Fast ≠ Fair: The Harm of the Fast Fashion Industry
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Fast ≠ Fair: The Harm of the Fast Fashion Industry
Rachel Fuchs
The fashion industry is a leading contributor to CO2 emissions and has caused human
rights issues and natural disasters. Fast fashion is a growing part of the fashion industry that
increases the ease for customers to have trending clothes at a low price. This new form of
clothing production allows consumers to find a large range of styles and sizes of clothes at an
affordable price. My work focuses on repurposing plastic waste, most of which comes from fast
fashion retailers, in order to shed light on the issues within fast fashion and overconsumption as a
whole. In the article "Impact of Fast Fashion in Bangladesh: An Analysis of the Role of the UN
Alliance for Sustainable Fashion,” authors Salsabila Andi Jani and Sidik Jatmika define fast
fashion as “a method to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing that emphasizes making
the latest fashion trends accessible to consumers rapidly and affordably.” (Jani et al. 601) As
people are able to buy any item they want affordably and have it delivered to their door in a
matter of days, fashion becomes more available, and average people can develop their personal
style. But at what cost?
Items purchased from websites like Shein, Pretty Little Thing, and Zara create excess on
the micro and macro level. These companies rely on inhumane working conditions and
low-quality materials during production to offer such low costs. Fast fashion is a cycle of poorly
made items being replaced by more poorly made items. Zoom out and we can see that these
companies mass produce items and when they are not sold the clothing is either burned or
thrown away. Stella McCartney, a pioneer in the sustainable fashion industry, is appalled by the
practices in the fashion industry when she states “‘Did you know that the equivalent of one
garbage truck of textiles is burned or landfilled every second? And right now, less than 1% of
material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing, meaning 99% of all textiles and
fashion are waste… that’s about 100 billion dollars worth of materials wasted each year. It’s
crazy!’” (Abelvik-Lawson) The waste generated by fast fashion furthers cycles of harm, with a
detrimental impact on the planet.
My art strives to make viewers aware of the issue of fast fashion and the
overconsumption it creates. I am inspired by reusing materials from daily life including plastic
packaging, plastic bags, twist ties, and bottle tabs. While illustrating the issues of
over-consumption I collected many plastic bags to be used to create trash landscapes for
photographs connected to my thesis. I was determined to find a way to use these materials in my
work and found a video on how to make yarn out of plastic bags. Since then I have continued to
collect unwanted items, specifically plastic bags, and created art with them. I am energized by
reusing materials and creating work that highlights the issue of excess in our society. In addition
to highlighting the issues with poorly made garments and the unsafe working conditions of fast
fashion factories, my work also shows what can be made out of the items we are surrounded by.
What is seen as trash to some are materials to me. I collect excess plastic from those around me
and turn it into yarn to crochet and create with. I am inspired by the concept of giving single-use
materials a new life and showing the possibilities of reusing materials. I was able to see on a
small community level the abundance of plastic available and the lack of purpose it holds after
its first use. This is a similar life cycle for fast fashion clothes. After a trend has diminished in
social media many fast fashion clothing trends can be seen at thrift stores. If the clothing item is
less trendy, it still has a short life cycle due to the low quality of the product.
My Plastic Dress places the excess plastic generated by an average consumer in
conversation with the issues within the fast fashion industry. The dress is completely composed
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of plastic bags and trash bags. I used a technique of cutting the bags into strips, looping them
together, and crocheting with the yarn they created. The top of the dress is white and the bottom
is black. I used the red plastic drawstrings from garbage bags as the straps of the dress and used
this material to bring the top and bottom together. This piece connects fashion with trash,
something the industry tries very hard to distance itself from. I continued to crochet with the
plastic I collected while creating my Trash Quilt. This piece is a continuous stitch. It started as a
chain of 20 crochet stitches, then turned into a square of 20 x 20 stitches. Instead of starting the
process over, I continued to add around the patch until it looked like a small rug, and then
eventually, now a quilt. The process was time-consuming and the technique was not effective in
creating a large piece. After a conversation with the art faculty, I was inspired to step away from
this first quilting technique and start a new quilt with a patchwork technique. I created 10 x 10
crocheted squares and attached them together. Each square is roughly one bag, and this piece
came together much fast than my first quilt.
Process, Plastic Bags, 2023
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Multi-Colored Yarn Ball, Plastic Bags, 2023
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White Yarn Ball, Plastic bags, 2023
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Trash Quilt, 57” x 60”, Plastic bags crocheted together, 2023
While collecting materials for my Trash Quilt and Plastic Patchwork I saw the variety of
plastic one may come across daily. The light green squares within Plastic Patchwork originally
carried avocados from the grocery store. The yellow squares are Forever 21 bags, the pink bags
were collected after a valentines fundraising event at Muhlenberg, and the tan/brown squares are
created from liquor store bags. The abundance of white plastic yarn is a combination of many
stores such as Target, Wegmans, Shein, and The General’s Quarters at Muhlenberg College.
Photo Quilt utilizes editorially posed, studio-lit photography, of models wearing the Plastic
Dress. Some images include the Trash Quilt as the background and have plastic surrounding the
models. These images were created to contrast the advertisements for new clothing from fashion
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brands. The subjects within the images have attentive gazes that demand the viewer to look them
in the eyes. These images have similar components present in fashion advertisements, including
a model and studio photography. To further bring this collection of images in conversation with
my other works I wove the images together with my white plastic yarn. I arranged the images so
the negative space would flow throughout the quilt as I cut into the images in order to weave
them together. In using the imagery present in the fashion industry and locating it within the
context of my thesis, I twist the techniques companies use to gain customers and call attention to
the issues within the industry.
Plastic Patchwork, 45 x 40, Plastic bags crocheted together, 2023
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Photo Quilt, 32 x 40, Mixed media, 2023
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Plastic Dress, 35 x 18, Plastic bags crocheted together, 2023
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There is a pressing need for change in the fashion industry, specifically fast fashion
because lives are at stake. There has been an increased awareness of this need after the Rana
Plaza disaster in 2013, when a factory that produces clothes for multiple fast fashion brands
collapsed, killing “at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500” (Rana Plaza Accident).
The International Labour Association report shares that “only five months earlier, at least 112
workers had lost their lives in another tragic accident, trapped inside the burning Tazreen
Fashions factory on the outskirts of Dhaka.” The collapse was internationally covered, showing
the poor conditions overseas and the mistreatment of workers in the process to make cheap
clothes which are often purchased in the US. The production of these clothes has environmental
and health-related issues due to the materials involved. “The chemicals used in the garment
manufacturing process, particularly in the dying process, are dangerous and can harm the health
of riverside people.” (Jani et al. 601) There has been interest in sustainable fashion since the
1960s, but after this disaster, there was a strong need for changes to the industry to prevent
incidents like Rana Plaza from happening again, as well as a push for individuals not to support
fast fashion because of the environmental impact.
In order to understand the challenges of changing the fashion industry toward more
sustainable practices, both for workers' safety and the environment, my art works to visualize the
concept of planned obsolescence. Obsolescence itself is inevitable in an evolving society; the
typewriter was an invention that became obsolete with the creation of the computer. In "Buying
Behavior and Planned Obsolescence in the Fashion Industry”, the authors note that
“obsolescence has always played a role in the development of society, it is a process that
contributed to the creation of our modern society.” (Kamilla, B. A. Š. A., and Emese Szabó
Farkas 12) As a community evolves, so do the items they use, and advancement drives a society
forward by causing previous inventions to stay in the past. Advancement in technology is not
only anthropologically inevitable but also beneficial to society’s development.
However, there is a different result when companies start to make their products obsolete on
purpose, a concept known as “planned obsolescence.” Planned obsolescence is a cycle in the
fashion industry and can be seen when consumers replace poorly made clothes with more poorly
made clothes. This cycle benefits the supplier while taking advantage of employees and
customers. B. A. Š. A. Kamilla and Emese Szabó Farkas explain, “...it is beneficial for
short-term corporate profits, it undermines consumer confidence and represents a serious
obstacle to environmental sustainability.”(12) In other words, companies create products made
to be disposable so their customers continue to come back for more. The aesthetics within the
fashion draw me but the methods of the fashion industry repel me. Fashion brands, like all
businesses, want to make money and are willing to manipulate their consumers to further their
success. This causes immense harm on multiple levels. My work emphasizes the excess of
plastic waste created when individuals are accustomed to a society filled with items with short
lifespans.
DuPont stockings company in the 1940s is a primary example of the shift towards
planned obsolescence in order to increase profit. The DuPont stocking company’s tights were
durable which meant that customers didn't need to make repeat purchases. The company decided
to produce a lower-quality product in order to increase the number of purchases for each
customer. A modern example of planned obsolescence can be seen in the case of smartphones.
Brands like Apple have the ability to create longer-lasting batteries for smartphones but choose
not to produce them; instead, their batteries devolve as you use them, causing consumers to need
to buy a new phone. This is a practice utilized by many fashion brands today, increasing the
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waste and emissions created by the fashion industry. De la Motte and Ostlund (quoted in Kamilla
et al) explain the waste involved in making clothing, “the textile and clothing industry is a
resource-intensive industry. This industry is responsible for 3-10 percent of global carbon
dioxide emissions and produces huge amounts of waste” (18). The creation of fabrics both
natural (cotton) and artificial (polyester) use a large amount of water for the former and
chemicals for the latter. But it is the combination of the consequences of the manufacturing of
fabrics and the excess of products made that makes fast fashion an unsustainable practice. The
use of planned obsolescence is not new to the industry, and heightens the environmental and
social impacts due to the mass production and consumerism it promotes.
My Vape Box illustrates an industry that thrives off of obsolescence. I was inspired by the
excess created by those who frequently buy disposable vapes. My goal was to give these items a
second life, but more particularly create something reusable out of items made to be disposable.
This work was the beginning of my journey in utilizing second-hand materials. Another material
I was able to come across a surplus of was can tabs. I collected them from friends as they drank
cans and was inspired to give them a purpose. I originally used gold wire I had on hand and was
hoping to create a purse from the tabs. As I ran out of wire I tried to find the right second-hand
alternative. I started with scrap plastic, but then finally saw that twist ties were the most
effective. I created the Can Tab Mobile to show the journey I experienced reusing this material
and the possibilities such a small object can hold. Flower Bag was a small project I had in mind
due to my large amount of tote bags and the excitement I get in finding objects at the thrift store.
I bought as many fake flowers as Goodwill had to offer and combined unwanted items into a
work of art. Capitalism has caused the human condition to discard unwanted items instantly
before we give ourselves, and the item, time to find another use for it. Society is constantly
showing us the next new thing we need, my art shows the possibilities within what we already
own.
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Vape Box, 10 x 8 x 6, Disposable Vapes, 2022
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Can Tab Mobile, 17 x 7, Mixed Media, 2023
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Flower Bag, 28 x 15, Mixed Media, 2022
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Obsolescence is no longer about improving society, but instead to increase a company’s
revenue. Planned obsolescence has caused consumers to become used to the need to buy, discard,
and buy again. Although items in an individual’s closet may be in good condition they are
inclined to buy something new. Few consumers wear something until they cannot anymore
instead, many wear something for a year or two and then want something new. The practices of
the fast fashion industry have rubbed off on their consumers, creating a cyclical effect. Fast
Fashion companies create lower quality products to both sell items at a low price and ensure
customers will have to repurchase due to the corners cut during its production. Many consumers
are unaware of the costs of these products and how they are able to be so cheap. The poorly
made items either fall apart quickly or are discarded or barely worn due to micro trends.
Microtrends arise due to social media apps like TikTok, where clothing items go viral. People
want to look like the influencer they follow so they search for a cheaper alternative. Soon enough
they realize the item is not good quality and they dispose of it, possibly completely new and
unworn. This cycle of ‘consume and throw away’ without regard for waste happens at faster
paces and cheaper prices. Because fashion often relies on the concepts of trends, the desire to
have the newest, most coveted fashion becomes a race, harming our planet and the workers along
the way. The harm and excess perpetuated by planned obsolescence are themes I work to
represent in my work. The images with Photo Quilt evoke a sense of struggle with the world of
plastic around us and Plastic Patchwork exposes the range of plastic within our lives.
With all the issues behind the scenes in the fashion industry, there are ways to combat the
habits of many companies. Conscious consumption is a phrase used to describe the action of
being mindful as a consumer. Within the fashion industry, conscious consumption can be seen in
a multitude of ways including buying what you need and not what you want, shopping
second-hand, and shopping from sustainable brands. Sustainable fashion is a small part of the
larger and more wasteful fashion industry as a whole. In Madeleine Marcella-Hood’s article
"Augmenting Sustainable Fashion on Instagram,” she refers to a study from 2019 by Mukendi et
al which provides a working definition of sustainable fashion: “SF includes the variety of means
by which a fashion item or behavior could be perceived to be more sustainable, including (but
not limited to) environmental, social, slow fashion, reuse, recycling, cruelty-free and
anti-consumption and production practices.” (Marcella-Hood 2) I originally worked to convey
this topic with photography alone but was met with roadblocks in what an image can illustrate
alone. I was energized to create items with reused materials to support my images. As I
continued my work with crocheting with plastic I found a new form of inspiration, and in the
end, I used my images to support the objects I created.
I am inspired by creating work from reused materials and exposing the viewer to the
importance of conscious consumption. My pieces expose our ability and sometimes urge to
accumulate an excess of items. Fast fashion companies utilize influencer marketing to increase
the number of customers and the amount they consume. There are countless videos on youtube
and TikTok titled “$1,000 Shein Haul”, where the influencer shows off a ridiculous amount of
clothing and ends the video with a promotion code with the company. The followers are inspired
to shop from the same store their favorite influencer buys from and obtain the clothes the
influencer just purchased. Whether it is through ad campaigns or partnerships, fast fashion
brands are adamant about broadcasting all the things you need and how easy and cheap it is for
you to get them. Consumers are blinded by the price of desired clothes and do not wait to ask
how they can be sold at such low costs. These clothes are made to be discardable, the poor
quality of the items makes them have a short shelf life and causes the consumer to need to rebuy
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soon after the original purchase. This cycle causes people to throw things out quickly without
thinking of what else something can be used for. I question the norm to discard unwanted
materials and find ways they can be re-born and turned into something long-lasting.
A sustainable brand is both environmentally and ethically conscious. For instance, the
company reuses materials from past collections and/or creates a limited quantity to minimize
waste. These brands would also pay workers a livable wage with safe working conditions.
Creating something from past materials is the fashion industry's future in order for our planet to
not suffer. “Circular solutions include using fabrics made from recycled ocean plastics, or
reusing offcuts of older materials to make new pieces. These solutions limit the need for new
fabrics like virgin polyester, or even biodegradable fabrics like cotton, which consumes a lot of
water.” There is no need to create virgin materials, that being new polyester or cotton fabrics,
when there is a surplus of discarded clothes already made. Reusing materials is a major step in
the right direction in order to reshape an industry that is aiding in the destruction of the natural
environment. Plastic Dress illustrates the possibilities of reusing materials within the fashion
industry in particular. The silhouette of the dress can be seen in many fashion retail stores, but
the material is plastic bags. The dress is completely composed of plastic which is also a reference
to the number of synthetics within fast fashion clothes. Although clothes from Forever 21 and
Shein may look different than the Plastic Dress they are still made of plastic as well. The Plastic
Dress highlights the fact that we are all walking around in clothes made of plastic.
Many fashion companies discard unpurchased items in order to maintain the value of the
purchased products, contributing to the overall waste created by the fashion industry. Some
brands are fighting the good fight by reusing materials and making fewer items to diminish the
desire to get rid of excess pieces. Stella McCartney has been a pioneer in sustainable fashion by
reusing fabrics from her past collections and utilizing a “collector” mentality for her drops.
McCartney releases collections with a limited supply which creates buzz for consumers while
also eliminating excess. “McCartney’s new spring 2021 collection – released this week alongside
her A–Z Manifesto of sustainable fashion, won’t be in danger of having overstock. ‘When these
fabrics run out, you won’t be able to buy those pieces anymore meaning they are a collector's
item, which I find really exciting.” (Abelvik-Lawson) Sadly, this style of work is the exception at
the moment, rather than the norm. The planned obsolescence business practice in the fashion
industry works against the progress that designers like McCartney are making. However,
McCartney’s collection is a strong, sustainable model for the future of the fashion industry that
others can follow. McCartney uses her platform to promote sustainability. Other celebrities and
influencers are people who spread the word about the issues in the fashion industry and promote
sustainable fashion. Along with McCartney, once influencer now celebrity Emma Chamberlain
inspires her followers to thrift unique pieces as she does. Influencers posting thrift hauls on
YouTube and TikTok combat the many Shein hauls by promoting originality and sustainability to
their viewers.
Celebrities can use their platform to promote sustainability and enact change through
their following. As influencers can educate individuals, artists can work to raise awareness of
social issues through their work. My art represents the counterculture of fashion-inclined
individuals who disagree with the systems in place within the fashion industry. More broadly, the
items I create mostly illustrate the possibilities mundane materials have. Fake flowers from
Goodwill, bottle tabs, and plastic bags are items some people may never think twice about, my
work questions this response. Even the most discardable item, a plastic bag, can be used to create
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something so much bigger than its original purpose. My thesis, Fast ≠ Fair, exposes issues and
illustrates possibilities that a capitalistic world of excess creates.
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Works Cited
Abelvik-Lawson, Helle. “The UK’s fast fashion habit is getting worse – and it’s destroying the
planet.” Greenpeace UK, 23 November 2020,
[Link]
destroying-the-planet/.
Kamilla, B. A. Š. A., and Emese Szabó Farkas. "Buying Behavior and Planned Obsolescence in
the Fashion Industry." 11 April 2019.
Jani, Salsabila Andi, and Sidik Jatmika. "Impact of Fast Fashion in Bangladesh: An Analysis of
the Role of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion." International Journal of
Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding 9.12 (2023): 592-605.
Marcella-Hood, Madeleine. "Augmenting Sustainable Fashion on Instagram." Sustainability 15.4
(2023): 3609.
“The Rana Plaza Accident and Its Aftermath.” International Labour Organization, International
Labor Organization, 21 Dec. 2017,
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