The second someone utters the word fast fashion, I see a massive Shein logo under shining lights flash inside my head. After all, it is no secret that the company is one of the biggest, if not the biggest fast fashion company in the world. ‘Fast fashion’ – the concept of clothes being made rapidly in accordance with trend cycles, often at the expense of poor sweatshop workers and the environment – has become an increasingly popular part of contemporary vocabulary. So it makes sense to assume that the notion of fast fashion is surely a modern phenomenon … right?
Or so I thought as well, at least until I overheard a conversation during my weekly volunteerings at the Sambourne House museum. There was an elderly couple observing the lovely master bedroom that had been inhabited by Linley and Marion Sambourne during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The wife made a turn to the beautiful wardrobe and commented, “Surely they would have needed more space to store their clothes because of all the fast fashion occurring during this time?”. Although this rhetorical question was not directed at me to answer, I was taken aback by the use of this term to describe fashion production in any time before the 1990s. Not once throughout my university journey had I heard this term being used to describe production methods – and I take a course specifically on the Industrial Revolution! My inner historian could not rest until I looked into the topic, which made me realise how relative the concept of fast fashion is, and how it can be adapted to the early-modern, and modern historical periods as well.
The first traces of fast fashion actually have their roots in the Industrial Revolution, which completely metamorphosed the way in which clothes could be produced, shifting from small households producing raw materials, to technological advances such as the power loom allowing for mass production to take place. Although this is nowhere near the pace of modern production and consumption levels, it is termed a revolution for a reason: this was a movement that completely altered the scope and pace of fashion, opening up the market to people who previously could not afford to purchase affordable clothing. As a response to an increasing demand for clothing, garment shops appeared, where the middle-classes could have clothes produced for themselves at cheaper rates, with a garment worker producing clothing for lower wages. They were effectively small-scale sweatshops (although, arguably, sweatshops in the modern day are far more exploitative in nature) that catered to more spaced out trend cycles that emerged during the 19th century. During the early 20th century, a seasonal cycle of clothing emerged, with companies and businesses producing new lines of clothing four times a year. Henry Ford’s “assembly line” also made production of all kinds far quicker and more standardised, which laid the foundation of modern means of clothing production as well.
The seasonal cycle lasted until about the mid-1960s, where the post-war socioeconomic status fed into the growth of a consumer society, particularly in the west. Not only were living standards increasing, but the post-war baby boom led to a surge in demand for a host of consumer goods, causing changes to the pace of mass production once more. Despite this, there was still a clear difference between designer/high-end fashion, and high-street fashion, and the integrity and credibility of designer clothing was still recognised. However, it all began to change during the 1990s – 2000, with the infiltration of companies such as Zara and Primark into the growingly consumerist America. Fast fashion brands replaced high street fashion, with their affordability and expensive look grabbing the attention of average Americans. The term ‘fast-fashion’ was finally coined in the 1990s by the New York Times, although as history shows, this was not the first time that people were amazed (and concerned) with the increasing quantity and turnover of fashion.
One aspect in which modern fast fashion is unique is that fashion on almost all fronts has seen a decline in quality. Barring known fast fashion companies, even companies that may have been regarded for their craftsmanship in the 20th century, such as Chanel or Louis Vuitton, have become prey to rapid trend cycles, and their quality is certainly less durable in comparison to pieces that were released around 20 or 30 years ago. Moreover, the rise of social media and the notion of the ‘influencer’ has certainly contributed to the pace at which fast fashion grows, with multiple people suggesting or promoting new trends for younger audiences to follow, continuing the cycle of over-consumption.
So, how modern is the concept of fast fashion, really? I suggest that fast fashion is not something new, rather it is an old and existing concept that has simply entered a new era. However, I will say that it is not a concept that I find exciting to observe, and in fact I fear where the pace of fast fashion, as well as its impacts, are headed in the near future.
Sources: Wikipedia and La Voce di New York.