Will banning fast fashion ads succeed in slowing the industry?
France is contemplating banning advertisements created by the fast fashion giant SHEIN in hopes of preventing the consumption of unsustainable and polluting clothing. While it’s no secret that the fast fashion industry is terrible for our planet, low prices and clever marketing tactics continue to lure in customers looking to...
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Tyler, The Creator announces Louis Vuitton collaboration
Rapper, producer, and artist Tyler, The Creator has announced his first fully-fledged fashion project collaboration with Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton. Hot off the news that Tyler, The Creator was the best-selling male artist on vinyl in the US last year, he’s just unveiled a new fashion collaboration with...
Is your monthly manicure an environmental problem?
Last year, demand for acrylic nails surpassed traditional manicures for the first time. With the market only set to grow, it’s time we talk about the environmental impact of plastic-based artificial nails. Conversations about the environmental impact of our beauty routines have become commonplace in online spaces and in marketing...
Can a growth-chasing fashion industry ever be truly sustainable?
Although most fashion brands have laid out sustainability goals by now, one overarching objective stands in the way of reaching them: brand growth. Given that environmental issues are influencing society’s purchasing decisions more than ever, fashion brands are working to ensure that their values align with consumers’ increasingly eco-conscious...
Schiaparelli transforms electronic waste into high fashion
When it comes to sustainability, the fashion industry typically makes headlines for being a wasteful polluter. At the latest Schiaparelli show, the brand’s head designer transformed e-waste into clothing that is both upcycled and beautiful. What do the fashion and tech industry have in common? To start with, both industries are...
Has fashion truly addressed its ties to Uyghur forced labour?
In 2020, a coalition of human rights groups said it was ‘virtually certain’ that as many as 1 in 5 cotton products sold across the globe were tainted with modern slavery. Has the apparel industry stopped sourcing so extensively from Xinjiang and are brands’ supply chains as ethical as...
The implications of a male-dominated fashion industry
Hyper-femininity is one of the dominating forces in fashion right now. But women are not well-represented in top positions at most major brands – meaning that those dictating trends in women’s fashion are ultimately men. Considering that the fashion industry has long been viewed as catering significantly more to the female portion of the population, its offices are surprisingly void of women employees. In 2018, it was reported that there...
Black Friday in the age of conscious consumerism
As we approach the end of yet another manic Black Friday weekend, is it time we reevaluated this longstanding tradition of unnecessary spending and started striving to shop more consciously? Walking through London last November, weaving through the hordes of Christmas shoppers and Black Friday bargain hunters, I came across a sign outside independent store Lone Design Club urging passersby to stop and think about the...
Opinion – Consumers are becoming savvy to performative inclusivity
UK beauty brand Pink Honey has come under fire for a recent influencer trip. The backlash proves consumers won’t stand for vapid marketing. Brand controversies seem to be on the rise. Everywhere you look – particularly on social media – a company is facing ridicule for short-sighted campaigns or shallow marketing tactics. But the increase in backlash isn’t necessarily a sign that brands are growing lazier, rather that consumers are demanding more from...
Fashion giant Zara hit with boycott after poorly timed ad campaign
Millions of people have been boycotting brands that support the Israeli occupation of Gaza since the start of the bombardment more than two months ago. After posting a questionable ad campaign on its website, the latest brand to be hit with pushback is the fast fashion brand Zara. The Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has now been going on for two months. During the last nine weeks, the horrific images...
