Have you ever thought about how the clothes you use can be made? What are the raw materials needed? Or how long does the manufacturing process take? So, the clothes have gone through a long process, before they arrive on store displays and are purchased by consumers. The world ready-to-wear clothing industry is now dominated by businesses with the concept of Fast Fashion and Sustainable Fashion.
What is Fast Fashion?
Fast Fashion is a concept of rapid fashion change over some time for ready-to-wear clothes. For example, during the summer the fashion trend will adjust to the designs and materials for summer, then in winter, it will change again. Because according to the label, this mode does not only change according to the season but every month. Several years ago, this concept became a trend and was considered innovative to meet the increasing needs of the clothing world. Due to market demands, many things must be sacrificed, ranging from damage to nature, workers who are paid below average, excessive working hours, inadequate work safety, and various other problems.
Fast Fashion and Consumptive Lifestyle
Who doesn't want to look stylish at a low price? Of course many are tempted to do this. Even though with the low price offered and low quality, Fast Fashion supports a consumptive lifestyle. The price is cheap, making people interested in shopping every time a new collection is sold, plus more for prestige and style needs. The focus of this business is how to produce goods at the lowest possible cost to meet consumer demands that change rapidly and at affordable prices. The trick is to create a limited quantity, then take advantage of the psychological response of humans who are attracted to limited-edition goods. This is what makes it have a high turnover and is loved by consumers.
Sustainable Fashion for a Greener Fashion Industry
In addition to the fashion industry that is changing fast, there is also an industry that carries Slow Fashion, which was introduced by Kate Fletcher in 2007. It is a philosophy based on longer wear, durability and high quality, ethical production, and is environmentally friendly. This concept prioritizes quality over quantity and is committed to creating healthy work practices for its workers.
Then in 2017, there was an agreement at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit which invited all well-known brands and retailers to change the system to a Circular Fashion System or Sustainable Fashion. So, Sustainable Fashion has a sustainable concept, aka sustainable, where the production of clothing uses environmentally friendly materials. Brands are also responsible for educating consumers about how to increase the service life of a product and complete information about the material or clothing materials purchased.
As of June 2017, at least 64 companies joined the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment program. Like Zara, H&M, Topshop, Adidas, ASOS, Guess, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, M&S, Tommy Hilfiger, and many others.
Sustainable Fashion provides the benefit of a symbiotic mutualism between designers, workers, craftsmen, consumers, and the fashion industry as a whole. For fashion lovers, let's start to apply the concept of sustainable fashion. Start to change consumer behavior by choosing clothes that are timeless so you don't have to buy clothes every time you change trends. Become a smart shopper by choosing product materials that are easily biodegradable and environmentally friendly so that no more clothes are wasted and then become trash.