How Much A Dollar Cost: ‘Fast Fashion’ And Its Impact On The Fashion Industry In BarbadosBeautiful Italian Outdoor Wedding

Fast fashion is killing small fashion brands the world over – and Barbados is no exception. It is stunting business growth and creativity and forcing what was once a growing industry into extinction.

So what is fast fashion?

Okay, so remember how back in the day designers would make collections and these collections would always be done a year ahead and the trends would take at least another 3-5 years to reach Barbados? Then suddenly one day you woke up and fashion was accessible ? I mean the really, really dope stuff, and you could see all of the current trends (shoutouts to the internet on the ones and twos) and you could purchase them at DIRT CHEAP prices?

That, my friends is the fast fashion industry in a nutshell.

Now, somehow fast fashion has managed to convince consumers that just because they can walk into a store and purchase a dress for say $50, they can also go to a designer and have a custom-made one of a kind piece done for the same price. These consumers are totally oblivious to the fact that the processes are completely different. The reason corporations such as Inditex (ZARA) and H&M (never mind these recent ‘ethical’ collections) are able to offer these dirt cheap costs is because of totally unethical business practices on their part.

*bubble burster nombre uno (R.I.P BIG)

1. They aint quality clothes.
   Fast fashion items are intentionally made to fall apart quickly to keep you a part of the constant purchasing cycle and let’s not forget ‘trends’- Ever notice how there’s already a new style this week even though you haven’t had the chance to pick up that one from last week? Essentially by appealing to your desire to be in style with the cool kids and the fashion girls, retailers create new trends everyday so you can continue to spend your money everyday.
2. People are literally dying for that $20 shirt you picked up the other day.
   I mean LITERALLY! Loss of life/limb is not uncommon in this industry. Fast fashion employees in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia etc. often work in inhumane conditions with limited access to bathroom facilities, exposure to toxic chemicals (yeah your shirt probably contains some lead), limited ventilation, amongst other really disgusting things. In April 2013, over 1100 people died when a building housing a number of factories collapsed in Bangladesh. As a matter of fact, 3 of your $20 shirts are their salary for the entire month and more often than not these people are their families’ primary breadwinners.
   
   Have a think about that one.
3. You are killing mother Earth (cue the Michael Jackson)
   The fast fashion industry is one of the filthiest industries in the world, second only to oil. Now there are several things I can discuss here: The fact that it takes 2700 litres of water to produce a single t-shirt (that’s the average person’s water intake for almost 3 years) or the permanent damage left on mother earth by hazardous dyes and chemicals, but I want to bring this one all the way home and discuss textile disposal. (Textile is a fancy way of saying fabric or as bajans would put it material)

Now while I probably need to do some definitive research, I would estimate that a large percentage of our garbage disposal is textile based (see point 1). Even if you think , “Oh it’s a natural fibre it’s biodegradable” the processes the industry takes to ensure your lowqualitywillfallapartanyway garment has amazing hanger appeal, means that even your cotton t-shirt will take hundreds, if not thousands of years to disintegrate. Meanwhile those hazardous dyes and chemicals will seep into the earth and creep into our water supply (heyyy Barbados Water Authority) or when burnt can release harmful toxins into the air.

sigh

What does all of this have to do with fashion designers in Barbados, you ask?

Your friendly neighbourhood fashion designer more often than not works alone and has at least 5 jobs: designer, pattern cutter, seamstress, accountant, secretary etc.

We have the same dreams as you. We want homes, cars, picket fences, but sadly our reality is not the same as yours. To several financial institutions we are seen as a liability because we don’t make the same money consistently, so loans are hard to come by unless we have that same value available to put up for collateral. We have bills the same as you (student loans, anyone?) This is not some hoodoo voodoo twinkletoes hobby for most of us. In some instances some of us have spent upwards of 6 figures trying to hone our craft… just like you.

The average consumer now expects custom made clothing at department store prices therefore we often end up working 10 times as hard as you (and yes I’m happy to argue this point with you privately, just holla at ya boy.) Consider how many $50 dresses I would need to churn out every month just to get your monthly salary.

So often times several of us end up working to survive rather than thrive.

I said all of that to say this: when your designer charges you for an item consider that this is what you’re paying for:

1. The design- anybody worth their weight in salt knows that good ideas are hard to come by,  furthermore great ones. Design requires the exertion of mental energy and THAT is real.
2. Consultation- Most designers will consult with you before constructing a garment and tweak it accordingly as many times as you need.
3. Fabric Shopping- If the designer is not spending their time buying the fabric themselves he or she is recommending what you should get, again exerting mental energy.
4. Pattern Cutting- Not everyone does this, but good patternmaking is an excellent skill. A good pattern can take upwards of 3 hours to complete.
5. Sewing- We all do this. Sometimes you sit on your butt for an hour sometimes you sit there for 10. It’s called balance, right?
6. Profession Laundering- Laundry actually gets more pricey than you think, but it’s necessary for a well finished garment.

I haven’t even mentioned fittings, alterations, the whatsapp messages at 3am or the electricity we used along the way, and you and I know the light bill aint nain easy.

My point is more often than not it’s one person doing all of this work and if it is that your designer is fortunate enough to hire people, it’s nothing on the scale of a major corporation. Truss mi daddy.

Now while we still have a way to go with ensuring our fabrics are ethically sourced and our environmental footprint minimized, please do your best to respect your designer’s right to charge you more than what you would pay in your average shop on Swan Street. By all means, ask for a breakdown of costs if you must, the right designer should be able to offer that. But please, now that you’ve had a glimpse at how both sides work don’t brush off designer work as too expensive without considering these factors first.