Influence
Purchasing ethically and sustainably often comes with a heftier price tag than purchasing from a fast fashion company. I could spend days and days talking about why we should invest in the sustainable option over the fast fashion option; but the fact of the matter is that for many consumers, the affordable, accessible, fast fashion option is the only option. But what about the people that absolutely can afford to invest in the sustainable option? I’m not talking about you and me. I’m talking about celebrities, influencers, those people that the price tag simply doesn’t matter. Is it wrong for those people to support fast fashion? Should they be obligated to invest in and exclusively promote sustainable brands? Well, in an op-ed piece for Teen Vogue, Shama Nasinde (2020) discussed that very question.
On Monday, November 30, 2020, supermodel Bella Hadid posted a series of Instagram pictures spotlighting a Michael Kors bag and a “slinky moss green dress” (para. 2). Despite the fact that the bag was the main player, fans were most interested in where Bella got the dress. One Instagram user commented, “This dress tho. I need,” to which Bella swiftly replied, “I bought it online for $16.99. I’m gonna find the link for u” (para. 2). While many fans celebrated the supermodel for her willingness to give away outfit details, others were a bit more skeptical. One user commented, “Not to be negative……but rich people buying fast fashion when they have the money to invest in sustainable clothes doesn’t sit right w me” (para. 3). Another wrote, “Ok but can we please address the literal millionaire contributing to fashion fashion” (para. 3).
Some of you may be thinking, “what’s the big deal? It’s one dress.” While that is true, and I guess at the end of the day it’s Bella’s decision and not mine, celebrities and influencers must recognize that their purchases drive consumer demand. Nasinde (2020) stated:
Models wearing cheap clothing creates a veil of desirability that only distances your everyday consumer from the problematic reality of cheap labor and climate change. Armed with the knowledge of how harmful mass production is, and with a bank balance that can avoid it, celebrities with influence should be more conscious about what they promote on their platforms. One dress might feel negligible but what happens when millions follow suit? Even if Bella did not share the link publicly, the truth is thousands are now on the hunt for that $16.99 dress – and someone’s gotta make them. (para. 6)
As I’ve mentioned before, consumers often forget that when the price on the tag is lower, the true cost of the garment is hidden in other places – the human cost, the environmental cost. Hidden behind Bella’s slinky dress is “an exploitative industry fueled by trend-driven purchases” (para. 4). The fast fashion industry relies on lower-cost countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam to outsource supply and production so that garments are quickly and cheaply produced in mass quantities. In fact, according to Remake, “a non-profit organization working to bring awareness to the human right and climate change issues within the fashion industry,” 80% of the workers are women aged between 18 and 24; and on top of that, many of them earn less than $3 per day (para. 4). When Bella posted that photo, consumers simply saw a cute dress that one of their favorite celebrities loves. They failed to see the damaging industry that dress supports.
Garment workers were deemed essential workers in Bangladesh. Image courtesy of Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Growing up, my parents always advised me to be cautious about what I was putting on social media. Why? They said, “little eyes are always watching.” While that may seem a bit creepy, they meant people younger than me – people that may be looking up to me for guidance and inspiration. In Bella’s case, people of all ages, from all over the world, are looking to her for inspiration. I certainly don’t expect celebrities to exclusively purchase sustainably and ethically; but I think this situation is definitely a reminder to use one’s platform to promote important and necessary causes. Popular fashions are driven by popular people. Just think, if Bella had been wearing a dress from a B Corporation, or a company that has sustainability and ethics at its core, her followers, in turn, would be doing the same thing too.
Bye for now,
McGee