In recent years, the Western world has grown more aware of our role as consumers and the impact that our desire to constantly purchase new products may have on those in worse-off regions. This is particularly true when applied to the fashion industry due to the enormous increase in demand for fast fashion since the turn of the millennium. As a reaction to the revelation that the clothes produced for fast-fashion retailers such as Primark and Boohoo were being sewn by the hands of drastically underpaid and overworked factory employees, many people have redirected their attention to second-hand shops or apps like Depop.
In theory, it is easy to reject the temptation of a €5 Primark t-shirt but it must be acknowledged that to do so, you must have the financial means to instead choose clothing from responsible retailers that pay their workers fairly. A person living on minimum wage who needs new clothes can hardly be expected to place other aspects of their lifestyle at risk to buy more expensive, ethical products.
From this perspective, it becomes clear that sustainable fashion is reserved for the wealthy. Fast fashion engages in a cycle of exploitation through the manipulation of its factory workers and its Western consumers who cannot afford to shop anywhere else, thus contributing to the perpetuation of its existence. Sustainable fashion is a fantasy that only the privileged may engage in without their finances being negatively impacted as a result. Suffice it to say, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
Written by Alex Mulhare
Artwork by Izzy Johns
Comments