Recent Fisher School of Business Marketing graduates Harrison Piner (left) and Marissa Hentary (right) set up a vendor table for Memory Lane Clothing at the Ohio Vintage Fest IX Center on June 22, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio . Credit: Courtesy of Harrison Piner and Ohio Vintage Fest
Sustainability is less about last season and more about fast fashion, according to Ohio State University students.
According to the University of Pennsylvania’s Environmental Innovation Initiative, fast fashion occurs when fashion brands produce trendy clothing quickly and in large quantities at low prices.
Fast fashion has come under fire for a variety of reasons, including that it produces “more CO2 emissions than aviation and shipping combined,” according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
Kristin Paulus, a senior lecturer in the Ohio State School of Fashion and Retail Studies, said she is grappling with the upsetting realization that this is the new reality in fashion.
“It would be very unfortunate to say it’s not going away, but we’re actually seeing this resurgence of fast fashion, what I call gross consumerism, continuing,” Paulus said. “That was fueled by things like Forever 21 and ZARA back in the day. What we’re seeing now is the result of Shane and Temu accelerating it.”
Paulus said the fashion industry operates using a circular structure. Especially when it comes to fast fashion, a phenomenon known as “trickle across” plays a key role in shortening the lifespan of trends.
“Our industry is literally based on planned obsolescence, which means we’re always changing to get people to buy more,” Paulus said. “What you’re talking about is what we call ‘trickle across,’ and what happens is that when you start looking at your social group, whether it’s stay-at-home moms, , be it a sorority, something is going to catch on,” usually through social media, and all of a sudden, this trend quickly permeates throughout that social group. ”
Molly Hoskin, president and co-founder of Students For Sustainable Fashion (a club dedicated to educating people about environmental science and becoming responsible consumers), says fast fashion is a waste of money in landfills, water usage and greenhouses. He said that it has an impact on the environment through aspects such as gas emissions.
But Hoskin, who is also in his fourth year in the field of environment, economics, development and sustainability, says many consumers fail to thoroughly analyze the social impact fast fashion has around the world. said.
“I think people tend to focus more on the environmental side and less on the social side,” Hoskin said. “One of the things I want to advocate is the difference between a fair wage and a living wage. A lot of these fast fashion companies don’t pay their employees fairly at all.”
Paulus says shoppers have access to rapidly changing styles, so it’s not likely to slow down any time soon. Still, she sees a growing wave of support for sustainably made clothing right now.
“Especially in your generation, we see two dynamics happening,” Paulus said. “Five years ago, when I first came to college, I used to ask the question, “How many of you are frugal?” Probably five or 10 out of a class of 100. Now, when I ask the same question, 90% of the class raises their hands. I think the same momentum is continuing because people are saying, “Less is more.” It means that we are actually starting to recognize that.
Hoskin said one of the main goals of Students For Sustainable Fashion is to educate students on how to redirect current fashion beliefs to create a more holistic way of consuming clothing.
“As we talk about the latest fashion trends and how more organizations, more companies, more people and designers are focusing on the sustainability aspect of fashion, we mainly We try to focus on the educational side,” Hoskin said. “We also like to run different workshops, focusing on how to upcycle, renew and fix imperfections in clothing.”
Harrison Piner, a 2024 graduate of Ohio State Fisher College of Business with a degree in marketing, launched his Columbus-based recycling and resale business, Memory Lane Clothing, in 2020.
“I took some of my clothes to a local resale store and they had a vintage 1997 Chicago Bulls T-shirt on sale for $6, so I ended up paying $540. “I decided to sell it,” Piner said. “That incident was what first got me interested in the business, but the high profit margins weren’t what kept me in the business. What kept me there was that I was no longer needed. , it was about breathing new life into well-made clothes.Now I try to carefully select clothes that bring back a sense of nostalgia to my customers.”
Piner said that contrary to popular belief, there is no shortage of options when shopping with a more sustainable approach.
“When you go to your local garage sale or estate sale, you never know what you’re going to find here. It’s also nice to know you’re supporting people in your town,” Piner said. “Also, your local thrift store is worth supporting. Goodwill Dumpster is 15 minutes from downtown Columbus. [are] Great place to get your clothes before they arrive [a] Please pollute our earth by landfilling it. ”
Paulus said changing your shopping habits to be more sustainable doesn’t have to be complicated, although it may seem daunting at first.
“For me, it’s very simple: buy less, own what you love, and give it to another human being,” Paulus said.
