Why thrifting and creating will save the world
The Environmental and Social Cost of Fast Fashion and Big Luxury Brands
Fast fashion and luxury giants perpetuate a cycle of overproduction and consumption that exacts a severe toll on the environment and human lives. What is fast fashion? Fast fashion refers to the large sector of the fashion industry whose business model relies on cheap and speedy production of low quality clothing which cycles in and out the market quickly to meet new trends. This system encourages excessive consumption as people are offered up cheap and trendy goods on a continuous basis in order to stay on trend. Rather than buying a few well-made and long-lasting items, consumers are pushed to continuously buy lots of cheap products which quickly fall out of fashion and get disregarded, and/or degrade after a few wears due to the cheap quality. Big luxury refers to the giants of the luxury industry (think Gucci, Burberry, YSL) whose profit margin percentages are in the thousands and cause immense amounts of damage to the environment and to the psyche of the masses.
Here's a deep dive into the harsh realities:
Environmental Impact
Waste and Pollution: Every second, the equivalent of a garbage truck filled with clothes is either burned or sent to landfills globally. Discarded synthetic clothing can take up to 200 years to decompose, contributing to mounting landfill waste and plastic pollution)
Carbon Emissions: The fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions, surpassing the emissions of international flights and maritime shipping combined 9see chart above)
Water Consumption: Producing a single cotton shirt consumes approximately 2,700 liters of water, enough for one person's drinking needs for 2.5 years. Fast fashion alone used 79 billion cubic meters of water in 2015 (see chart above)
Social Cost
Exploitation of Labor: Around 75 million people work in garment factories, with about 80% being young women aged 18-24. Many are subjected to unsafe conditions, long hours, and wages that don't meet basic living standards. For instance, Bangladeshi garment workers often earn as little as $96 per month
Forced and Child Labor: Investigations have revealed evidence of child and forced labor across key manufacturing countries, including China, India, and Bangladesh
Ethical Considerations in Luxury Brands
Big luxury brands aren't exempt. Despite high price tags, luxury companies often maintain enormous profit margins while sourcing materials and labor through ethically questionable practices. Leather used by major luxury brands frequently doesn't come as a byproduct of the meat industry but instead drives environmental harm through deforestation and unethical cattle farming
Moving Toward Ethical Alternatives
What can you do today? Before these industries were created, most homes had a seamstress. Most towns had some sort of craftsman who made shoes, belts, hats, knives. All the essential things we need to carry with us. Learn a skill. Learn to sew. thrift your clothing, learn to make wallets, bags, belts, whatever you can think that you would enjoy creating. And then once you get good at it, begin to sell your skill to others. If everyone had one of everything that was made for a lifetime, we could stop the increase of waste going to the landfills. We can start taking pride in the things we own and create. We can start being creators who work together. If you don’t want to learn a skill or don’t have the time, be conscious as a buyer of where the material and labor is coming from. Companies like mine that prioritize ethically sourced leather, fair-trade practices, and sustainable production offer a compelling contrast to the careless profit machines that own the world around us. Emphasizing quality over quantity not only reduces environmental harm but also fosters a culture of conscious consumption. Together we can build a future that prioritizes quality, community and the environment. It starts with you.