Fast fashion

Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the current trends. Due to the low prices and low quality of the materials, modern fashion companies have generated a cultural shift around clothing: one where it is cheaper to go out and buy new clothes than to wash or dry clean the ones you already have.

Name of the brand: H&M
Store link: H&M
Instagram:@HM

"At H&M, we have set ourselves the challenge of ultimately making fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable. We want to help people express their personality and feel proud of what they wear. 'I'm very excited to see the progress 'we've made so far and how this will help us to make you an even better offer – and create a more sustainable fashion future"

Karl-Johan Persson, CEO

The Conscious Collection by H&M is built on seven commitments to conscious actions. Each of these commitments which helps make the fashion industry more sustainable while making customers feel proud of what they choose to wear and where they buy it from. The line uses organic linen, cotton, silk, Tencel and recycled polyester as materials. In 2018 the company started to create using Econyl (a 100 percent regenerated nylon fiber made from fishnets) to create intricate pieces of lace on products. The company also has recycling bins in their stores in which will accept used clothing in any condition. By 2030 the company aims to use only recycled or other sustainability sourced materials and by 2040 it wants to be 100% climate positive.

Name of the brand: Uniqlo
Store link: Uniqlo
Instagram:@UniqloUSA

Uniqlo is built on a fast fashion mode with semi-disposable clothing. The company is slowly trying to become more ethically conscious and more sustainable. Currently, the company has a repair and reuse program in place and report on their direct and indirect carbon emissions. Uniqlo has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and has also made a public commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 10% by 2020. Uniqlo's labor rating is 'Not Good Enough' based on the 2018 Ethical Fashion Report which looks payment of a living wage in the country and comparing it to the country, worker empowerment, and transparency, The company currently does not use fur, angora, shearling, and Karakul. But, they do have items that use down feather, wool, and leather and without specifying their sources. Uniqlo also uses hair from exotic animals.


Name of the brand: Zara
Store link: Zara
Instagram:@ZARA

As one of the largest fashion retailers in the world, Zara has an opportunity to lead the way for other fast fashion companies into a sustainable future. Zara's Join Life collection is created with natural fibers and using recycled fabrics. 'Zara's animal welfare policy includes a strict ban on fur, angora and on stocking products tested on animals. They also claim to source their wool completely from non-mulesed sheep. But, Zara does use leather and down without saying where they get their source. 'Zara's parent company, Inditex, created a repair and reuse program called Closing the Loop. The program allows customers the opportunity to drop off their used garments in-store or send their items through the post for their clothes to gain a second life.