Grade 11 student Raquel Calandre feels the pressure of having to keep up with ever-changing fashion trends.
As a young person, growing up in the digital age means being more exposed to these trends. Social media feeds are flooded with ads, product unboxings, try-on videos, and influencer partnerships.
“I go to a lot of parties and every time I go out I'm like, 'I need a new outfit,'” said Calandre, a student at Santa Sabina College in Sydney's west.
“It's normal today. You can't wear the same thing twice.”
It's the time of super-fast fashion, characterized by even shorter production cycles and trends than its predecessor. It is affordable, accessible and present everywhere.
“Online, on buses, on buildings, it’s always in front of you,” said senior Lucy Gee.
“Trends come and go so quickly. I guess it's a natural human instinct to follow them and [fast fashion] “It's so convenient and so cheap.”
These high school students are on a mission to stop fast fashion. Source: SBS News
But this climate-conscious generation is also aware of the environmental impact of their consumption habits. Last year, students had a moment of reflection.
After learning that Australians were among the biggest consumers of fashion, Gee and a team of senior students from Santa Sabina decided to launch a second-hand clothing store.
“We [realised] “We can sell really cheap clothes, just like fast fashion, and we can also be really convenient,” Gee said.
The Santa Style boutique is now a permanent fixture on campus, open twice a week at lunchtime. The students also run an online store and an Instagram page.
With the cost of living crisis in mind, they decided to cap prices at $20 — including items from designer brands like Zimmermann, Aje and Carla Zampatti.
“[You] bring something you won't wear again and someone else can wear it. We don't waste things. [And] I can actually afford things here rather than buying a dress for $100 and wearing it once,” Calandre said.
Calandre and fellow student Emma Wong, also in year 11, will take over operations next year after Gee and other senior students graduate.
This month, Wong visited other schools in the area to promote the idea.
“They don’t need to be such a massive company… [you can] “You really have to start small to have a massive impact,” she said.
Australians are the world's biggest fashion consumers
Australia has now overtaken the United States as the world's largest consumer of clothing, shoes and bags per capita, according to a study by the Australia Institute. Most of that is fast fashion that ends up in landfill.
The analysis, released last month, found the average Australian buys about 56 new items each year and the average cost of those items is $13 – well below the UK, US, Japan and Brazil.
Australia has overtaken the United States and become the world's largest consumer of clothing, shoes and bags per capita. Source: SBS News
When it comes to discarded clothing, more than 200,000 tonnes of textiles end up in Australian landfills each year – the equivalent of the weight of almost four Sydney Harbor bridges.
Nina Gbor, director of the circular economy and waste management program at the Australia Institute, said an additional 100,000 tonnes is being exported to the Global South.
“We should not be sending clothes made from fossil fuels made from plastic to other countries to pollute their environment. We should be reducing this at the source and then recycling and reusing these products,” she said.
An industry on alert
It's a problem Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is seeking to address through a new initiative, which officially begins Monday.
Speaking earlier this month at the initiative's launch event in Sydney, Plibersek said reducing clothing consumption was “an incredible challenge for us as a country”.
“It’s a very serious environmental problem, especially as we’re seeing a very high volume of very low-cost fashion,” she said.
The average cost of new clothes purchased in Australia is $13. Source: SBS News
The goal of the program, known as Seamless, is to create circularity by 2030 by transforming the way clothing is made, used, reused and recycled in Australia.
Although it is not mandatory, 62 companies have signed up in the 12 months since the scheme was announced, including Big W, Cotton On, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams, Sussan Group and The Iconic.
From July 1, member companies will be required to pay a tax of four cents for each new garment placed on the market.
The funds will be spent on programs and training for businesses to support sustainable product design, reduce waste and educate consumers.
Gbor said it was a good start, but argued the tax was too small to change brand behavior.
“It's very good to see that the government is doing something to tackle clothing waste in this country, but unfortunately it's not enough. We need [the levy to be] “More like 50 cents per garment,” she said.
Gbor said the problem could also be addressed by a ban on the export of textile waste. She would like to see Australia adopt a similar approach to France, which is seeking to impose a 10 euro ($16) tax on every item of ultra-fast fashion sold in the country, and ban advertising for such products.
“We want to tax these fast fashion brands and invest that money in Australian companies that manufacture according to circular principles,” Gbor said.
Sustainability is now a “consumer movement”
Australian consumers of all ages are increasingly considering the social and environmental impact of their purchases, according to Eloise Zoppos, director of research and engagement at Monash Business School's Australian Consumer and Retail Studies.
She said sustainability is no longer a trend, but a consumer movement.
“What we're seeing, both in our research and in the broader trend in Australia and around the world, is that it's particularly [amid] “In the face of the cost of living crisis, people are looking for new and different ways to adopt sustainable behaviors and truly shop according to their values,” she said.
“More and more people are buying second-hand or used products.”
The trend is also taking hold in the digital space. While social media is often criticized for promoting a culture of overconsumption, a growing wave of content creators is mobilizing against fast fashion.
Melbourne-based writer and podcaster Maggie Zhou is one of them.
In 2019, she decided to change her Instagram profile to one promoting slow fashion.
Maggie Zhou is part of a growing wave of content creators rallying against fast fashion. Source: SBS News
“Before that, I worked with fast fashion brands, accepted donated products and wore their new clothes,” Zhou said.
“[It was] “It’s so fun, so brilliant and really seductive, but after a while it left a bitter taste in my mouth.”
Zhou said that while fast fashion still dominates the influencer space, notable progress has been made in recent years.
“In Australia we're still a small group, but with the rise of TikTok, I've seen so many creatives showing off their upcycling outfits and how they shop. I think it's growing, but growing very slowly .”
“Wear the clothes that are in your wardrobe”
Most of the clothes in Zhou's wardrobe are second-hand.
“I go to local thrift stores [and] consignment stores. And when I buy new items, I really try to be conscious of them. That means I research brands, think about the decision before I make it.
“It can be difficult. There are so many trends, but I really try to slow down my consumption and only buy what is necessary.”
Zhou's number one tip for those looking to be more sustainable?
“Wear the clothes that are in your closet,” she said.
“Many of us neglect the pieces we have. Re-wear the clothes you have, take care of them and wear them for as long as you can.”
Gbor is also a big advocate of revamping items we already own.
“Re-styling involves wearing an item of clothing in more than one way. By creating these new combinations, you can wear your clothes longer in different ways by layering and accessorizing,” she said.
“You can have a whole new wardrobe without buying anything new.”
She said clothing swaps are another way to refresh your wardrobe.
“You still get that dopamine hit, even though it's not exactly new. It makes shopping free and keeps clothes out of landfills.”
