Fast fashion news and archive

EU targets fast fashion e-commerce with new customs regime

The European Union is set to overhaul its customs regulations, targeting the burgeoning low-cost e-commerce sector in a move that could significantly impact global online retail giants and consumer shopping habits. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was re-elected for a second five-year term last week, announced the...

Fashion

Farmers warn EU policy risks boosting fast fashion over natural fibres

A global coalition of farmers has raised alarm over the European Council's endorsement of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology to underpin the forthcoming Green Claims Directive, arguing it will unfairly favour synthetic fibres and jeopardise their livelihoods. In a letter seen by FashionUnited, the group claims the PEF system...

BusinessFeatured

Australia Institute calls for fast fashion regulation as textile waste consumption rises

The Australia Institute, a public policy think tank, has called on the country’s government to regulate the fast fashion industry as the consumption of textile waste almost surpasses that of the US. In a new discussion paper entitled ‘Textiles waste in Australia’, Nina Gbor, the institute’s director of the Circular Economy and Waste programme,...

RetailFeatured

Charity retailers deserve support amid price criticism, says Chief Executive of Traid

In recent weeks, charity retail has faced criticism for allegedly overcharging customers with inflated prices. This narrative overlooks the crucial role that charity shops play and misrepresents the sector, which has a long history of supporting vital causes. Maria Chenoweth, Chief Executive of charity retailer Traid, published a thought piece...

Fashion

Probe reveals persistent labour issues at Shein, despite promises of improvement

Despite Shein's public assurances to improve working conditions in its supplier factories following the exposure of poor labour practices over two years ago, a recent follow-up investigation reveals that 75-hour work weeks remain commonplace in southern China. Data from Swiss-based watchdog Public Eye, who interviewed employees in Guangzhou,...

Podcast

Podcast: The struggle of a garment worker in the US

Hear the true story of Lorena (not her real name), a garment worker in Los Angeles' Fashion District in this podcast. She goes to work every day and sews about 30 t-shirt collars or 50 backpack zips, depending on the day's assignment. She gets paid a few cents a piece. This is now illegal under California's 2022 Garment Workers Protection Act,...

Business

Patagonia: 'The Shitthropocene' explores the age of cheap clothing trash

In a documentary that is as humorous as it is revealing, the US outdoor company Patagonia has taken a critical look at consumer habits and the resulting clothing waste. The 45-minute film entitled 'The Shitthropocene' - an allusion to the current geological age of mankind (the Anthropocene) - takes a satirical but brutally honest look at how...

Business

Vestiaire Collective: “Our world cannot afford fast fashion”

“The idea that fast fashion is more affordable is simply wrong” - this is the conclusion of new research by Vestiaire Collective. The French resale platform published its ‘Circularity Report 2024’ last week. The company's third annual impact report shows the results of a joint study with carbon tracking software Vaayu. A consumer survey with...

BusinessFeatured

EU toughens safety rules on Chinese fashion retailer Shein

The European Union on Friday added Chinese-founded online retailer Shein to its list of digital companies that are large enough to come under stricter safety curbs. The company joins Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube in a list of 23 "very large online platforms", which have more than 45 million monthly active users in the European Union. From the end...

Business

Shein in focus as France fights back against fast fashion

With jaw-droppingly low prices and a seemingly endless selection of trendy clothes, Shein has taken the world by storm -- and found itself in the crosshairs of French lawmakers who want to curb the excesses of fast fashion. Customers love the Chinese-founded firm's massive catalogue of ultra-cheap items, from 8 dollar sundresses to 48-cent...

Business

Jaded London item found to have Shein label according to TikTok user

A shopper on TikTok was left in disbelief after finding a label by controversial fast fashion platform Shein that appeared to have been sewn into her garment from Jaded London. In a video posted to the social media platform, Emma Silverman showed the lining of the supposed Jaded London top, in which both a tag from the brand and a tag from Shein...

Fashion

French parliament votes to slow down fast fashion

France's parliament on Thursday backed a string of measures making low-cost fast fashion, especially from Chinese mass producers, less attractive to buyers. The vote makes France the first country in the world "legislating to limit the excesses of ultra fast fashion", said Christophe Bechu, minister for the ecological transition. Key measures...