It’s nearly impossible to find a clothing haul on YouTube without the words “huge” or “giant” leading the title in capital letters, and even harder to find one not featuring fast fashion. Despite many solely associating newer companies like Shein and Fashion Nova with fast fashion, several well-known brands fall into the same category. Gap, Adidas and Urban Outfitters, all nationally recognized and beloved retailers, serve as a few of many examples of this concept describing cheaply made, rapidly produced clothing. The rise of Tik Tok, coupled with the steady popularity of mainstay platforms YouTube and Instagram, provided the perfect catalyst for fast fashion’s inevitable takeover. Social media arguable deserves a large amount of the credit for a newfound culture of micro trends and overconsumption, ultimately playing a significant role in slowing sustainability efforts in the fashion industry. I plan to explore the pressing issue of fast fashion through my potential research question: How is social media exasperating the rapidly increasing popularity of fast fashion, micro trends and a culture of overconsumption? For the multi-media portion of my project, I hope to create a fictional magazine publication centered on combating the fast fashion craze by featuring slow fashion brands, informative articles and more.
