In the era of fast fashion, of "buy quickly, throw away quickly", a new trend is emerging with the return of quality clothing that meets the Clean Fashion trend, manufactured in more ethical conditions and made to last. Will this new "slow fashion" dethrone fast fashion?
“Buy less. Choose wisely. Make it last.” This quote from the famous English designer, Vivienne Westwood, perfectly defines the opposition between “fast” and “slow fashion.” Appearing in the 90s, “fast fashion” is characterized by cheap clothes, produced in conditions that are harmful to the environment and the rights of the workers who make them, and which are quickly forgotten at the back of the closet or thrown in the trash. In recent years, “slow fashion” has been opposing this, by offering an alternative, more virtuous fashion.
How does the frenzy of new products fuel fast fashion?
No more simple Spring-Summer and Autumn-Winter collections. For the past ten years, the pace of renewal of items on the racks of major brands has continued to accelerate.
Accelerating trends
To stick as closely as possible to the trends spotted during the Fashion Week shows and attract their customers as frequently as possible, some brands (Zara, H&M, Primark, etc.) do not hesitate to offer new products and enticing capsule or "collab" collections several times a month. Copying major brands, industrially producing low-quality products at low prices, manufactured in deplorable conditions by an exploited workforce, and highly polluting at the production stage and at the end of their life... clothes have become consumer goods, ephemeral and disposable.
Quickly bought, little worn, quickly thrown away
Every season, why deprive yourself? You can buy new T-shirts for €5, €10, €15, a pair of jeans with the latest fashion cut, a dress with the print that's all the rage. Just a few months later, they're forgotten, out of fashion, damaged. Direction: trash!
According to studies, the French buy between 9 and 30 kg of clothing per year, of which only 30% will be worn regularly, would give 3 kg, and less than a quarter will be recycled (source NOVETHIC ). Industry figures reveal that clothing now has a lifespan of two to ten years (one to two years for underwear and t-shirts, four to six for suits and coats).
A waste fought by the public authorities
600,000 tons of clothing are thrown away each year in France. However, the poor quality of the majority of them makes their reuse complicated and their resale unattractive. Their mixed composition makes it impossible to recycle. Not to mention certain practices of brands and distributors: in early 2018, photos posted on Facebook showing coats and jackets from the Célio brand, torn and thrown in the trash on a street in the center of Rouen, caused emotion and anger. This scandal came three weeks after the broadcast of a report in Denmark claiming that H&M had burned nearly 12 tons of clothing since 2013.
The result was the vote on the Anti-Waste Law adopted unanimously at the end of 2019 and the Circular Economy Law voted in January 2020. From 2022, brands will be prohibited from throwing away or burning their unsold non-food items.
Slow fashion, a clean and responsible fashion
Produce less, but better on the one hand. Buy less, and thoughtfully on the other. Slow fashion was born from this desire to get back to basics. It is recognized by consumers who are determined to pay more attention to their social and environmental impact and by brands that offer more timeless product ranges, designed to last through the seasons. This movement aims to put an end to waste, preserve our environment and take people into account: in short, ethical, sustainable and committed fashion. Quality, protection of the environment and workers, fairness, limited production, redesigned product life cycle are all values represented by slow fashion brands. Some, like the ForLife brand, have even chosen to indicate on their website the origin of raw materials, the location of production plants and the cost of manufacturing, in complete transparency. A label called Slow we are has even been created.
Slow fashion, a simple step backwards?
Slow fashion offers a viable and responsible alternative to fast fashion. But if you think about it, it really does seem like a step backwards. Before the advent of “Ready-to-wear”, we bought very few clothes and wore them for a very long time, even if it meant recycling the fabric in another form. And for a long time, some brands, such as Agnès b., APC or LDB design by, have been offering clothes made in France or Europe, with a timeless design, quality materials and made to last.
Slow fashion is all the rage and all the brands that have been created recently claim to be part of this movement. The downside of this success is that these brands are plentiful today!
