The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion, Explained

Fast fashion, a term now central to discussions on sustainability and environmental consciousness, refers to a business model characterized by the rapid design, production, and marketing of inexpensive clothing.

Fast fashion companies focus on low-cost garments that replicate the latest fashion trends, quickly pushing them into stores to capitalize on these trends. This means that retailers are able to offer a greater variety of products in large quantities and allow consumers to get more fashion and product differentiation at a low price.

The term was first used at the beginning of the 1990s, when Zara landed in New York. The term “fast fashion” was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara’s mission to allow garments to go from the design stage to being sold in stores in just 15 days. The biggest players in the fast fashion world include Spanish fashion giant Zara, Chinese Shein, Japanese UNIQLO, and Swedish H&M.