Fashion Kill

What we wear says a lot about who we are; it communicates to the public aspects of our identity. Fashion impacts our lives more than we realize—it shapes how much clothing we buy, how long we use it, and how we dispose of it. Fashion is not just a medium of personal expression; it controls time, trends, and the rhythms of humanity. However, as the world grapples with the growing threats of climate change, it becomes clear that the fashion industry plays a significant role in this crisis. From excessive water usage to CO2 emissions and its overall environmental footprint, fashion has become a driving force behind ecological degradation. Despite this reality, some argue that the fast fashion industry is not harmful but is merely a reflection of a high-demand consumer system.

In this discussion, I reference the McKinsey & Company article The Need for Speed: Capturing Today’s Fashion Consumer by Elizabeth Hunter, Sophie Marchessou, and Jennifer Schmidt. The article highlights the claim that consumers, with their ever-increasing demands, are driving the fashion market forward. It argues that for businesses to sustain themselves, they must embrace faster fashion to remain profitable. Comparing the fashion industry to a game of poker, the authors suggest that there are winners and losers, and failure to adapt means falling behind. While this analogy captures the competitive nature of the industry, it oversimplifies the issue and neglects the systemic problems created and perpetuated by fast fashion. McKinsey’s argument, though persuasive on the surface, has significant flaws that require closer scrutiny.

One example of this is the claim: “Shorter cycle for the core seasonal collection. Retailers can use advanced visual-recognition tools to identify styles and colors trending on social media sites.” While this description of meeting consumer demand appears logical, it ignores the broader context of how the fashion industry manipulates these demands. Traditionally, legacy fashion brands operated on a four-season model, with collections aligning with spring, summer, fall, and winter. However, fast fashion disrupted this structure by introducing 52 micro-seasons per year. According to an employee at Zara—the company that perfected the fast fashion model—this shift began with bi-weekly deliveries of new merchandise. Elizabeth Cline explains that this system ensures stores are always stocked with fresh inventory. By replicating streetwear and Fashion Week trends in real time, fast fashion brands have created an endless churn of new, desirable styles. Consumers are not organically demanding this accelerated cycle; they are responding to the industry’s calculated manipulation of supply and marketing tactics.

Blaming consumer consumption for driving fast fashion’s harmful practices is not only inaccurate but also irresponsible. It conveniently shifts the focus away from the profit motives of industry giants, which prioritize production volume and revenue over sustainability and ethics. Fast fashion is about making more money, not meeting consumer needs. This rationale is as flawed as McKinsey’s history of blaming consumers during the opioid crisis. The systemic issues within fast fashion are deeply embedded in its business model, which encourages overproduction and overconsumption by design. Companies have created a culture of disposability, training consumers to see clothing as cheap, temporary, and replaceable.

McKinsey & Company also asserts, “Top-performing fashion companies have adopted a more sophisticated model based on understanding what the consumer wants.” This so-called “sophisticated model” is fast fashion, though the article never explicitly uses the term. If companies genuinely wanted to adopt a model that better serves consumers, they would align with the values reflected in consumer data. For example, a 2015 Nielsen poll revealed that 66% of global consumers—and an even higher 72% of millennials—are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products (Watson, 2016). This statistic suggests that consumers value sustainability and are open to supporting brands that adopt eco-friendly practices. Instead of embracing this opportunity, fast fashion companies continue to prioritize speed and volume over sustainability, missing a critical chance to lead with environmentally conscious innovation. Green marketing strategies and sustainable business practices could allow companies to meet consumer demands while addressing the environmental crisis.

McKinsey & Company’s promotion of fast fashion as a better model also disregards its inherent unsustainability. The environmental impact of fast fashion is staggering, but the harm does not stop there. Elizabeth Durosko’s investigation into fast fashion revealed that one in five items contained elevated levels of harmful chemicals. Popular fast fashion brands such as AliExpress, Shein, and Zaful have been found to produce clothing containing toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead, as well as PFAs and phthalates. These chemicals pose severe risks to human health, including nervous system damage, kidney damage, and even cancer. By promoting fast fashion as a “sophisticated” and consumer-driven model, McKinsey effectively advocates for a system that harms both the environment and the people it serves.

That said, there is one point in McKinsey’s article I agree with: the undeniable power of fast fashion. The industry operates as a “winner-take-all” market where companies fiercely compete for consumer attention and loyalty. This competition has driven mass production and resource exploitation to unprecedented levels. Legacy brands like Levi’s and Gap, which once championed quality and durability, have pivoted to emulate fast fashion practices to remain relevant. However, this power also presents an opportunity: if fast fashion companies leverage their influence to adopt sustainable practices, they could lead the charge in reducing environmental harm on a global scale.

The article also emphasizes the role of online data, stating, “Fashion companies can tap the following online data sources to deepen their understanding of what the consumer wants.” As a consumer, I can unequivocally say what we want: a livable planet for future generations. While advanced analytics can provide valuable insights into consumer preferences, they should not be used solely to perpetuate unsustainable practices. Instead, these tools could help companies transition to models that prioritize eco-friendly designs and long-lasting products. By doing so, the fashion industry could address consumer desires for sustainability while preserving profitability.

In conclusion, McKinsey & Company’s argument that fast fashion is a necessary response to consumer demand oversimplifies the issue by ignoring how the industry manipulates these demands through marketing and trend creation. The notion that fast fashion merely fulfills consumer needs overlooks its contribution to overconsumption and environmental damage. The claim of fast fashion being a “sophisticated model” fails to consider its harmful effects on health and the environment. If consumers value sustainability, the industry’s resistance to change is concerning. The focus on profitability disregards the potential for sustainable practices that could benefit both the planet and business. Ultimately, the detrimental costs of fast fashion outweigh its rapid production advantages, urging the industry to shift toward long-term sustainability.

Work Cited 

Durosko, E. (2023). Death by fashion: Consumers face health risks by purchasing from unregulated fast fashion brands. Loyola Consumer Law Review, 35(1), 261. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-need-for-speed-capturing-todays-fashion-consumer

Marko, M., & Kusá, A. (2023). GREENWASHING AND THE NATURE OF EDUCATION IN RELATION TO CONSUMER TRUST IN FAST FASHION MARKETING COMMUNICATION. Communication Today, 14(1).

The Good Trade. (n.d.). What is fast fashion? Retrieved from https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion/#:~:text=mid%2D2000s.%E2%80%9D-,Nowadays%2C%20fast%20fashion%20brands%20produce%20about%2052%20%E2%80%9Cmicro%2Dseasons,new%20%E2%80%9Ccollection%E2%80%9D%20a%20week.