Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion

The term Fast Fashion, means the imitation of trends and styles of the great designers for a short shelf life.

Often adopted by people who want to follow fashion, but have a limited budget. Fast Fashion makes fashion easily accessible, but has a negative impact on the environment and on those who are working to produce the garments. Fast Fashion allows you to create up to 11 collections a year, this means that every 2 weeks approximately new products are created and placed on the market.

Slow Fashion, on the other hand, aims to slow down the speed of production ans to educate on consciencious use of the garments, giving greater value to the purchase.

The garment must therefore acquire value through the creation of a bond between maker and buyer. Slow Fashion takes into consideration the materials used, how the garment is produced and by whom.

However, the habit of buying clothing nowadays are more in line with the dictates of Fast Fashion. The times when clothes were purchased in accordance with the monthly budget, in harmony with the seasons, have passed; the times when the garments were carefully kept and adjusted when needed. Today we are almost compulsive consumers and sometimes we buy clothes that will never be worn.

Let’s look at some reasons why we should think more about the clothes we buy:

• The fashion industry is the world’s second largest polluter in terms of exploitation of natural resources, the quantity of discarded materials, and the extent of carbon dioxide emissions during the production process.
• The big clothing brands are not able to guarantee adequate minimum wages for workers and, although 85% of the brands would like to commit themselves to this, concrete actions have not yet been seen to achieve the goal.

Choosing to jump on the Slow Fashion train seems obvious, however it is not an easy choice as it may seem.
There are moral and economic implications.

The “Who Made My Clothes” movement, born after the tragic date of April 24, 2013, when 1.133 people died in the collapse of the Rana Plaza palace, in Dhaka, Bangladesh,is committed to shedding light on what happens behind the production of the clothes that we wear.

The movement was born from the minds of Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers who said “In light of this disaster caused by Fast Fashion, a revolution is needed in the world of fashion.”

Their mission was to convince all members of the fashion industry, from designers, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and buyers to work together to change the way garments are produced and sold. The basic idea is that a real “chain of ethics” is created that runs through the entire production process of the garments, following these points:

1. Look at the overall situation

The Slow Fashion movement push us to recognize that our collective choices can influence the environment and people.

2. Slow down consumption

Reducing the exploitation of raw materials, decreasing the production of clothes can improve the regenerative capacity of the earth.

3. Diversity

Slow Fashion producers strive to maintain ecological, social and cultural diversity Keeping the traditional methods of manufacturing clothes and fabrics and the dyeing techniques alive, gives vitality and meaning to what we wear and the way it was made.

4. Respect for people

Brands are committed to supporting local communities by enabling skills development and helping local business.

5. Recognize human needs

Designers can meet human needs by co-creating garments and offering fashion with emotional meaning, by telling the story behind a garment or by inviting the customer to be part of the design process.

6. Building relationships

Building relationships between producers and co-producers is a fundamental function of the movement.

7. Resources

Slow Fashion brands focus on using local materials and resources as much as possible and try to support the development of local activities and skills.

8. Quality and beauty

Slow Fashion designers ensure the longevity of their garments by purchasing high quality fabrics, offering traditional cuts and creating beautiful and timeless pieces.

9. Income

Prices are often higher to allow producers to use sustainable resources and pay fair wages.

10. Make a difference

Within the Slow Fashion movement, people love what they do and aspire to make a difference in the world in a creative and innovative way.

So what can consumers in the fashion world do to solve this problem?

• Buy less and pay more attention to quality
• Choose brands carefully
• Reduce compulsive purchasing to avoid waste
• Recycle creatively
• Repair what can be repaired instead of throwing it away
• Choose alternative fabrics such as wool and cotton of ethical origin

Inkanti has chosen to participate in the “Who Made Your Clothes” movement and is committed to choosing some of the best master craftsmen in Peru to produce the garments. It is essential to Inkanti to respect their work and allow local communities to grow and thrive.

Inkanti clothing is produced exclusively in natural baby alpaca wool, without the addition of synthetic fibers. The garments are made in the territory where the alpacas live and graze, feeding on wild vegetation.

The alpaca is also an animal that does no harm to the territory as it grazes the grass without damaging the roots and the cushions that cover the hooves allow the animal to walk on the ground without damaging it.