The fashion industry has gone through a massive change over the last few decades, especially one that is fast fashion. Currently, the industry is largely characterized by the rapid evolution of fast fashion, which means that customers can purchase clothes that meet their desire for the latest trends at high speed. That is why, to answer the initial question on why fast fashion has become such an important trend, it is necessary to study it in terms of historical background, fundamental sources of population demand, the psychology behind it and its impact on the environment.
What is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion is a category of clothing that is produced cheaply and quickly, which is its appearance is meant to resemble high fashion. Like all other aspects of fast fashion, there are clothes that are styled and influenced by what is observed on ramps or being worn by celebrities. Some of the giant players in this industry include Zara, H&M, and Fashion Nova among others; the players in the industry release new clothes collections more often than twice in the year as is done in the conventional manufacturing calendar; sometimes weekly. By doing so, it enables the casual consumer to get in touch with current styles, which where previously unavailable at low price points or at least, not until the end of entire fashion cycles.
The fast fashion it owes the progress of the manufacturing and distribution channels because it enabled companies to create and sell new trends at a much higher rate as compared to the past. This is particularly important for consumers since it means that stylish and fashionable clothes are well within their reach having in mind that they can get them as soon as designers present them on the runway.
Historical Background of Fast Fashion
Buying clothes in the past was not a frequent activity, but it was a planned activity. Routine purchases included garments, which new stock was released occasionally as consumer evaluative standards indicated that the collections which fashion houses took months processing, manufacturing, and advertising were seasonal. But from the later part of the 20th century the buying Paleo marked a shift in consumer behavior. There was a move from purchase essential items and absolutely necessary garments to people acquiring clothes more often for the mere purpose of leisure. This change took the floor to fast fashion where renowned companies like Zara brought about change through a process called just in time which reduced the cycle time of a product to be designed and sold significant.
Fast fashion companies benefiting from the constant update signal consumers wanted from clothing. By 2000 the speed of change had accelerated and fast fashion companies were launching something between 9 to 52 ‘micro-seasons’ per year and a new collection every week. It also catered for consumers’ freshness wants and need and made them revisit the stores more often, therefore enhancing overall consumption.
Why is Fast Fashion So Popular?
As for the reasons for fast fashion success, there are several of them, and the most obvious one is the possibility to get trendy and good quality clothes for a minimal cost. Clothes in fast fashion stores are cheap; this enables the consumer to but more copies compared to the traditional brands. This accessibility is particularly attractive for youth who’d like to be in vogue but can hardly afford costly designer wear.
Besides, the concept of fast fashion also adds to the culture of the instant, and the clothes are delivered immediately. Fast fashion firms convey catwalk designs into wearable outfits for consumers in a short time frame this provides consumers with the thrill of owning a fashionable outfit without the delay. This fast cycle not only results in frequent buying but also makes the aspect of fashionable attractive to the consumers.
That is why the psychological aspect of appeals also plays an immense role in the conception of fast fashion. Consumers’ need for ever new clothes is driven by the need to conform the latest trends that are seen on social media and advertised by celebrities. In the case of fast fashion it appeals to feelings such as fear to lose out (FOMO) and makes people buy because they don’t want to miss out in the next trend or sales items. This management of the scarcity and urgency makes fast fashion highly suitable for sales promotion.
The Impact of Social Media
To categorise, when culture went digital, the process of mass expansion of fast fashion was supported by social networks. Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and other sites are now overcrowded with influencers and celebrities wear new trends. Because these platforms act visually, users wish to look like they do in the pictures they see on the Internet.
Fast fashion brands make it a point to respond, with the help of social media to market their new range and call for people to buy them immediately. That the consumer culture involving fast fashion has been reinforced is well illustrated by the recent phenomenon of haul videos, wherein consumers display their recent shopping sprees. When it comes to showcasing individuality in clothing online, consumers run to ‘fast fashion’ brands due to the continuous new trends at low costs.
Major Players in Fast Fashion
There are many brands that have come to be associated with fast fashion, however their pioneers are Zara and H&M. Zara is a part of largest Spanish based Inditex retail chain and is often associated with the swift evolution in the fast fashion business model. Zara designers can put an idea from the catwalk on to the shelves in between 2 weeks, much faster than a typical fashion label. This speed help s Zara to always update its stock base, and sustain the attention and patronage of the consumer sequentially.
Other prominent fast fashion firms include H&M, a Swedish organization. Current with more than 4000 stores all over the globe, H&M is known for affordable modern fashion with cheap clothes, occasionally releasing designer collaborations. It is well-developed in terms of supply chain management thus creating lots of clothes in a very short time.
Other fast fashion players include the Forever 21 of the United States, Fashion Nova, and Shein- all young and trendy brands with an attractive price range. These brands have created multibillion dollar industries based on this and other aspects of consumer relations, especially as they relate to the teenage and young adult populations.
Environmental and Social Impacts
They may look good on paper, but fast fashion comes with a very real set of environmental and ethical concerns. One of them is the problem of generating a significant amount of material objects at a high speed, which becomes a challenge to the environment. Unfortunately, it is estimated that fashion contributes 10% of carbon emissions and utilizes massive water efflux in production.
Besides, polyester and other synthetic fabrics used in fast fashion products have also caused harm to environment. Such products release microplastics when washed, and they find their way into the seas and affect aquatic animals. However it is the cheap quality materials which are used in fast fashion clothes doesn’t last more than a few wears and hence are thrown away making it an issue with textile waste.
On the social aspect, the fast fashion clothing business is particularly accused to abusive exploitation of workers in the developing world. That is precisely why many items of clothes produced by companies engaged in fast fashion are made in unhealthy working conditions with extremely low wages and no respect for employees ‘rights. However, there is still little hint of this bright future because the fast fashion industry remains demanding and many people remain ignorant to its consequences, captivated by low prices and fashionable clothing.
The Shift Toward Sustainability
Recently, there are many controversies regarding fast fashion products since many people start to realize that fast fashion impacts environment and people around them significantly. This shift has resulted in a new trend now well known as slow fashion; it is a cultural approach to fashion that promotes the value of slow and meaningful purchases over highly processed fast fashion trends.
This show a much slower system of production, an encouraging use of natural and renewable resources, an improvement in labor rights. Companies that support these principles are becoming popular and those which do not weak these principles are gradually losing their loyal consumers especially the young generation.
While some fast fashion brands have adapted to this problem by integrating a sustainable line into their outlook or by reusing recycled materials on their clothes. But, opponents write that such actions are usually just mere ‘green-washing’ wherein many companies promote themselves as being environment-friendly without actually changing their internal system.
Conclusion
Fast fashion haswithout doubt revolutionized the fashion industry through providing the consumer affordable fashionable clothes within the shortest time possible. However, there are increasing doubts about this model from the environmental and social point of view. The knowledge of all these issues depleting longevity of the fast fashion clothes is cumulative and thus the market for fast fashion products may someday be rivalled by sustainable fashions. For now fast fashion prevails and continues to thrive as consumers around the globe can’t resist the opportunity to dress in new, cheap and trendy clothes as often as possible.
