Fast Fashion – From Challenge to Solution

The emergence of the so-called fast fashion provides consumers with cheap and fashionable products. But problems are becoming un-ignorable: The fashion industry is the second largest polluting industry and creates a row of problems in its countries of production . After the collapse of the garment factory Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013, this became public to a wider audience and a media discussion started. Still, even three years after this catastrophe killed more than 1000 people, little change has happened.

The fashion industry is unique in the case, that it is a industry mainly targetting women - while made by women. For most women in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan,  working in garment factories is an opportunity to gain control over their lives by making their own living, despite their discontent and the inhumane conditions in a lot of these factories. Often, there is just no alternative for them.

Clothing is not only a necessity. It affects our emotions, our mood and takes part in how we communicate in the social world. Fashion, therefore, can be seen as a representation of our inner self to the outside world.

The model of a circular economy has been highly-discussed for some years now. It acknowledges the issues the industry is facing and considers the finite nature of resources. As a rejection of the current, unsustainable linear model, it aims to stop the sheer endless creation of waste and pollution, imposing changes already in the design process. The circular model exceeds the ambition of merely selling a product, instead selling service and value.

Besides only blaming the industry, we need to change our buying behaviour.  We need to re-discover long-term relationships to the products we purchase. "It’s about a call to action to be active citizen. To talk and think about what are the consequences when you are buying something." Livia Firth

To intensify this feeling, product-related services directly by brands like repair services, customization or exchange and return offers, can help with this progress.

"Who made my clothes?" – Fashion Revolution encourages people to ask this question during fashion revolution week, placed every year around the 24th April, that day Rana Plaza collapsed in 2013. They raise awareness to the existing problems and demand greater transparency in the supply chain. #whomademyclothes

Speaking about gender inequality and women’s rights, being an UN Ambassador, launching the HeForShe Campaign and publicly promoting sustainable and ecological fashion and beauty, Emma Watson is a new generation's role model. Emma raises her voice and the awareness for inequalities, using her status as one of the most famous actresses of our time in order to change the world.