Fast Fashion, anxiety and sustainability | How it all connects
The Slow Movement should also reflect the way we behave. But not a fake way of behaving that forces you into forced habits in order to build a “good vibes” stereotype. But in fact a real and possible lifestyle to cultivate. This, in the medium to long term, will also rub off on your brand.
Purchasing behavior VS Sustainability
The Slow Movement, which emerged as a response to the culture of fast consumption, goes beyond just reflecting on our superficial behaviors. It is a change of mentality that seeks a more conscious and sustainable approach in all aspects of life, including fashion.
The fashion industry, as we know it today, is deeply rooted in the fast fashion model. Major retail brands have made a name for themselves by launching new collections on a weekly basis, meeting the demands of a public that is constantly on the lookout for the latest trends. However, this frenetic pace comes at a high price.
When we log on to the fashion apps of Chinese retailers, for example, we are bombarded with a multitude of products, each click opening more and more tabs. This culture of overconsumption is not just restricted to the amount of clothes we buy, but also affects the way we produce and dispose of them.
The visual pollution of these apps is just a symbolic representation of the environmental impact caused by the fast fashion industry. Every week, more than 15 million garments are discarded and end up in landfills in countries like Ghana, becoming veritable fast fashion graveyards. This cycle of mass production and rampant waste disposal is seriously damaging the environment.
Fast consumption and anxiety.
However, the negative impact of fast fashion is not just limited to nature. This “live fast” mentality and overproduction also negatively affects our health, both mental and physical. The corporate world, and even small entrepreneurs, are often pressured to follow a model of unbridled production in order to achieve so-called “success”. The anxiety generated by the excess of options and information with which we are bombarded on a daily basis affects not only our mental health, but also the environment.
It’s crucial that we rethink our behavior and adopt a more conscious and sustainable approach to fashion and consumption in general. Opting for brands that adopt sustainable and ethical practices, as well as supporting the local economy, can be a way of contributing to a more responsible fashion industry.
It is also important to question the fast pace of production and consumption to which we are accustomed. Looking for a lifestyle that makes more sense, paying attention to the speed and quantity of consumption, encourages us to take more coherent actions in business, such as: valuing corporate mental health, respecting employees’ limits and production time, and having better established brand strategies.
Visual pollution and corporate mental health.
The way we produce and consume makes us sick. This also applies to the corporate world and to small entrepreneurs: the way we are taught to produce in order to achieve “success” is driving us crazy.
O modelo “fast living” também é cobrado para que os colaboradores produzam como “máquinas”. A ansiedade gerada pelo excesso de ofertas e informações que somos impactados todos os dias não são refletidas apenas na nossa saúde mental, mas também no meio ambiente.
The “fast living” model also demands that employees produce like “machines”. The anxiety generated by the excess of offers and information that we are subjected to every day is not only reflected in our mental health, but also in the environment.