G.O.A.T. of the week – FRENCH LAWMAKERS APPROVE BILL TO APPLY PENALTIES ON FAST FASHION (REUTERS)

This was amazing and long overdue! Fashion has a long, rich, and complex history that still serves as one of the fundamental cornerstones of culture today. Every single culture and people around the globe have fashioned clothes and accessories suited to their identities that have become synonymous with how historians analyze who they were as a people and the remaining relics which have been found help us to understand what was most important to them.  

Currently, mainstream archaeologists speculate that Mesopotamia was the oldest known civilization on Earth, synonymous with the Sumerians but recent radiocarbon dating has analyzed the Gobekli Tepe structures found in Turkey to be over 12,000 years old, predating the Sumerians by 5,000 years! The structures have been carved into images of man and archaeologists have found that the oldest symbol etched upon the stone resembles a handbag. In a wave of ‘coincidence,’ the Sumerian stone structures of Mesopotamia additionally depict their creator gods, the Anunnaki, as carrying this same handbag motif and moreover, this symbol has been found etched into the stones left behind by the Olmecs in La Venta, Mexico (“Decoding the Secrets of the Mysterious Handbag in Ancient Carvings.”). Who actually knows what these primordial handbags contained? One thing is for sure though: fashion is as old as time! 

(Handbag Motif at Gobekli Tepe in Turkey : Image Source : The Ancient Code) 

Did you know that in Paris alone, “108 fashion shows” (Guilbault) have been scheduled to take place during the Autumn / Winter 2024 season? That is only one city in one country! With fashion meccas around the world being known as New York City, Busan, London, Milan, Los Angeles, and Rome, to name a few, where would be fashion designers hoping to make a namesake in this world, clothes end up being on a constant evolutionary track of what is “in vogue” and what ends up in a landfill. You do not have to look far for me to prove my point. Grab any magazine talking about what is “in season” and you will get my drift. Every year, a new color and a new style replaces the old one and every year, companies advertise to citizens who are desperate to shape their identities around these new fashions.  

Just like how unused food in the grocery stores sometimes gets thrown away in dumpsters, the same thing can be said for the unwanted clothes that were never purchased. While many companies will have continual markdowns, sales, and liquidations to sell off old-season clothes and accessories, others will donate to charities or sell their merchandise to discount stores like T. J. Maxx and Marshalls. Unfortunately, though, some companies have made news recently about not going down either of these avenues. Instead, Nike, H&M, Burberry, and Urban Outfitters “slash, cut, bleach, mar, or burn” (Lieber) their merchandise so no one else can use it. This just seems insane. It is not only unnecessary and wasteful, but it is also extremely detrimental to the environment. 

(Fast Fashion Clothes that End Up in Landfills : Image Source : CALPIRG) 

Here are the facts: According to the Earth Organization, “out of 100 billion tonnes of garments produced a year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills, the apparel industries global emissions will increase by 50% by the year 2030, the average U.S. consumer throws away 81.5 lbs. of clothes every year, the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water contamination, and nearly 10% of microplastics dispersed in the ocean each year come from textiles” (Igini). That is genuinely concerning! We, as everyday individuals, need to consciously choose our styles and weigh them against these facts. I personally still have clothes from high school because they still fit and I like them and for me, high school was 20 years ago! While the United States will no doubt be last to get with the program, at least the French have become mindful of the cause and effect produced by their long beloved fashion houses.  

(Eco and Sustainable Fashion : Image Source : Fashonation) 

In early 2020, right before the start of the pandemic, the trend of upcycling, or giving new repurposed direction to items that would have been discarded, has become popularized in mainstream society. In 2021, major celebrities became part of the rallying cry in the promotion of sustainable fashion, rather than fast fashion, and these include famous names like Bella Hadid, Zendaya, Kendall Jenner, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, and even the Duchess of Cambridge (Chan). With more people around the world becoming knowledgeable about the detriments of fast fashion, hopefully this will continue to set a trend moving forward. One can only hope because after all, turtles have no need for t-shirts and fish have no need for swimsuits! Nature already gave them what they needed; we should be mindful of not polluting their environment too! 

Sources: 

Chan, Emily. “10 Celebrities Who Flew the Flag for Sustainable Fashion in 2021.” British Vogue, 19 Dec. 2021, www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/gallery/celebrities-sustainable-fashion. 

 “Decoding the Secrets of the Mysterious Handbag in Ancient Carvings.” archeologynews.com, 18 Feb. 2023, archeologynews.com/decoding-the-secrets-of-the-mysterious-handbag-in-ancient-carvings/#google_vignette. 

Guilbault, Laure. “Paris Fashion Week Cheat Sheet: Autumn/Winter 2024.” Vogue Business, 26 Feb. 2024, www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/paris-fashion-week-cheat-sheet-autumn-winter-2024. 

Igini, Martina. “10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics.” Earth.Org, 4 Mar. 2024, earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste. 

Lieber, Chavie. “Burberry, H&Amp;M, and Nike Destroy Unsold Merch. An Expert Explains Why.” Vox, 17 Sept. 2018, www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/17/17852294/fashion-brands-burning-merchandise-burberry-nike-h-and-m. 

Reuters. “French Lawmakers Approve Bill to Apply Penalties on Fast Fashion.” Reuters, 14 Mar. 2024, www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-lawmakers-approve-bill-apply-penalties-fast-fashion-2024-03-14. 

 

Image Sources: 

Team, Ancient Code. “The Mystery Handbag of the Gods: Depicted in Sumer, America, and Göbekli Tepe.” The Ancient Code, 20 Apr. 2022, www.ancient-code.com/the-mystery-handbag-of-the-gods-depicted-in-sumer-america-and-gobekli-tepe. 

“The Fashion Industry Waste Is Drastically Contributing to Climate Change.” CALPIRG, 10 Mar. 2021, pirg.org/california/articles/the-fashion-industry-waste-is-drastically-contributing-to-climate-change. 

Zia, Mahnoor, and Mahnoor Zia. “The Sustainable Fashion Movement: Why It’s Time to Change the Way We Dress | Fashonation.” Fashonation | Fashion Social I Fashion Articles I Fashion News, 7 Aug. 2023, ourfashionpassion.com/the-sustainable-fashion-movement-why-its-time-to-change-the-way-we-dress.