Fast fashion has changed the way clothing is manufactured and sold to consumers around the world. It’s bought, worn once or twice, goes out of fashion, disposed of in the bin, destined for landfill, only to begin the process all over again.
A Quick History Lesson (Source: The Green Hub)
“The Industrial Revolution saw the start of fast fashion, “which introduced new textile machines, factories, and ready-made clothing, or clothing that is made in bulk in a range of sizes rather than being made to order.”
This trend continued well into the 1900s, though average citizens and tailors still played a significant role in making clothing. The 1960s saw fast fashion ramping up as people felt the need to keep up with fashion trends.
By the 1990s, the concept reached its peak with companies such as H&M, Zara, Walmart, and Target selling cheap, disposable clothing by the billions.
Today, fast fashion is the norm for the majority of clothing retailers. In Australia, where the demand for textiles is one of the highest per capita in the world, the fast fashion sector grew by 19.5 percent over five years to $AUS1.8 billion in 2017-18.”
However the mindset of pre-loved fashion is changing and Australian fashion industry veteran Colleen O’Neill-Mullins takes World Made Good to Style-edit, a fashion hire and consignment studio based in Melbourne, Australia run by Daniela Grech and Deborah Paidoussi.
Motivated by the circular fashion movement, Style-edit provide access to the collection of fashion identity and former MYER board member, the late Mary Paidoussi. Clients are given opportunity to combine vintage and contemporary pieces into their current wardrobes.
The Style-edit collection contains original, hand-picked and coveted pieces from CHANEL, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada and others.
Also in the segment is the work of new and up and coming designer Lakshmi Gowda, founder of the Lakshmi Bee fashion label. Lakshmi met with Pacific Diva Ballina Gee and Beverley Milson from whom she received garments that were repurposed into new outfits, back to the runway.
Lakshmi Bee is on a mission to combat the impact of fast fashion on the world that include overconsumption, poverty & human rights abuses and environmental pollution.