Slow fashion and fast fashion are two terms that are on everyone's lips at the moment. We can even venture to say that these two fashion industries are waging a war.
For a very long time, fast fashion had a monopoly in the fashion world. In a society in perpetual evolution and whose trends have become almost ephemeral, fast fashion has established itself as a reference. We are all on the lookout for new products and low prices, so we often find ourselves buying from these brands that are always there to meet our desires!
However, in recent years, a wave of collective consciousness has emerged. We have gradually decided to pay more and more attention to the way we consume and our impact. Slow Fashion was born from this desire to keep only the essentials and to consume better. But then, what is the difference between fast fashion and slow fashion? We will explain everything to you !
Let's start with fast fashion!
Fast fashion, what is it? "Fast fashion", in French, brings together brands that produce on a large scale . In this way, their collections change with the seasons and trends. Some brands also go so far as to restock their stores several times a month with new items to be as competitive as possible. In this way they can offer unbeatable prices between 3 and 15 euros for a t-shirt or even jeans, pairs of shoes at 19 euros. Difficult to find cheaper in the West.
Access to new trends has become easier and cheaper, so the fashion industry focuses more on desires than on seasons. Many brands use communication strategies to arouse envy and thus increase the desire to renew your wardrobe every month .
We are all influenced by ubiquitous marketing and, often seduced by the idea of always having new products, we implicitly feed this phenomenon. Over time, buying clothes became commonplace ; we buy large quantities of clothes, in duplicate, in triplicate.
This is when the problem really appears: we get tired, new trends appear, we throw away what we have just bought to make way for the latest model!
So, slow fashion in all this?
As for "slow fashion", or " slow fashion", is a term that is emerging day by day. It brings together all the brands that offer ranges of timeless products that last through the seasons.
It is an industry that has the principle of banishing overproduction from the textile industry because every year, thousands of clothes are produced and thrown away! The textile and fast fashion industry produces more than it can sell. Slow fashion, on the other hand, produces responsibly and wants to differentiate itself in its way of producing . It is an industry that is based on the model of fair trade which aims to be respectful of human rights and the environment.
The consequences of fast fashion
To realize the importance of slow fashion, you have to understand what the dangers of fast fashion are. What are the manufacturing conditions for clothing in the "fast fashion" industry?
On April 24, 2013, the capital of Bangladesh experienced a tragedy of great importance: the collapse of Rana Plaza. This eight-storey building housed clothing workshops that worked for many clothing brands. The last 4 floors, where the clothing workshops were located, were built without a permit. The day of the tragedy, only the workers were present, the shops and the bank of the building, had been evacuated the day before. Yes, it's pure coincidence.
Brands that produce on a large scale are forced to produce quickly. This therefore has the consequence of abandoning the manufacturing conditions (of clothing or shoes) to the detriment of the people who work there, as clearly illustrated by the Rana plaza affair.
Chain production, always faster and faster, means that workers in textile factories work most of the time in difficult conditions, without any real ethics.
CONCLUSION: The importance of slow fashion
In addition to the disastrous social aspect that this fast-paced industry can cause, there is also the environmental aspect. Mass production only generates additional waste that pollutes the planet. Most of these brands use highly polluting products that have disastrous effects on the environment.
Slow fashion is there to respond to this social and environmental problem.
3 key points:
#1 Produce less, but above all better
#2 Use more nature-friendly materials
#3 Respect for the human rights charter in production.
As you will have understood, ethical fashion is at the center of slow fashion!
