Part 3. Through extensive research in geographies of consumption and production, Dr. Andrew Brooks seeks to understand the connections between uneven growth of the world economy, and areas of impoverishment and affluence in the global clothing trade. In his book Clothing Poverty, Brooks traces the trade patterns of clothing manufactured in low-income countries with emerging economies making their transition from the closets of the wealthy Northern countries to the impoverished Southern countries in secondhand shops. Similarly, to following a migration of people, the shipping path of garments offers unique insights. His book details the exploitation of garment workers in China and the shift of production to Africa due to Chinese influence. Brooks connects the demand for cotton, and its environmental toll on the Aral Sea due to drought from water extraction for cotton irrigation. The extent of these issues is so vast, they traverse the global landscape. Brooks asserts, “Fast-fashion production has been effective in driving down the price of clothing goods. Rich consumers around the world enjoy a vast range of clothes, but sadly are complicit in a process that locks many of the world’s poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America into a partial dependency on second-hand clothing imports” (Brooks 2019, 251). Brooks recounts some glaring observations of fast fashion’s influence; demands we adjust our behavior as consumers, and challenges the industry to make the necessary changes in how it does business.
Structural violence, as discussed in The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Poverty, involves the systematic oppression of marginalized groups within political, economic, and social institutions. The extent of “violence of social injustice and inequity” (Rylko-Bauer, and Farmer) within the supply and manufacturing chains of the fast fashion industry is exposed in a 2015 documentary titled, “The True Cost.” Director Andrew Morgan pulls back the curtain on the world’s second-largest polluting industry to reveal the disconnect between consumers within global capitalism and the low-wage garment workforce in developing countries that cater to them.(3) With consideration of how labor standards vary around the globe, there is an abundance of cases of abuse and death due to manufacturing practices and poor decisions made by fashion industry management. The documentary captures a glimpse into the social and psychological aspects at play, examining the complexities of mass media and consumerism.
Morgan’s film does not just catalyze to spark debate, it offers a few counter-examples of making a difference. Noteworthy takeaways for better consumption practices include not purchasing items if they will not be worn at least 30 times or committing to buy from brands that are vetted by Fairtrade standards. The movie’s website also lists brands they endorse for their sustainability and transparency. Similarly, the documentary titled River Blue follows river conservationist, Mark Angelo, examining hazardous pollution from the clothing manufacturing process that is destroying vital water supplies of nearby inhabitants. River Blue incorporates a diverse panel of experts who converse on this topic about the effects of the issue on humanity and inspire solutions.
Exponential growth of the industry has transpired since the 1950s. Industrial expansion imposes greater need for and use of natural resources which go unaccounted for in the costs to produce garments. The rate of growth in the fashion industry implies that these natural resources are infinite, yet production methods are destructive to the balance of ecosystems and continue to go unchecked. Fast fashion production has catapulted over the last 20 years with its ability to produce clothing cheaply with a quick turnaround, the profit margin for which is squeezed from workers’ wages. In managing the negotiations with fashion retailers, manufacturers are cutting corners to meet the price points. Governing bodies of the countries producing fast fashion has historically offered little regulation to protect their workforce or monitor facilities as promised in trade agreements. Foreign companies are capitalizing on the cheap labor provided by developing countries, creating a modern form of slavery.
H&M is one of the biggest fast fashion brands to maximize the fast fashion business model, having an annual revenue of around 20 billion US dollars worldwide, with most of its retail stores residing in the US. H&M relies on factory workers in Bangladesh and Cambodia to meet the requirements of its retail stores. According to an article published by NPR in 2013, garment workers who were protesting for better wages in Cambodia were met with deadly force after police opened fire on the crowd which killed several people including an innocent bystander, and wounded many of the unarmed protesters and public.(4) Textile workers lost their lives in the incident over demands for a wage increase and better working conditions. In the same year, the U.N.'s International Labor Organization reported a need for improvement in working conditions in Cambodian factories to meet safety and health compliance. Rather than address the worker's needs, the Cambodian government is concerned that multinational retailers like H&M will leave the country to produce their products in more competitive locations, thus avoiding enforcement of existing labor laws and maintaining low wages to avoid such risk. Companies like H&M avoid responsibility for poverty and disasters happening in their supply chains while making enormous profits because they do not technically employ the workers or own the factories.
The shift in production to outsourcing in developing nations gives this industry a way to make larger profits and creates cheaper prices for Western consumers, but budget-conscious consumers are forgoing value ideals with this model. The clothing that is produced for fast fashion retailers is not made to last. Instead, they create disposable garments that fall apart quickly. Consumers are pressured by the marketing and merchandising strategies of fashion brands to buy the most recent style, with new merchandise hitting shelves every week. A desired image for a target market is created and then psychologically implanted through the media consumption habits of consumers. Consumers cannot satiate their desires to meet a certain image when the trend is outdated soon after purchasing a product. Overproduction is a significant part of the problem that clothing brands are creating. Both the discarded clothing from consumer closets and excess product that goes unsold in wealthy Western countries is then cast off to places like Chile’s Atacama Desert to become part of landfill pollution.(5) This vicious cycle caused by fast fashion affects the entire globe.
Brooks, Andrew. Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-Hand Clothes. London: Zed Books, 2019.
Rylko-Bauer, Barbara, and Paul Farmer. “Structural Violence, Poverty, and Social Suffering.” Essay. In The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Poverty. Oxford: Oxford university press, 2016.
The True Cost. USA: Untold Creative; Life Is My Movie Entertainment, n.d.
(4) Krishnadev Calamur, “Clash between Garment Workers, Police in Cambodia Turns Deadly,” NPR (NPR, November 12, 2013), https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/12/244760554/garment-workers-police-clash-in-cambodia-1-killed.
(5 )“The Fast Fashion Graveyard in Chile's Atacama Desert,” BBC News (BBC), accessed February 20, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-60249712.
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