Fashion can mean different things to different people. For some, clothing only serves to protect their bodies from natural elements and to be presentable in society. And some depend on fashion to express their individuality, interests, and personality.
How people dress and present themselves in society is very important nowadays, especially because high-end fashion is now more accessible to ordinary people through fast fashion. But what is fast fashion, and how does it affect people’s lives?
You might frequently hear this term in the media, even more so if you follow trends in the fashion industry. Yet what they don’t mention in all those content is the negative socioeconomic impact this culture has on the environment. Find out why you should choose sustainability over the fast fashion industry.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Think whatever comes to your mind first because you’re probably right. Fast fashion is the term people use to refer to the kind of clothing that quickly hits the market as soon as they leave the catwalk of fashion shows. These are commercialized high-end clothing that is made affordable for fashion enthusiasts.
It’s also called fast fashion because it comes and goes, leaving people wanting more each time to keep up with the trends. Fast fashion is made possible because of innovations in the supply chain management and manufacturing of retail corporations.
What Is Wrong with Fast Fashion?
The demand for clothing is always high nowadays because shopping is no longer seen as a luxury but entertainment. To cope with this demand, fashion retailers strive to produce clothing as quickly as possible and in the most cost-efficient ways.
Some of these ways include poor artistry and working conditions, especially since they are manufactured in developing countries to take advantage of cheap labor. Fast fashion feeds into consumerist ideals because the clothes are cheaply made, encouraging more people to keep buying.
Moreover, fast fashion greatly contributes to pollution because the clothes end up being disposed of after several uses. Fast fashion is also known as disposable fashion because it propagates the “throw-away” attitude in consumers.
What Are Sustainable Fashion and Upcycling?
On the other hand, sustainable fashion is a movement that encourages consumers to consider the socioeconomic and environmental integrity of the entire industry. Basically, sustainable fashion hopes to achieve longevity for clothing through recycling and reusing.
This movement gave birth to the art of upcycling, although the concept itself has long existed through thrift shops. Upcycling, in its very essence, is re-purposing existing clothes in a way that elevates its state. This can include making something new from the old clothes or fashioning a wearable outfit from manufacturing scraps.
How Can You Turn That into a Profitable Business?
This is where you take advantage of fast fashion and turn it into a profitable business. You might think that this isn’t possible given that fast fashion creates cheap clothing in styles that quickly change. But that’s where you’re wrong.
If you have an eye for fashion and a knack for designing, then the possibilities are endless. You can begin by hunting down overruns and surplus shops that sell fast-fashion clothing for cheap. This a great avenue for you to start your upcycling journey and eventually create your own designs.
You can also find great clothes from thrift shops and upcycle them to fit the current trends. Not only will you be making a move towards sustainable fashion, but you will also be developing your skills in fashion design.
How Can You Begin This Business?
The new creations you can make from upcycling can be the foundation of your business. You may be surprised at how much people are willing to pay for reasonably priced, one-of-a-kind outfits that are curated by stylish people.
Your shop’s success will boil down to how you create your brand image, market your products, and connect with your potential customers. Who knows? It might even inspire you to create your own clothing line from scratch.
One way you can hook your audience is to offer personalized packages with cute merchandise and freebies. For that, you’ll need good small box providers so that your products are safe during shipping. You can also maximize the potential that social media sites can give you in advertising and marketing your products.
This is not to say that fast fashion is an entirely bad thing and that you should stop supporting it. But it is to raise awareness about responsible fashion ethics and how such careless, consumerist-driven fashion is hurting the environment.
