Fast fashion is the term used to describe the quick production of garments in bulk to keep up with the seasons or ever-changing trends.

To keep up with the ever-changing trends propagated by runway shows, influencers and frenetic social media fads, fashion connoisseurs and avid clothing shoppers can be quick to turn to the most convenient — and budget-conscious — options out there.

Often, that’s “fast fashion” offerings, from e-tailers with their endless feeds of wallet-friendly and of-the-moment garments or big box stores offering that knee-length trench coat or oversized flannel at sale prices.

But cheap chic may seem like the way to go, the fast fashion industry sees clothing pushed out?on a scale?that is even too large for most consumers to keep up with.

Why is fast fashion so popular?

Fast fashion is a business model that focuses on the production of garments in bulk, and as quickly as possible, in response to current trends, according to?Dr. Preeti Arya, an assistant professor of textile development and marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. The term was first popularized in?a New York Times article?in 1989 to describe retail store Zara’s first opening in the United States — the retail brand’s goal, the Times said, was to have a design developed from concept to consumer in only 15 days.

Generally, fast fashion designs are “dupes”— a popular term on social media used for garments inspired by (and in some cases, outright copied from) luxurious looks work by celebrities and trendsetters, or showcased on designer runways from New York to Paris. The goal of brands and manufacturers is to get these designs in the hands of consumers while the clothes are still at the height of their popularity, and at all-too affordable prices.

While the biggest brands today include large-scale brick-and-mortar retailers with an online presence, like?Zara and H&M, fast fashion has increasingly allowed for e-tail only brand and sellers to take charge — like?Shein, an online retailer from Singapore, as well as Temu from China, Boohoo, ASOS and PrettyLittleThing from the UK and Fashion Nova from the US, among others.

Because of their?extremely quick production?schedules — as little as three days from design to ready-to-buy for Shein,?Vox has reported?— online retailers can push out hundreds (if not thousands) of?designs in small batches, and adjust the production rates according to consumer response, which Shein has?argued enables it to reduce waste and overproduction.

What is fast fashion’s impact on the world?

The fashion industry accounts for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, according to statistics from?a March 2023 report?by the?United Nations Environment Programme?(UNEP). The report also found that the amount of garments produced today has doubled since 2000 — with consumers buying an?estimated 60%?more clothes today, but only wearing them for half as long.

To keep the price of production down, fast fashion pieces are often made with materials like polyester??— a synthetic and cheap fiber made from petroleum,?a nonrenewable fossil fuel?—?according to a report from?the Changing Markets Foundation. Polyester can take approximately 200 years?to decompose, according to a?2016 report?by Greenpeace.

So I mentioned in my last post how to let AI help us solve the problems of design and supply chain, and at the same time we will put more time and experience on the sustainable development of the industry, environmental protection and human rights.