Austin vs. Fast Fashion-- Amy Andrews, Kayla Moore, and Elena Walch
We - Kayla, Amy, and Elena - introduce the listener to the pernicious cycle of fast fashion, it’s repercussions on the environment, and the people this industry harms. The fashion industry is the third largest polluter in the world and as more clothing is made and wasted, the industry climbs higher to the top. We discuss the long list of brands consumers might encounter that partake in this interconnected and problematic industry. How did we almost forget Shein? Anyways, we take a moment to recognize that the causality of environmental harm has no pinpointed origins, rather it is the accumulation of many different moving targets. That is exactly why looking towards the past to hold brands accountable is nearly impossible, especially as an individual, so instead, we look towards the future for answers. As Austinites, we’ve looked towards community efforts and individual efforts anyone can take to step in the right direction as a consumer and community member.
Some terms we clarify and describe:
Towards our wrap up we note that the fashion industry has a massive carbon footprint, so individuals are not expected to mitigate this problem on their own. We provide a few individual options anyone can make to alleviate their stress surrounding their own and their communities contribution to fast fashion.
(Transcript)
Hello, This is Amy, Kayla and Elena recording our final podcast for Environmental Anthropology with Dr. Jason Cons. We will be discussing Fast Fashion and the repercussions it has on the environment and its people, and solutions
The fashion industry produces clothes in extreme quantities at a fast pace- which makes it a heavy polluter. Many people do not expect clothing industries to be considered as wasteful because clothes are a necessity, but the capitalistic influence on fashion has changed the way we produce and consume our outfits. Fast fashion can be defined as cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from media and celebrity culture and then turns them into garments in street stores to meet consumer demand. The purpose of this is so consumers can purchase styles as they gain traction, wear them at the height of their popularity, and then discard them for the next trend to come along.
Many people can recognize some brands like “Forever 21” and “H&M” as wasteful but are unaware of the numerous brands and companies that contribute the same amount of waste.
Fast fashion is harmful to the environment in many ways. The bulk clothes are quickly made using cheap textiles, such as polyester, that are derived from fossil fuels. The mass use of cotton also requires a large amount of pesticides and water, which stress the developing countries that are often sites of production. The stark increase in clothes produced means there is an influence in unwanted garments, creating insane amounts of waste. Fast fashion not only outsources resources, but people, relying on workers from other countries to bear the brunt of low wages and unsafe working conditions.
Combating the pollution of the fashion industry is a difficult but necessary task that starts in local areas like Austin. For our project we are focusing on the efforts put forth by communities in and around Austin. Using these stories reiterate the narrative that, yes, the fashion industry is tremendously harmful, but the power of collective and individual efforts make an impact and reflect change towards a livable future.
By directing focus to Austin, we want to highlight the issues that arrive on the small scale, as well as solutions that are being provided by our own community members.
We’ll be discussing different avenues that are currently underway to reduce these harms, and how they contribute to the movement against fast fashion.
https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-fast-fashion/
COMMUNITY EFFORTS:
OTHER RESOURCES:
Good On You is an app/website that informs shoppers about a brand's impacts on people, animals, and the planet. They seek to provide consumers with brands that reflect their commitment to the earth and create a more sustainable future of fashion. People can use the website to find information on their favorite brands, as well as sustainable alternatives to major retailers.
Cover Art
Some terms we clarify and describe:
- Recycling - Lots of clothes are being made out of recycled materials, here is a breakdown of how this recycling process works & how it differs from upcycling
- We refer students to UT’s recycling program called Trash to Treasure
- Upcycling - Miranda Bennett Studio's Sustainable Practices
- Austin Creative Reuse is well known in Austin as a business giving new life to old, seemingly unusable textile scraps provided by industry producers and community consumers.
- Slow Fashion
- Countermovement to Fast Fashion and takes into account the produbuying used from a variety of online and in-person options
- Whiskey River Vintage Online Interview allowed our group to understand what exactly thrift and vintage shops contribute to Austin’s Slow Fashion community
Towards our wrap up we note that the fashion industry has a massive carbon footprint, so individuals are not expected to mitigate this problem on their own. We provide a few individual options anyone can make to alleviate their stress surrounding their own and their communities contribution to fast fashion.
- Avoid purchasing clothes unless needed
- Recycle/Reuse worn clothes
- Shop second hand when possible
- Hold Fast Fashion retailers accountable
- Share knowledge with others
(Transcript)
Hello, This is Amy, Kayla and Elena recording our final podcast for Environmental Anthropology with Dr. Jason Cons. We will be discussing Fast Fashion and the repercussions it has on the environment and its people, and solutions
The fashion industry produces clothes in extreme quantities at a fast pace- which makes it a heavy polluter. Many people do not expect clothing industries to be considered as wasteful because clothes are a necessity, but the capitalistic influence on fashion has changed the way we produce and consume our outfits. Fast fashion can be defined as cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from media and celebrity culture and then turns them into garments in street stores to meet consumer demand. The purpose of this is so consumers can purchase styles as they gain traction, wear them at the height of their popularity, and then discard them for the next trend to come along.
Many people can recognize some brands like “Forever 21” and “H&M” as wasteful but are unaware of the numerous brands and companies that contribute the same amount of waste.
Fast fashion is harmful to the environment in many ways. The bulk clothes are quickly made using cheap textiles, such as polyester, that are derived from fossil fuels. The mass use of cotton also requires a large amount of pesticides and water, which stress the developing countries that are often sites of production. The stark increase in clothes produced means there is an influence in unwanted garments, creating insane amounts of waste. Fast fashion not only outsources resources, but people, relying on workers from other countries to bear the brunt of low wages and unsafe working conditions.
Combating the pollution of the fashion industry is a difficult but necessary task that starts in local areas like Austin. For our project we are focusing on the efforts put forth by communities in and around Austin. Using these stories reiterate the narrative that, yes, the fashion industry is tremendously harmful, but the power of collective and individual efforts make an impact and reflect change towards a livable future.
By directing focus to Austin, we want to highlight the issues that arrive on the small scale, as well as solutions that are being provided by our own community members.
We’ll be discussing different avenues that are currently underway to reduce these harms, and how they contribute to the movement against fast fashion.
https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-fast-fashion/
- Upcycle: **The difference between recycling and upcycling is that recycling has to go through a facility to break it down in order to reuse it in the manufacturing process. Upcycling is where you take the product and reuse it around your home to create something of use for you**
- Miranda Bennett Studio
- Slow Fashion
- Individual efforts
- Good for you App
COMMUNITY EFFORTS:
- Collective action and community efforts to combat fast fashion’s pollutive nature is essential
- Recycle: The University at Texas’ Campus Environmental Center started an initiative in 2006 called “Trash to Treasure.” This program provides students with a place to donate dorm essentials and clothing. These pieces are then resold to the UT community for $1 each; the unsold items become part of the CEC’s “Making Amends” program which focuses on upcycling used materials. The proceeds from the sales go back to further CEC’s upcoming environmental projects. By making the pieces $1 each, recycling & upcycling become more available and attainable to all
- Brands: Girlfriend Collective: uses recycled plastics for activewear, also has a program for shoppers to send in their old pieces to be recycled into new pieces
OTHER RESOURCES:
Good On You is an app/website that informs shoppers about a brand's impacts on people, animals, and the planet. They seek to provide consumers with brands that reflect their commitment to the earth and create a more sustainable future of fashion. People can use the website to find information on their favorite brands, as well as sustainable alternatives to major retailers.
Cover Art