Maeve Jordan

Intro to Rhetoric
Multimodal Essay
December 20, 2021
Chanel vs. Shein

When I think about fashion I think about the thousands of images I have saved in my

mind of the icons from decades, and even centuries. I picture Princess Diana, Cher, Marilyn

Monroe and even Cleopatra. These women have shaped the face of the fashion industry along

with countless others even if some of them are not currently with us. This proves how fashion is

one of the most popular, mainstream things in our society along with everyday life. It is ever

changing and there is no right or wrong, it is up to you- which is why so many people are

passionate about it. Now imagine your image of fashion, the classic, timeless, never out of style

image you have in your head being replaced by a new trend, we call “fast fashion”. Fast fashion

is a fairly new concept introduced into the fashion world that has taken over. It basically

produces the same products as the well-known fashion brands but for a fraction of the price and

quality. Fast fashion is defined, according to Google, as “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly

by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends”(Google 1). Fashion is so popular and is

what some people build their lives around. It is how most people show their self expression, but

that comes at a price. Most people are not willing to pay the price for the closet, which is why

recently, fast fashion is all the crave. I know, what is the problem with this? It feels like a

win-win, but sometimes things are too good to be true. This new trend is not sustainable for our

world. Fast fashion has crumbling effects on our economy, our environment, society and is

putting luxury and ethical clothing companies at a financial standstill.

Fast fashion is a new trend that became popular with the popularity of technology.

iPhones, computers and other technological advancements are the leading cause of the rise of

fast fashion, which did not become popular until the early 2010s. The use of social media, like
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facebook, instagram, and the new platform, Tik-tok has led to the increase of fast fashion

overnight. According to Lindsay Brown, a fashion researcher states that “although retailers tried

to tap into the online trend ten years ago, consumers weren't technology-savvy enough. This time

around it looks like it's going to work, I think their customers are ready”(Brown 1). The reason

why it has grown so fast is because like I said, technology. The total human population is

addicted to their cell phones. It is the one thing that never leaves your side.

With the growth of technology, you are constantly seeing things others have that you

envy. Fashion, being case in point. For example, when I go on Tik-Tok (an app that got its fame

over COVID-19 quarantine) half of my feed is just fashion videos and hauls. This makes me

envious and want to buy more than half of the things I see, and sometimes I even do! This is the

leading cause to why fast fashion is so successful. People see it online, and since fst fashion is so

cheap, there is no hesitation in purchasing these items. Fast fashion brands mimic the almost

exact products as luxury brands, but for a fraction of the price. An example of one of these

brands is Zara.

“Zara has a laundry list of its own, ripping off brands high and low. Last year, it copied $795

Balenciaga sneakers as well as Kanye West's coveted Yeezys”(Drew, Reichart 1).

So the real question is, how are fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Shein, etc. getting

away with this? The leading cause, according to Brown, is the financial crisis of 2008. People

were no longer able to buy the luxury items they were once lucky enough to have.

Approximately 9 million Americans lost their jobs in the Great Recession. Therefore, people

learned to cheap, yes the quality is not the same but it gets the job done. Robert Godart, a Global

economist claims "The luxury industry goes well when everything goes well” (Godart 1). Once

again proving that luxury brands have not been as popular since the crisis of 2008. In addition to
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people not being able to spend their salary on luxury fashion items, in the 21st century there is a

new facade where fashion changes faster than ever seen before.

The retail industry has changed over generations. For example, my Dad talks about how

he would get a coat and cherish that item for 3-4 years. Now, 30 years later, I have approximately

7 coats that I wear not nearly enough. Yes, this is unnecessary, but the turnover rate on trends

nowadays is leading to fast fashion takeover. People wear something once, snap a picture in it,

and then it never gets worn again and thrown away. “Gone are the days when people would buy

a shirt and wear it for years. In a world of accelerating demand for apparel, consumers want new

clothing constantly. Entire business models are built on the premise of “fast fashion,” providing

clothes cheaply and quickly to consumers through shorter fashion cycles”(Drew, Reichart 1).

Luxury items are better quality, more sustainable, they are ethical brands, but the price is non

comparable. Nowadays, luxury brand items are less practical. Society currently wears something

once or twice and you never see it on them again, because they can afford to buy a few pieces for

the price of the one luxury item. People want quantity over quality and it is really creating an

issue for our world, not even just when it comes to fashion.

Fast fashion brands are a newly introduced concept to our society. Most of them have not

been around for longer than thirty plus years. One of the most popular fast fashion brands that

I'm sure almost everyone has heard of has taken over society overnight. Zara is one of largest

international fast-fashion brands that was created in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalia Mera.

Zara houses more than 1,700 stores across 86 countries worldwide. It has the most stores of any

fashion company ever. Daniel Piette, the Chairman of Louis Vuitton Fashion one claimed Zara as

“possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world” (Nick 1). Louis Vuitton, one

of the most well-known fashion companies in history, was created in 1821. It is one of the most
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classic luxury brands of all time and has grown into a multibillion dollar company, yet Zara still

owns more than triple the amount of stores than them. Louis Vuitton operates in fifty countries

with 460 stores worldwide.

These statistics are very eye opening to the point that fast fashion brands are taking over.

Yes, Louis Vuitton has a larger yearly revenue, but that is because the price of their items alone is

astronomically more expensive, not to mention how long the company has been around for. Zara

produces more than 450 million products per year and almost all of their products always sell

out. Zara does not match their revenue numbers, but with their items being a fraction of the price,

they come very close to matching these luxury brand items. These statistics are a vital key of

how fast fashion companies are establishing themselves, and how big their brands will grow in

the future. Almost half of my wardrobe is Zara, due to it’s trendy items, the price of items, and

their constant surplus of products. With this blueprint, like Daniel Piette claimed, his predictions

will be right and Zara along with many other similar brands will continue to innovate and take

over the fashion industry.

For my research question, I had many of my close friends complete a survey on their

favorite stores to stop at, and what their beliefs are on fast fashion versus luxury items. Most of

their closets included the brands we should stay away from, like Zara, Shein, H&M, etc. They

also expressed that they definitely think that luxury products are worth the investment, and the

products they design are items everyone desires, but they are just not practical and not attainable.

At my age, most of my friends only wear an item once or twice, which is just horrible, but it is

what the trend is nowadays. So, they also exclaimed that buying things for cheaper makes more

sense when they are not planning on getting so much use out of it. Some of my friends have

luxury brands like bags, jewelry and shoes, but the amount you actually use these items versus
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the cheap fast fashion companies is not comparable. This is why fast fashion is on the rise.

Everyone has the same logic.

This up and coming trend is doing more harm than good clearly. Almost the whole world,

counting myself, and I am sure you included, all make excuses as to why fast fashion brands

“aren’t that bad”. They have not surpassed luxury brands revenue, just because of the price

difference, but the amount of items sold is not comparable. Fast fashion is taking over, and this is

not a trend we should keep supporting. As a whole, our society needs to band together to make a

change, it is affecting the environment, the community, and is affecting the economy.
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Works Cited

Su, Jin, and Aihwa Chang. "Factors Affecting College Students’ Brand Loyalty Toward Fast

Fashion: A Consumer-Based Brand Equity Approach." International Journal of Retail &

Distribution Management, vol. 46, no. 1, 2018, pp. 90-107. ProQuest,

https://libdb.fairfield.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/factors-

affecting-college-students-brand-loyalty/docview/2534030080/se-2?accountid=10796,

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-01-2016-0015.

Reichart, Elizabeth, and Deborah Drew. “By the Numbers: The Economic, Social and

Environmental Impacts of ‘Fast Fashion.’” World Resources Institute, 10 Jan. 2019,

www.wri.org/insights/numbers-economic-social-and-environmental-impacts-fast-fashio

n.

Pham, Mélanie, et al. “Luxury Brand Desirability and Fashion Equity: The Joint Moderating

Effect on Consumers’ Commitment Toward Luxury Brands.” Psychology & Marketing,

vol. 35, no. 12, Wiley Subscription Services, Inc, 2018, pp. 902–12,

https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21143.

Brown, Lindsay Anne. “Fast Fashion Meets Luxury Labels.” Strategy (INSEAD), INSEAD,

2011.
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