize but cannot embed the video into this post; please click the link or the photo below to view. Trust me, it's worth it...especially at 7:20!)
If Americans alone discard over 11 million tons of textiles each year, what amount of waste has 35 years of fast fashion produced worldwide? And what happens to it?
Watch this fascinating short video to find out. (I apologize but cannot embed the video into this post; please click the link or the photo below to view. Trust me, it's worth it...especially at 7:20!)
Click photo to view video, courtesy of Meghna Gupta and Soul Rebel Films.
So, do you still want to buy that $3 bedazzled underwear?
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