Fast-fashion’s impact on climate and sustainability

“I had children and it made me start thinking about what they were eating and made me aware of pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs, so then I started becoming more aware of my own industry and then I  found out that the fashion industry is the 2nd largest polluter behind the oil industry,” said Noel Palomo Lovinski. Once you understand what is going it is very very hard to ignore it

Lovinski is a respected researcher and author. She has a background in design responsibility and sustainable design practices. Her main research exemplifies the role of a designer in this changing fashion industry and how to better purser curriculum to better prepare students for a career as a fashion designer in the 21st century.

The term ‘fast fashion’ refers to cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and get pumped quickly through stores in order to maximise on current trends. It’s a relatively recent phenomenon, but its rapid expansion over a short time is deeply concerning from a sustainability perspective.

Lovinski says there is nothing in the fashion industry when it comes to making garments that isn’t done the wrong way. The extensive fiber, the carbon , the price consumers pay for clothing all contribute the central issue of sustainability.

While pursuing her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Fashion Design design Jailynn Taylor quickly caught on by word of her professor of the dangerous effects of fast fashion to her career.

“We live in this society now where influencer and these fashion icons are buying into fashion nova and pretty little things, its cute in the moment, but they’re terrible quality,” said Taylor.

Fast fashion is harmful from a social perspective, too. According to an April 2016 Oxfam report, more than 60 million people work in the garment industry to fuel fast fashion: more than 15 million of those are based in Asia and more than 80% are women, often young and from poor rural backgrounds. Asia supplies more than 90% of the garments imported into Australia.

Making clothes typically requires using a lot of water and chemicals and immenting significant amounts of greenhouse gases.

When asked how she plans to combat sustainability as a designer Taylor says it’s time to go back to the basics. “ Making more lasting clothing. Not sticking to what’s trending right now but what do people need in their closets. What are the basics ? What are the essentials? What do people need to have to build a wardrobe ?” said Taylor.

Despite these shocking numbers and figures, the outlook isn’t entirely grimm. More and more fashion house, some big some small, are taking the necessary steps towards sustainability practices. More importantly, there are many steps consumers can take to help the fight against sustainability- the more we avoid it the less of a need there is for it.

“I would say it would be a matter of watching the dyes we are using at our factors, staying away from poyliserts and nylon and all these plasticy fibers that take forever to breakdown. Really start focusing back in on thrifting and upcycling the clothes we already have. Whatevers gonna sustain the clothes that we already have on this planet that a lot of people just disregard so quickly,” said Taylor.