How Less is More, and Not in a Good Way - DONNA NAJAFI

Fast Fasion is spoken about, but not enough to make a difference. Donna Najafi takes it a step further and further pushes on its presence in society. Donna talks about the history of fast fasion, in what ways it exists and the sad truth about it. She also goes on to show how we can chip in to stop it. Read this edition of IT'S TIME WE FACE IT, written by Donna Najafi, and get educated on the unfortunate reality of the fasion industry.

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Imagine a company that can produce all the latest clothing trends all at irresistible prices. Seems

too good to be true? You would be right. Fast fashion seems like a win-win situation; the

company can make an abundance of clothes at prices that consumers cannot resist. This,

however, is only possible at the cost of both environmental harm and a deficiency of laborer

protection.

Keeping up with all the latest trends is a near-impossible task. By cutting unwarranted corners,

however, companies such as Zara, H&M, TopShop, Forever 21, Fashion Nova, and many more

can keep up. The fast fashion industry is able to put out dozens of collections a year by burning

massive amounts of fossil fuel, which is making a more prominent impact on our Earth than you

may expect. With fast fashion on the rise, these companies are producing 10% of the world’s

carbon emissions (according to Business Insider). Unfortunately, it does not end with carbon

pollution. This mass production of clothing also depletes water sources and pollutes our rivers.

The cheap dyes used prove to be toxic to wildlife by polluting water sources.

Not only does this mass production affect our Earth, but this industry fails to provide their

workers with adequate protection. To cut costs, these companies are exporting clothing overseas.

Many of the countries these productions get transported from do not have or enforce laborer

protection laws. This authorizes factories to take advantage of the enforcement of extreme

working hours as well as permitting child labor. Roughly 260 million children are illegally

employed around the world. More than half of them are in child labor to churn out the demands

of the fast fashion industry. No matter the age, these workers are demanded to work 14 to 16

hours a day for the entire week. All this grueling labor for 85 cents an hour.

All is not lost! What are we able to do to diminish the 21st century’s version of slave labor? By

buying sustainably, we can lessen the harm done. Brands such as Reformation, Patagonia,

Sézane provide ethical labor standards while giving back to the environment. Other, more

affordable brands that also produce sustainable clothing include Kotn, Alternative Apparel, and

Able. As well as buying sustainably, make sure to think twice before you throw your clothes

away! Try to repair them, donate them to people in need, or put them in a textile recycling bin!

Although fast fashion takes substantial tolls on both our environment as well as humanity, by

altering our shopping decisions, we can support our Earth as well as ameliorate the damage.