Fast fashion is “fast” no doubt, in a number of senses: fashion changes are swift, the production rate is fast; the customer’s decision to buy is fast; delivery is fast and clothes are quickly worn – usually only a few times before being thrown away.

The rise of fast fashion has had serious consequences, from its reliance on plastic fabrics and its enormous carbon footprint to its erosion of workers’ rights.

What is fast fashion?

In the past few decades, we have seen fashion trends change more rapidly. Pressure has increased on workers to produce more at lower prices along with pressure on consumers to head to the latest trends.

Rapidly changing trends

At its core, the fast-fashion business model relies on consumers buying more clothes endlessly. Brands entice consumers by offering extremely cheap clothing (for example, Missguided bikini clothing worth one pound) and new ever-changing ranges. At the time of writing, fast fashion brand SHEIN showcased 21139 pieces of clothing under the “New in” section of its website.

Fashion brands have always used new styles and lower prices to attract customers, but previously brands planned new ranges for months, even years, in advance.. In comparison, fast fashion focuses on responding to ever-changing consumer tastes as quickly as possible.

The company was able to design, manufacture and sell the piece within 10 days of the first wearing of the piece by celebrities. The emergence of fast fashion is intertwined with social media and celebrity/influencer culture. A celebrity posts a photo of herself dressed in a new outfit, and her followers want her, so fast fashion brands rush to be the first to introduce her. Fast fashion brands often target young people – called Gen Zs – who grew up between social media and influencer culture. In fact, a recent survey found that nearly 75% of 18- to 24-year-olds believe influencers can be held somewhat responsible for the rise in disposable fashion.

 The key point is that these brands are working on the basis of constantly producing new lines of clothing to meet the voracious and ever-changing consumer demand for all new things.