The dynamic landscape of Indian fast fashion is a blend of affordability, trendiness, and a burgeoning youth demographic. Valued at $9.90 billion in 2023, this market is forecast to reach $28.84 billion by 2030, with an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5 percent.
Cheap and cheerful fast fashion clothes are currently rocking the ready-to-wear garment industry. While affordability remains a key driver drawn to trendy styles at bargain prices, a segment of consumers is seeking premium quality and unique designs. This has led to the emergence of premium fast fashion brands in countries like India flooded with labels such as AND, Masaba Gupta, Anita Dongre, and Label by Ritu Kumar, among others, offering differentiated products at slightly higher prices.
India's fast fashion market is booming, fueled by affordability and a young population.
So far as the kickers in the apparel industry go, Q-commerce rewriting economic theory helps control and regulate inventory, enhancing/improving customer satisfaction quotients by getting quick access to new collections necessitated in the times of fast-fashion rules, and there is an argument to be made here that fashion too is perishable.
It is no secret that a global phenomenon called 'Fast Fashion', driven by the basic psyche of consumers demanding affordable clothing/fashion, unfortunately conspicuously has a darker side that quite often goes unnoticed.
growth of fast fashion is likely to increase textile waste, worsening water shortages in cotton-growing areas.
This article harps vividly into the dark side of fashion, delving into the sensitive facet of the human cost of fast fashion, putting to spotlight the unfriendly, unreasonable working conditions such as low wages/below minimum applicable wages, environmental pollution/toxic gases, and social injustice, social inequality, and social discrimination that plague the apparel and garment industry, and the need for greater consciousness and change in this untenable and unsustainable system.
Fast fashion also faces blatant charges of exploitation, sweatshops, and modern slavery, in addition to being associated with unsafe working conditions and low wages.
About 53 million tonnes of fibre is produced by the fashion industry every year, of which 70 percent is wasted, acknowledging that 'Fast fashion' pollutes too; It churns out greenhouse gases (GHG) and creates mountains of waste that won't break down for centuries due to the synthetic materials used.
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The gradual paradigm shift from the fast-to-slow fashion movement stems from the noble intent of slow fashion, which is to make the clothing made and worn there more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable, and sustainable.
As the demand for sustainable products grows, brands must prioritize genuine sustainability efforts over deceptive marketing strategies.
The critics argument going against growing fast fashion is that many of these brands are merely paying lip service to the cause while engaging in deceptive marketing tactics to create a facade of sustainability, which is very dreadful.
A study conducted by the Changing Markets Foundation has shed light on the disturbing trend of greenwashing, revealing that several prominent fast fashion brands, such as Shein, H&M, and Inditex, are guilty of misleading consumers with false claims about their eco-friendly practices.
According to industry research and a Barclaycard poll, 1 in 10 British consumers purchase clothing solely for social media photos and never really wear it, and these garments inevitably end up in the trash.
Hope for a greener future: shift towards ethically made clothing
While convenient, it raises ethical and environmental concerns. Consumers have the power to push for a more sustainable future through conscious choices and support for responsible brands.
The message is clear; Ditch the cheap thrills and embrace quality pieces that last. In the buyers market, consumers have the power to shape the future of the fashion industry by making informed choices and supporting brands that truly prioritize environmental responsibility.
There is a light in the tunnel: there's a growing movement towards eco-friendly brands like Patagonia and Everlane. Consumers can make conscious choices, companies can adopt sustainable practices, and policymakers can create regulations to push for a more responsible fashion industry.
Initiatives like using responsible materials, such as recycled materials and earning fair trade certifications, etc. are quite certainly the building blocks of a more ethical future for fashion.
Change requires a united effort, as sustainable fashion a not at all a rich man's obsession after all, and there is a silver lining Very recently, PM, Narendra Modi urged the nation,” The compelling need of the day is to make sustainable clothing a conscious choice today, if not yesterday”.