“I think designers are operating in an oversaturated market where trends have such a short life span, so the temptation to release something that could be considered viral or a publicity stunt is a way for a designer’s work to be noticed.” Meanwhile, fashion stylist and writer at Elemental Spot, Luis Huber, believes that it can be the fault of tunnel vision. “Professionals can sometimes get so immersed in their creative process that they lose perspective on practicality or audience appeal.” For Huber, one of the biggest mistakes a designer can make is to overlook the basics like comfort or wearability while trying to think outside the box. “It’s a balance that can be hard to strike.” Huber advises prioritizing function and comfort. “To beginners, I’d say always step back and ask yourself if the piece will work in real life, not just on the runway. Comfort and functionality should always be a priority.” Producing garments in the blink of an eye inevitably results in a lack of quality, accountability, and sustainability. The clothes that are not made to last and, in some cases, are practically unwearable end up in landfills as swiftly as they were made. In China alone, 26 tonnes of clothing are thrown away each year, polluting the environment. It doesn’t matter how many times the garments are washed—the chemicals still remain and leach out of them, which can be absorbed by our skin and potentially cause health problems. When clothes end up in landfills and start breaking down, synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon start exuding microplastics, contaminating our air and water. What we also don’t see behind the scenes is the new low that worker treatment is reaching. It’s estimated that there are 75 million employees worldwide who work in fast fashion factories. And less than 2% of them make a living wage, working 16-hour days, 7 days a week. The European Parliament has described their conditions as “slave labor.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
