With my individualized major in international governance and sustainability politics, I am constantly investigating how globalization, the process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and institutions of different countries, impacts societal factors like culture, political systems, public health, the environment, and economic development. I’ve also always been interested in the fashion industry; it’s a rich combination of personal identity, social connection, and creative expression. Fashion shows are a form of storytelling. Designs are experiments. It’s a living, artistic industry, and over the past few decades, it has taken the world by storm. Magazines such as Vogue and movies like The Devil Wears Prada have fueled this industry into a permanent wildfire, and I’m here to tell you about the different impacts, both positive and negative, globalization has had on this monstrous, beautiful industry.
Cross-Cultural Exchange and Fusion
One of the most astounding impacts that have come out of the globalization of the fashion world is the cross-cultural exchange of ideas, textiles, and craftsmanship. Different aesthetics and techniques from different cultures have come together in collaboration to create stunning, unique visuals. When it comes to cultural exchanges, though, there is always a hot debate regarding the thin line that separates cultural appreciation from cultural appropriation.
A mainstream collection of this was seen at Christian Dior’s 2023 Mumbai Show, which highlighted Indian hand-embroidery and savoir-faire. It was revolutionary in the fact that it was the first standalone fashion-powerhouse show in India, put together by Chanakya’s Karishma Swali and Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri. The two creative directors responded to criticism revolving around the question of cultural appreciation or cultural appropriation by saying, “There’s no better way than working together to truly appreciate another culture. In many ways, representation and celebrating cultures teaches us these nuances, and we learn as we evolve together.”
Critics thought the event seemed too “theatrical” and “rushed.” They acknowledged that although the event was a step towards visibility and appreciation for Indian artisans, it didn’t make up for the decades of reliance Dior and other European luxury houses have had on Indian textiles, designs, and embroidery. This is just one event and one example of how cross-cultural fusion has taken shape in fashion, but as we move forward, the intersection of cultures will only increase in variety and frequency.
Digital commerce and Trends
There is nothing that represents modern globalization better than the digital universe. The internet and social media have served as catalysts for globalization, taking away physical and geographical borders and making connections with others faster than ever before. E-commerce and social media platforms allow fashion trends to cross national borders instantly, enabling global audiences to browse, buy, and interact with brands in real time. This goes hand-in-hand with the ever-growing fast fashion frenzy. It takes seconds for consumers to learn about the next trend, the next staple they “need” for the season, the next clothing item that is now considered “basic.”
Although this has allowed inspiration to spread rapidly to and from all corners of the world, forming genuine connections and self-discovery, it also contributes to the endless cycle of consuming and producing waste, which I dive further into later on in this article. Trends can also negatively contribute to people’s desire to try their best to fit in or, on the flip side, stand out. I am a strong believer that as long as the message you’re bringing is positive and not hateful, fashion is in the eye of the beholder. Wear what makes you feel the best, regardless of whether it’s trending or not. There’s no wrong answer for what you feel most confident in.
Fast Fashion and Globalized Supply Chains
How can fast fashion exist in the first place? Fast fashion brands like Shein, Zara, and H&M have gained hundreds of millions of shoppers. The strategies they use to maintain a seemingly unlimited inventory of clothes at too-good-to-be-true prices include: rapid production cycles, global logistics, and low-cost labor. What many don’t see behind the scenes is that a single garment often travels across multiple continents before it’s dropped into consumers’ carts. From the raw materials to the weaving and assembly, manufacturing spans various countries.
In Italy, especially starting in the 1970s, the ready-to-wear industry rose dramatically. Notable designers today like Giorgio Armani and Franco Moschino drove spectacular amounts of growth in fashion production and sales abroad. This influenced many other European designers and fashion houses, as well as North American brands, but although this ready-to-wear industry made fashion more accessible for the common people compared to custom-fitted and haute couture fashion, it was still never as wasteful and ever-changing as fast fashion now. It required longer planning and more quality control due to the new, competitive fashion world at the time it took off, but now, fast fashion is built on short-term trend cycles and rapid sales.
Manufacturing has moved away from the Global North to the Global South. Countries such as China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia are common manufacturers that developed countries take advantage of due to the lower labor costs. The main issue with today’s supply chain setup is that it’s designed to be as efficient as possible to create huge profit margins for brands and companies. High-pressure work environments and dangerous factory conditions are largely unaccounted for, and when brands make last-minute changes to designs or delivery dates, that pressure only increases. Is the price of human blood equivalent to a $10 shirt?
Environmental Impact
For many developing countries, the damage doesn’t just start and stop at the production line. Between the years 2000 and 2015, the international clothing output doubled. An estimated 80-150 billion items of clothing get produced every year. In the United States, the average consumer throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes every year. Overall, international clothing output has tremendously increased, and as a result, nearly two billion tons of textile waste is produced every year.
Environmental issues concern everyone, but low-income communities, people of color, and Indigenous populations are the most vulnerable. Massive textile waste, microplastic pollution, and surplus clothing commonly get piled up in developing countries like Ghana as a means for massive companies to store their waste somewhere convenient.
Besides overconsumption, massive waste, and contamination of natural habitats and resources, many other environmental impacts also occur. Combined with transportation emissions, many parts of the manufacturing process involve the use of fossil fuels and contribute further to climate change. Massive resource depletion, including water, also occurs for so much clothing to be produced. These effects might not seem like they exist for some individuals because the daily environment they exist within is fine for now, but many places, including many Indigenous and vulnerable regions in the United States, have already faced situations like forced relocation of their homes due to environmental crises. Developing countries have wastelands of trash, much of it textiles, sitting in their front yards. We are constantly producing and consuming and throwing away clothing, but will we ever keep up with actually getting rid of it for good?
Closing Thoughts
The fashion industry is a collection of so many of the world’s greatest artists. It carries the greatest joys of creative imagination and artistic expression. It’s also full of greed and injustice. Labor exploitation and environmental damage continue to be widespread, rising issues in our world, but fashion has always been political. It’s powerful; it can create fires, and it can put out fires. It is diverse in colors, textures, and styles, but it’s also diverse in challenges, issues, and opinions.
Fashion has and will continue to bring people from all corners of the earth together, but will it be collaboration in art or exploitation and power plays? In a world more globally interconnected than ever before, there is no single individual or country that can answer these questions by themselves. Through collective effort and collaboration, we can continue to question, investigate, and take action in designing the world we want to live in.