Summary: The Fast Fashion Industry

. Fast fashion is a concept used in the fashion industry to describe the quick turnaround that occurs from when designs are first presented on a runway to when they appear in stores. As they described in the documentary, The True Cost, the fashion industry used to have only two “seasons,” two times per year when new designs would be released to customers. Now however, it is as though the fashion industry has 52 seasons a year as they continually release new designs to their stores (Morgan 2015). This shift in fashion consumption has occurred because of cheap production in third world countries and the expanse of manufacturing available to high profile designers. Those working in these horrible conditions have no choice but to accept a low price

for their work because it may be the best option of obtaining an income. This shift has also been supported by the consumerism and materialism that has greatly increased in our own society.
B. Based on a sustainability marketing viewpoint, this shift to fast fashion can be attributed to the designers and higher executives in these powerful clothing companies. It is their responsibility to know where their products are coming from and how they are being made. They are certainly aware of the conditions their factory workers are currently in; yet, they continue to want a lower price and faster output from these individuals. When looking at the fashion industry from a conventional marketing standpoint, the customer is king. Thus, this change could be attributed to what the consumer wants and is willing to pay for. However, as we have learned throughout this class, the customer may not always be the most important stakeholder. It is the responsibility of the company to provide a product for the consumer that is not a burden to the environment or to society.
2. The movie, The True Cost, demonstrates the need for a distinction between price and actual cost. The price of a product is what the consumer pays for it in a dollar amount. However, the cost of a product includes all of the external consequences associated with the production of that product. In the fashion industry, the total cost also includes the social and environmental costs associated with creating a particular clothing item. This would include: land degradation from cotton farming and pesticide usage, employee accidents from poor working conditions, increased wages for factory workers, and transportation costs to move the products from their factories to their final location. An important component of total cost should be livable wages for all those involved in the production process including factory workers and farmers, not just the designers or higher executives. Incorporating the true cost of a particular product into its actual price will greatly increase the amount consumers have to pay. While consumers may not be willing to pay these increased prices, it may affect their overall consumer behavior. If prices across the fashion industry were to increase, consumers may choose to decrease their overall spending or only choose to buy something they know they will get an extended use out of. At first these higher prices may be a burden to consumers, but over time it may cause a gradual shift in consumer behavior away from a disposal mentality and towards one that supports sustainability.
3.

A. The True Cost exposed many of the socio-ecological problems associated with the increase in the fast fashion industry. One of the biggest social problems is the manufacturing done in sweatshops. Poor working conditions, low wages, and child labor are all apparent within the fashion industry. Many women and men in Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, and other developing countries are forced into working in poorly constructed buildings all for only a few dollars a day. In terms of environmental problems, the production of cotton represents a rising ecological issue. Many cotton farmers both in the United States and India are forced into using pesticides and fertilizers in order to obtain higher yields. There is also the more recent growing concern of using genetically modified organisms (GMO). These issues are causing degradation of the land and actually preventing it from being more productive in the future. The use of pesticides in India specifically has also been directly linked to social issues of causing birth defects in children and an extreme number of suicides in farmers. Finally, the disposal mentality of our current fast fashion industry has led to an increased amount of non-biodegradable clothing in landfills. As people buy more clothing with the mindset that they will simply throw it out after only a few uses, this trend will only continue. Many of the textiles used to create these clothing items cannot be recycled and end up simply taking up space in our

landfills.
B. One leader in the fashion industry that does not contribute to these socio-ecological problems is Stella McCartney. Not only does she used certified organic cotton, vegetarian leather, and recycled fabrics in her products, but she also supports social justice as well; her company is a part of the Ethical Trade Initiative and works to better working conditions and wages for workers (Stella McCartney 2016). Another company, Raven + Lily is working towards helping women in developing countries. Their mission explicitly states that the company was created to help empower women in third world countries and provide a living wage and safe working conditions. Raven + Lily is also committed to utilizing “eco-friendly practices in our sourcing of materials and our design processes,” (Raven and Lily 2016).
C. Both of the companies mentioned above, Stella McCartney and Raven + Lily are very transparent with their business practices. Their websites provide thorough information about the sourcing of their materials as well as the individuals their employ. Even though companies like Raven + Lily are employing individuals in third world developing countries, they are providing proper working conditions, livable wages, and further opportunities for them to succeed. In terms of positioning, Stella McCartney is a very high end brand with expensive products; Raven + Lily is much more affordable but would still be considered expensive for everyday clothing for the general consumer. Clearly, higher prices are a side effect of sustainable and ethical business practices. Unfortunately, that means most consumers are not able to purchase these sustainable companies’ products.
4. In order for sustainability to become a norm within the fashion industry, government policy changes should be put on the advertising industry. First, clothing companies should be required to put the percentage of organic material used in the clothing item directly on the tag of the particular item. Thus, consumers will know exactly what was incorporated into their purchases. Another potential policy change could be requiring clothing companies to disclose manufacturing information about their products on their website. Transparency about where their clothing is produced and the conditions their employees work in could be included when advertising clothing on individual websites. This information about ethical practices and materials used would not only allow consumers to make better decisions about the products they are purchasing but also make companies more accountable for the items they are producing. These policy changes would hopefully allow consumers to make better choices for their clothing purchases. Additionally, having this information exposed on the advertising side of the fashion industry would steer individuals away from the worst performing companies. Thus, companies that have the worst practices would be exposed for the harm they are causing both on the environment and society and those companies that are having a positive impact could grow. The overall goal of these regulations should be to increase transparency throughout the entire industry and provide better information to consumers so they can make an informed decision about their purchases.
5. Both social diffusion and prompts could be used to increase the adoption of sustainable clothing manufacturing and purchasing. As more companies begin to implement more sustainable and ethical practices, it will become even more common across the industry. In order for sustainability to be the “social norm” of the fashion industry, I think social diffusion needs to take place in two separate segments. First, the use of sustainable and ethical practices needs to diffuse through the designers and manufacturers of the clothing. Right now, those that embrace environmentally friendly and ethical practices are usually high end designers with the budget to account for these practices. However, as more clothing companies adopt these ideas into their business model, it will become more known to consumers as well. Once the use of sustainable practices diffuses through the manufacturing side of the clothing industry, it can start to diffuse through the customer base. As with the manufacturing of sustainable clothing, few consumers are currently purchasing only those products made in a sustainable and ethical way. This may be a result of the high prices of sustainable clothing or simply the lack of education or awareness that such poor conditions exist in the production of clothing. However, individuals will become increasingly more aware that companies are using sustainable practices as more clothing manufactures adopt and market specifically on these principles. For social diffusion to work, early adopters of the practice should speak on behalf of what they wish others to do as well (Mackenzie-Mohr 2010). This could work either by designers speaking to their peers about the benefits of using these practices or consumers speaking to their friends about why it is important to purchase only these specific clothing types. In both situations, the initiators in this field of sustainable and ethical clothing manufacturing can influence those around them to adopt similar practices.
Another marketing strategy that could be used to increase the use of sustainable and ethical practices in the clothing industry is the use of prompts.

On the tags of clothing items, designers could incorporate information about how much organic cotton is used in the product or what country the item was made in. When consumers see this information right on the product tag, it will remind them that considering this information is important when buying a certain product. In order for this to really work as a prompt, however, it should be included on all clothing products. Unless consumers see this information on product tags, they may not even think about considering the sustainability of what they are buying. If all clothing manufacturers were required to include this information, that would provide a better reminder to consumers to think about environmental and ethical factors of how the clothing is produced while they are actually

shopping.
6. A. Watching The True Cost really opened my eyes to the socio-ecological problems associated with the fast fashion industry. While I do enjoy shopping for new clothes, I do not think I am excessive about my purchasing habits. One of the biggest problems associated with my purchasing habits is that I am motivated my lower prices. While I understand these cheaper clothing options may not be as reliable or properly produced, I do not necessarily have the income to support buying better made clothing. Even so, I think my habits regarding clothing purchases will change after watching The True Cost. In the near future, I think I will reduce the amount of clothing that I purchase and pay more for what I purchase. However, those companies that are currently participating in sustainable and ethical practices are far more expensive that other fast fashion brands. While I do not think I will completely switch my shopping to these particular companies in right now, I hope that in the future, when I have a larger income, I will be able to support these businesses. It would certainly make it easier to buy sustainable and ethical brands if the clothing was more affordable. Unfortunately, to be sustainable, these clothing products need to incorporate the full cost of producing the product; this means the price of the item will need to reflect this cost. It would also be helpful to know what companies are sustainable and ethical without having to do so much research on each individual company; if I was able to go to a store or mall and know what specific products were made sustainably, that could completely change my buying habits.
B. After watching The True Cost, I shared what I learned with one of my roommates, Emily. She is also an Environmental Resource Management major like myself and is concerned with sustainability issues. When I asked her if she was willing to pay more for clothing she said yes but it would depend how much; she said she would definitely not pay more than double what she typically spends on clothing now. When asked if she would buy fewer clothes overall she said she may consider it. However, Emily already donates her clothes to a charity when she is finished with them and does not consider herself someone who buys excessively or purchases things she does not need. Finally, when asked if she would only purchase from those companies with socially and ethically responsible practices, she quickly responded no. Emily already has specific clothing stores she enjoys and would not be willing to give up shopping at those places simply because of their practices. She also mentioned that she shops a lot of different places so it would be difficult to learn about the sustainability and ethics of all these different companies. Overall, I think Emily shares the viewpoints of many individuals on this subject; while she is concerned with these issues, it will take a lot for actions to ultimately change.