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Introduction
READ TO BE SURE
Welcome to our inaugural issue of Read to be SURE, which examines the various aspects of the fast fashion industry.
Watch the video below for a quick introduction to the world of fast fashion, and view the Conversations video. Explore the different perspectives and their connections in this issue and dive deeper into the recommended resources.
We would love to hear your views:
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Fast Fashion: Love it or Hate it?
1-Minute Read
Photo by Becca McHaffie on UnsplashIt’s the weekend and you’ve got some time and money. You browse your favourite clothing store but find nothing you like. No worries, you’ll come back again next week. Chances are you’ll find new styles on the shelves.
Pretty normal, right?
That didn’t use to be the case.
Before, you would have to wait until the next season to find new items. There is a demand for readily available, trend-driven fashion, thanks to the world’s growing middle class and their higher disposable income. Now, fashion companies are capitalising on fast fashion, the rapid production of trendy and cheap clothes in high volumes.
Is fast fashion worth it? Here’s the lowdown on fast fashion:
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How does it change our economy?
1-Minute Read
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashBuying your next T-shirt could feed households and reduce poverty in many countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, also known as “the clothing factory of the world”. In 2019, 65 million people worked in the APAC clothing manufacturing industry — that’s every seven out of 10 workers worldwide.
Fast fashion makes a lot of money for trend-driven fashion companies. It’s almost a vicious cycle as more clothes are produced, the more consumers want to buy. No wonder the industry is key to the economic and social development of many developing countries.
Would this affect the price? Is there such a thing as cheap and good? Here’s more to think about.
Want to know more about the economic impact?
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How are prices kept low?
1-Minute Read
Photo by Dollar Gill on UnsplashGetting your hands on the latest fashion trends within a short time seems too good to be true. Yet this is what the industry delivers, and at affordable prices to boot.
How do they do it?
Vertically integrated supply chains allow fast fashion producers greater control of everything from fabrics to logistics. Outsourcing manufacturing to low-cost countries offers bargain deals to consumers across the globe. Cheaper prices have been linked not only to cheap labour but child labour as well.
This industry continues to grow to keep up with rising demand and rapidly changing fashion trends. One has to stop and wonder: At what cost?
Want to know more about the price factor?
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Is it part of climate change?
1-Minute Read
Photo by Maxim Tolchinskiy on UnsplashHow many clothing items do you buy and get rid of within a year? A survey involving 1,000 Singaporeans revealed that we buy 34 pieces of new clothing on average and dispose of 27 items within 12 months. For almost every item we buy, we throw away another.
Do you remember how often you wore a shirt before throwing it away? Clothes were only worn 7 to 10 times before being thrown out. Landfills are being filled with textile waste, generated through this throw-away culture.
From the production of raw materials to the disposal of clothes, the fast fashion industry consumes large amounts of chemicals, water and energy. It is a source of pollution for both air and water, accounting for 10% of all global carbon emissions. That’s more than the international flights industry and the maritime shipping industry combined.
The demand to be “on trend” leads to clothes churned out faster than we can wear them out. What would that mean to workers in the fast fashion factories?
Want to know more about the environmental impact?
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How are the working conditions like?
1-Minute Read
Photo by Rio Lecatompessy on Unsplash
We know all about fast fashion’s great economic impact. While that may be true, the industry has long been plagued by low wages, modern slavery, child labour and poor working conditions.
Factory workers in developing countries often work extremely long hours in harsh and dangerous conditions with a severe lack of occupational safety and health measures. Over a thousand workers were killed and another 2,500 plus were injured on 24 April 2013 when Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza building, which housed five garment factories, collapsed.
That’s not even including unethical business practices. During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, many high street fashion retailers simply cancelled their orders as shops were closed and consumers stayed at home. Almost overnight, thousands of people lost their jobs and their source of income.
But it’s not all bleak in the world of fast fashion. As consumers are becoming more aware of these hidden costs, fashion designers and retailers are beginning to implement more sustainable initiatives.
Want to know more about the different business practices?
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Is Sustainable Fashion the solution?
1-Minute Read
Photo by Jess @ Harper Sunday on UnsplashYou head down to a store to get your fashion fix. Immediately, some clothes nearby catch your eye. You spot the tag and are taken aback by the high price. When you look closer, you spot it — a sticker labelled “Sustainable Fashion”.
This is why sustainable fashion may not be trendy or affordable. They tend to be more expensive due to their small batch production, additional manufacturing processes, ethical sourcing and fair wages. Some consumers are more likely to pay premium prices for going eco-friendly. There is also a lack of size inclusivity in sustainable fashion, with consumers facing difficulty finding the right fit.
Finally, you decide to buy a sustainable shirt. On the way home, you suddenly spot headlines of the brand being exposed for child labour. Weren’t they supposed to be ‘sustainable’? Research might be required as some companies use misleading marketing tactics and false sustainability claims to get you to buy their products.
Want to know more about sustainable fashion?
Click here for more resources on Fast Fashion.
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Conversations
In our Read to be SURE Conversations, we will invite guests from all walks of life to share their expertise and perspectives on trending issues that matter. In line with one of NLB’s LAB25 key roles of nurturing an Informed Citizenry, we hope that the Conversations will help broaden and deepen your mindsets.
With cheap prices and easy access to various outlets, fast fashion has grown exponentially over the years as consumers flock to them for their apparel needs. Is fast fashion necessarily bad? Is sustainable fashion the only solution?
Watch the highlights of the Conversation event on 8 Dec 2021:
Watch the full recording:
Speakers:
- Susannah Jaffer, Founder and CEO, ZERRIN
- Dr. Kapil R. Tuli, Professor of Marketing and Director of the Retail Centre of Excellence, SMU
- Corneliu Dinu Tudor Bodiciu, Programme Leader for BA Fashion Design and Textile and BA Fashion Media and Industries, LASALLE College of the Arts
Moderator:
- Irsyad Ramthan, sustainable maker and podcast host
About the Speakers and Moderator:
Susannah Jaffer is the founder & CEO at ZERRIN, Asia’s curated destination for creative, conscious brands. A Singapore-based global marketplace and media channel, ZERRIN connects you with the best in independent, D2C brands and content to inspire your green journey. She has spoken on the topic of sustainability in fashion/beauty/retail for companies like Coty, Great Eastern, Fashion Revolution and General Assembly. The platform has also been featured in notable outlets like The Straits Times, Her World, Channel News Asia and Vogue.
Dr. Kapil R. Tuli is the Professor of Marketing and Director of the Retail Centre of Excellence at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), Singapore Management University. Over the years, Dr. Tuli has published several papers in leading marketing journals, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, and Management Science. In 2017, Dr. Tuli received the 2017 Sheth Foundation/Journal of Marketing Award for his paper “Rethinking Customer Solutions: From Product Bundles to Relational Processes” that was published in the 2007 edition of the Journal of Marketing.
Corneliu Dinu Tudor Bodiciu is the Programme Leader for BA Fashion Design and Textile and BA Fashion Media and Industries at LASALLE College of the Arts. Romanian-born and London-trained, he received his Master’s degree in Fashion Design and Technology at London College of Fashion where he is currently pursuing a doctoral research degree. His designs challenge the way we think about the relationship between the human body and clothing. His work has been showcased in established fashion magazines, such as Vogue, Vision China, Bazaar Asia, Elle and L’Officiel Ukraine, and worn by Lady Gaga, Viktoria Modesta and Chicks on Speed or featured in movies like the Hunger Games: Mockingjay 1 & 2 or the Foundation series.
Irsyad Ramthan is the former co-Founder of Interseed, a digital platform that promotes sustainability solutions and supports various start-ups that utilize alternative sustainable materials for different consumer products. Over the years, he has designed innovation programmes for Southeast Asian under-35s to solve sustainability challenges. He is currently a sustainable maker and podcast host.
Here’s a visual map of the different perspectives:
Return to the 5 Perspectives:
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Share Your Thoughts
We would love to hear your views about Fast Fashion:
Share your feedback about this Issue of Read to be SURE:
