Is “Fast Fashion” too Fast? 

Recommendations to the Global Manager in the Fast Fashion Industry

Bethany, Sierra, Kaelan, Bryant, Navi (All members contributed equally) 

With the advent of modern technology, fast fashion has become too fast. Fast fashion describes the phenomenon of the increasing production and consumption of fashion. As clothes are produced more rapidly with the newest technology, the latest items become cheaper and cheaper to make and costs drop both for producer and consumer. Not only this, but fashion companies are utilizing new technological advancements and techniques to differentiate their businesses. Take Prada as a prime example, when they tried to implement virtual dressing room features like walls that were supposed to turn opaque when customers changed, it failed to work (uh oh). The results for Prada were disastrous, however, they weren’t deadly. Sure, the gadget dressing rooms were a flop, but store managers could simply stop using them so the “tourists don’t play with them”(Gallaugher, 2018). In the global context, moving too fast can and has resulted in major losses both financially and logistically for managers and manufacturers in the fashion industry. As globalization began to rise in the 1980s, fast fashion emerged. Fast fashion has allowed consumers to keep up with the newest trends and buy merchandise at a reasonable price. It has allowed retailers to sell at lower prices and have inexpensive manufacturing due to outsourcing. Within fast fashion, low wage workers are hired and sweatshops aren’t uncommon. 

While the business model of faster fashion cycles have put companies like Zara and H&M on the map, it has also put workers’ lives at risk in developing countries where most products are made. As a result of fast fashion we have seen an increase in sweatshops. This business model forces companies to push for the lowest price from subcontracted factories, many of which are in countries that have the lowest production cost in the world and where the people working in these sweatshop factories are making just a few dollars a day. The workers in sweatshops are faced with harmful chemicals, poor working conditions, and abuse from managers (Ledezma, 2017.) Pushing out multiple clothing rotations within a given season like these apparel companies do, forces many design changes leaving workers no choice but to go into overtime.

Nike’s 2010 Corporate responsibility report stated “asking factories to manufacture too many styles is one of the highest contributors to factory overtime in apparel.” (Dudley, R.; Devnath, A.; & Townsend, M. 2013, para. 5.) One example of where we have seen the damaging effects of factory overtime is the factory fire in Bangladesh. On November 24th, 2013 one hundred people had been killed in the factory. The factory was producing clothing for companies such as Sears and Wal-Mart. Factory overtime is strongly correlated with job site accidents (Dudley, R., Devnath, A., & Townsend, M. 2013, para. 3.) When big customers make an order change or request a faster turnaround this creates a bullwhip effect on factories who strive to keep these big spending customers, in fear they will move on to a cheaper factory. 

With competitive marketing growing worldwide many businesses are faced with the challenge of appealing to new customers. Often times these companies will try to relate their product towards a potential group of people. These changes are often based on the race of these individuals and how they might perceive an item to be an attractive item or not. For example some major sunglass companies started using wider frames and specific colors for people who have a particularly larger face structure than others. These ideas are gathered from information that many may perceive as unethical. Managers are being forced to push these products out to particular consumers. Convincing certain items to specific groups, creating separation of groups in communities. However, this trend doesn’t seem uncommon from the past. Scholars such as Elizabeth Wilson and Angela Mcrobbie have conducted research of women ethics and the fashion industry. “Construction in the bourgeois in the nineteenth century, discusses how women manipulated the codes fashion in order to advance their interests as members of a specific class.” (Rander, H. Notre Dame University. 1998). Unethical research methods have continued to play a role in the fashion industry, these practices within the fashion industry are more challenging to integrate among different communities. 

As retail giants avoid responsibility for the working conditions of the sweatshops that produce their products, groups and unions such as the National Labor Committee, Global Exchange, and Unite have brought publicity to these practices which resulted in corporations to accept fair labor standards and to have standalone monitors in their factories. (Rabine, L. W., 2016, para. 10)

With the looming fear of losing retail giants as customers, subcontracted factories push workers to the limit. This overload can have dangerous effects on the working conditions and safety of workers in these factories. One thing suggested by labor rights groups to aid with this challenge is long-term contracts. This not only can boost worker safety but also allow retailers to establish a relationship with factories that are producing their merchandise. (Dudley, R., Devnath, A., & Townsend, M. 2013, para. 13)

One step managers can take in order to better their ethical practices is lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing allows for increased efficiency and responsiveness ultimately leading to better working conditions. With lean manufacturing and managers investing more into their employees through training programs and work incentives it starts to create a better environment. Stanford Business stated that with the adoption of lean manufacturing there has been a 15% reduction in labor violations (Chipman, 2016.)

In conclusion, the fashion industry has changed alongside an increasingly global context. Globalization has pushed companies to outsource to third world countries which has resulted in unfair wages and poor ethical practices. Furthermore, marketing teams have begun to conduct unethical research practices and designing items that appeal to particular cultural groups. As a result of unethical practices, labor unions and committees have been formed to protect workers rights. Although this is a step in the right direction, stakeholders should not be the determining factor in the final vote. Global managers need to improve internal business operations such as implementing the practice of lean manufacturing so that firms have margin to invest in bettering working conditions.

References

Carrol, D. (2008). Catering to the Growing Multi-Cultural Market. Vision Monday. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=db6816a3-72e2-44f7-b115-6f638af3340f%40sdc-v-sessmgr01

Chipman, I. (2016, August 10). How to Improve Working Conditions in the Developing World. Retrieved from https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/how-improve-working-conditions-developing-world

Dudley, R.; Devnath, A.; & Townsend, M. (2013, November 2). The Hidden Cost of Fast Fashion. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-02-07/the-hidden-cost-of-fast-fashion-worker-safety 

Essays, UK. (2018). Impact of Globalization on the Fashion Industry. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/historical-background-of-fashion-industry-cultural-studies-essay.php?vref=1

Gallaugher, John. (2018). Information Systems: A Manager’s Guide to Harnessing Technology. Boston, MA: FlatWorld

Ledezma, V. (2017, October 25). Globalization and Fashion: Too Fast, Too Furious. Retrieved from https://scholars.wlu.ca/luja/vol4/iss1/9/

Rabine, L. W. (2016). Impact of Globalization on the Fashion Industry. Retrieved from https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-clothing-industry/sweatshops