So-called “ultra-fast fashion” has garnered legions of young trend-setting fans who are buying relatively cheap clothes online in the face of soaring inflation, but the booming genre masks darker environmental issues.
Boohoo from Great Britain, SHEIN from China and Emmiol from Hong Kong operate the same Internet-based business model – they produce items and collections at breakneck speed and at rock-bottom prices.
They give intense competition to better-known ‘fast fashion’ chains with physical stores such as Sweden’s H&M and Spain’s Zara.
Young people under the age of 25 – commonly known as Generation Z – love to order ultra-fast fashion multiple times, which then arrives in the mail.
– ‘Consequences for the planet’ –
However, Greenpeace has labeled the “disposable clothing” phenomenon a gross waste, arguing that it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one t-shirt, which is quickly discarded.
“A lot of this cheap clothes ends up … in huge landfills, incinerated on open fires, washed down river beds and into the sea, with serious consequences for people and the planet,” says the green advocacy group.
Photos of piles of shabby clothes being returned to the seller or discarded shortly after purchase have gone viral, showing the sheer volume of waste.
But demand for budget clothes has skyrocketed due to decades of high inflation, while many Covid-hit high-street shops struggle to compete with high overheads.
And it’s hugely popular: According to Bloomberg, SHEIN generated $16 billion in global sales last year.
– mirage of cheapness –
Customers are buying t-shirts for £4.0 ($4.80), while bikinis and dresses are selling for just £8.0 each.
SHEIN shopping has become a cheap hobby for French high school student Lola, 18, who lives in the city of Nancy.
The brand simply allows her to follow the latest trends “without spending an astronomical amount,” she told AFP, unaware of the environmental cost.
Lola typically places two to three orders a month on SHEIN, averaging a total of €70 ($71) for around 10 items.
The young target group of ultra-fast fashion – like Lola – simply has less money to spend.
According to economics professor Valerie Guillard of Paris-Dauphine University, when it comes to clothing, these consumers are therefore “looking for quantity rather than quality”.
SHEIN, which was founded in late 2008, is now selling all over the world, helped by its massive social media presence.
– ‘Haul’ Videos –
Customers post so-called “haul” videos online – in which they unpack SHEIN packages, try on clothes and inspect them.
This has boosted its popularity on TikTok, which is preferred by teenagers and young adults, while such videos also exist on Instagram and YouTube.
On TikTok alone, there are 34.4 billion mentions of the hashtag #SHEIN and six billion for #SHEINhaul.
Brands are expanding their reach through low-cost partnerships with large numbers of people on social media to build trust and increase sales.
Irish social media influencer Marleen Gallagher, 45, who works with SHEIN and other companies, praised them for offering a wider range of sizes than regular stores.
“They are unrivaled when it comes to plus size women’s choices,” she told AFP.
– climate emergency –
But the industry has a reputation for devouring valuable resources and damaging the environment.
Ultra-fast fashion companies have also been plagued by scandals over alleged poor working conditions in their factories.
Switzerland-based NGO Public Eye discovered in November 2022 that employees at some SHEIN factories were working up to 75 hours a week, in violation of Chinese labor laws.
The British company Boohoo was also criticized after media reports that its suppliers underpaid workers in Pakistan.
What’s more, the French Agency for Ecological Transition estimates that fast fashion accounts for a staggering 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually.
That’s as much as air and sea transport combined.
The genre has now drawn the ire of climate activist Greta Thunberg.
“The fashion industry is a huge contributor to the climate and environmental emergency, not to mention its impact on the myriad workers and communities exploited around the world to enable some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposable,” wrote Thunberg last year, urgent change.
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