Final project

10

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Professor Queen

ENGL 102-06

Researched Argument Final Draft

Due: 27 May 2020

Beauty and the Beast: The Problems of Fast Fashion in Kuwait

The fashion world is all about beauty, glamour, and the power of expressing through clothing. However, do you know what lurks behind all the glamour? Ironically, it is horrifyingly ugly. Indeed, the fashion industry is created to celebrate human appearance through clothing and expression; however, their methods are questionable. The fashion industry relies on unobtainable beauty and expensive clothing to exploit people's insecurities and capitalize on their desires. In response, mass production of cheap trendy clothing was introduced, known as fast fashion. In other words, fashion trends are readily available to all classes of consumers. Moreover, the democratization of fashion is indeed adaptive to the fast-paced nature of the world, but it also caused severe environmental and human damages. The fashion industry is the second most polluter under oil.

The origins of fast fashion can be traced to the industrial revolution in which new technologies were introduced, resulting in quicker and cheaper clothing; however, it was the 1960s when the hyperproduction of cheap clothing began thanks to brands like Zara. According to an article published by Good on You, a sustainability organization that works closely with the United Nations, "It is when Zara landed in New York at the beginning of the 1990s, that people first heard the term "Fast Fashion." (Rauturier). Armancio Ortega owns the company known as Inditex that possesses the brand Zara and other fast-fashion brands such as Massimo Dutti and Bershka. According to Business Insider, a financial news website, Amancio Ortega is the sixth richest man with a total net worth of $68.5 billion (Warren and Wiley).

The massive success of the new era of fashion caused severe damage to the environment, human and social issues. The fast production of garments is due to the way Fast fashion companies market themselves by continually creating new styles of clothes to keep up with trends. This marketing strategy sends a message to consumers that old clothes are disposable. According to Common Objective, a business network for the fashion industry, about 39 million tonnes of fashion waste are produced annually, and 70% of the waste ends up in landfills, and 30% will be incinerated. Moreover, fast fashion garments are made up of cheap textiles and materials, such as polyester, detrimental to the environment. Our Changing Climate, a channel that informs on environmental and sustainable issues, posted a video which states, “Polyester, a petroleum-based fiber, requires a large number of fossil fuels. According to Forbes, that number had reached 70 million barrels a year.” Moreover, when fast fashion garments are washed, they leak artificial dyes, and polyester sheds microfibers and finds its way into water streams and ends up in the seas and oceans, causing long-lasting harm to marine life. Sienna Sommer, a research coordinator at Fashion Revolution with a Masters in Conservation Science, claims that "Due to the tiny size of microplastics, they can be ingested by marine animals which can have catastrophic effects on the species and the entire marine ecosystem. Moreover, fast fashion garments are produced in sweatshops. The high demand for production exploits the safety of the workers and strips them from their fundamental human rights. The workers are paid extremely low, and the workplace is often hazardous. In the Tedx Talk by Leslie Johnston, the executive director of the C&A Foundation, she got very emotional when she brought up the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, killing 1134 workers and injuring many more.

As the world has increasingly become more interested in sustainability, the fashion industry naturally started implementing innovative strategies to solve the pollution it caused. Sustainable fibers are being adopted by many designers and have shown results in the improvement of environmental and human damages. Many consumers nowadays are becoming more conscious of what they buy and being more sustainable. However, many people may argue that the fashion industry may never be sustainable. Many brands are initiating recycling programs and charities; however, according to an article published on Medium, H&M, a wasteful brand by default, initiated a recycling program that is not trustworthy. The article claims that only 0.1 percent of donations are recycled, and the rest are continued to be dumped in landfills (Otte). Moreover, Tansy Hoskins, author of the book Stitched up, claims that the fashion industry will become sustainable is silly in a capitalist world.

The fashion industry is the world's biggest toxic polluter under oil. The Gulf, a region that is mostly dependent on oil, is a heavy fashion consumer. In an article published by McKinsey & Company in 2019, it states that "Annual fashion sales in the Middle East's Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets amount to $50 billion…" (Iftahy) The UAE has shown real concern to fashion pollution and implemented innovative strategies by partnering with the "Fashion revolution," a fashion sustainability organization; however, not all GCC countries are following UAE's footsteps. In Kuwait, the issue of fashion sustainability is never mentioned in the news. Also, there are no evident sources found that relate to fashion sustainability in Kuwait. Lack of concern is not only dangerous for a country that cares about its righteous image, but it is also extremely harmful to the environment. Therefore, Kuwait must stop in the induction of fashion waste, and set a leading example in the middle east as a progressive state by engaging in innovative solutions to support fashion sustainability.

Kuwait must support fashion sustainability to avoid increasing environmental problems in a water-scarce region. According to an article published by FDI, a non-profit research institute, “Kuwait is placed among nine of the highest-ranked countries that face an ‘extremely high water risk’ by 2040 (Ismail). Fast fashion garments heavily rely on cheaply manufactured cotton that requires insane amounts of water. According to Dr. Patsy Perry, a teacher of Fashion Marketing at the University of Manchester, "Cotton growing requires high levels of water and pesticides to prevent crop failure, which can be problematic in developing countries that may lack sufficient investment and be at risk of drought (Perry). Also, Kuwait depends on oil economically, the world's largest polluter. It was estimated that the Gulf region would be inhabitable due to gas emissions and global warming soon. According to Jonathan Gornall, a British journalist specializing in health, “If climate change is not checked, say the researches, between 2071 and 2100 most of the territory bordering the Gulf, Red Sea and the Arabian Sea will experience wet-bulb temperatures permanently between 31 and 35 degrees.”

Kuwait is a significant consumer of fast fashion. There is no denying that Kuwaiti people are obsessed with fashion. The Oxford Business Group states that in 2013, Kuwait’s value of the retail and wholesale trade in Kuwait at KD1.6 Billion. Kuwaiti brands such as Marzook are worn by celebrities attending the Metropolitan Gala in New York, making it the only fashion brand in the Gulf to be featured in the annual event. Due to the scorching climate of Kuwait, shopping malls, where fast fashion stores thrive in, dominate leisure activities. According to an article published by Oxford Business Group, “the hypermarket is an increasingly popular shopping choice in Kuwait due to the fact that during the heat of the summer months, hypermarkets offer comfortable, air-conditioned shopping experience.” Fashion stores are unavoidable at the malls. The avenues mall, the largest mall of Kuwait owned by Alshaya, hosts 4 H&M stores and 3 Zara stores.

Moreover, fast fashion caters to its consumers providing merchandise to all, unlike independent designers, who focus more on catering towards their creative processes and inspirations. Muslim women are not provided on a larger scale by independent designers, gravitating them towards corporate, fast fashion brands whose designs are focused on providing to their demographic. Many Muslim women would argue that traditional hijab styles like the Abaya have been elevated to suit modern trends. However, "Hijab fashion" Has evolved beyond the traditional Abaya wear for decades, and the Kuwaiti fashion blogger, Ascia pioneered the western influences on the modest style of hijab fashion. Therefore, most Muslim women who wear hijab in Kuwait do not wear abaya styles and first consume fast fashion clothing as they are more appealing and worn by the majority.

The modern Kuwaiti society is consumed in capitalist economic and social functions that it is becoming increasingly difficult to introduce new ideas centering on sustainability. The social dynamics of the Kuwaiti society fails to raise concerns on the importance of the adverse effects of fast fashion. According to Mariecar JaraPuyod, senior reporter of Gulf Today, “Sustainable fashion is possible. It only has to start with being conscious of waste segregation, more of the walk-the-talk on collaborative efforts between and among individuals, and political will.” The ministry of commerce could shift its market towards independent designers that support sustainability and fund creative local fashion brands that follow strict innovative sustainable methods of creating. Maya is the only ethical local fashion brand. The brand strictly follows the sustainable guidelines of the International Fare-Trade Standards. Their staff are highly trained and are proved with a stable income to support their lives and their families. Their clothes are made with high-quality fabrics, collected from warehouses that sell the ends of the rolls. Their collections are composed of monotone neutral colors to satisfy their aim to create long-lasting pieces that could be layered and used in multiple ways. The brand is a role model for upcoming Kuwaiti fashion brands accumulating a wide range of supporters but on the mainstream level.

The brand Maya was influenced by Stella McCartney, one of the pioneers of fashion sustainability. She launched her own fashion house in 2001 in partnership with Kerning. According to Fleur Britten, a fashion journalist for The Times, "Sales had risen an impressive 31% during 2016 to $50 million.” Stella McCartney aims to reinvent clothes using only sustainable fibers such as re-engineered cashmere, plant-based fibers, wool, silk, vegetarian leather, metals, faux fur, organic cotton, and recycled nylon. Nevertheless, how much is Stella McCartney sustainable? In a tweet she posted on 19 of March 2020, she grabs the reader's attention by posting a garment from her new collection worn by a high fashion slender model. Her brand is the most innovative in the context of ethical fashion garment production; however, she uses the same advertisement strategies of all high-end brands who contribute to fashion pollution significantly. the standards of high fashion brands depend on unobtainable beauty to sell their garments, which creates a negative impact on body image on young girls and boys. Stella McCartney should consider creating a more inclusive brand that caters to all shapes, sizes, and gender that do not harm the human's wellbeing.

Fashion consumers play a significant role in the induction of fashion waste and must support sustainability. Naser Al-Abduljalil, a student at the London College of Fashion, gave remarkable advice for consumers to support fashion sustainability. He recognizes the difficulties of choosing sustainability over style. He states that consumers should avoid throwing away garments and start repurposing them or upcycling them. In school, they were given projects to decorate furniture using garments. He used all of his old denim jeans to create a patchwork denim sofa. Moreover, he wishes to alleviate the stigma surrounding secondhand clothing and encourage Kuwaiti consumers to buy from local secondhand clothing markets. He continues to state that consumers should be conscious of what they buy and focus on buying high-quality garments selectively to ensure the livelihood of the clothes. Finally, he states that consumers should also reduce consumption overall and support sustainable fashion brands.

Not only Kuwait is dependent on oil for its economy, but it is also one of the fashion capitals of the Arab world. Kuwait must recognize fast fashion as a primary global problem that needs to be solved. It must start broadcasting the fashion industry regarding the significant contributions to global pollution so that the citizens are fully aware of the issue. Moreover, Kuwait could be more sustainable by further promoting the effects and versatility of ethically sourced materials. Kuwait could collaborate with sustainable organizations such as Fashion Revolution to create a fashion week solely dedicated to ethical wear, where large corporate brands partake in designing and advertising sustainability. Donating clothing to charity shops enables the usage of a garment for its entire life span, naturally decreasing fast fashion consumption. Clothing items donated to charity could be worn, reworked, or repurposed into various things, making sustainability a grander practice amongst consumers. Supporting fashion sustainability seeks to end the slave labor situated in fast fashion. It should not take the collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh to become aware of the horrors of the fashion industry. The companies that directly link to the Rana Plaza got away with the consequences, which means that they are murders. The death of a thousand men and women who worked endlessly to create the clothes we wear should be honored and respected. The Collapse of the Rana Plaza was not the first catastrophe of the fast fashion industry, but it must remain the last.

Works Cited

@StellaMcCartney (Stella McCartney). “We’re taking plant-based fashion to new heights. Starting a cruelty-free revolution sounds heavy, but we keep it light – especially with this bright white dress from #StellaSummer20, our most sustainable collection ever. Learn more on Stella’s World: stell.am/2lrJ2y5” Twitter, 19 March. 2020, 7:45 p.m., https://twitter.com/StellaMcCartney/status/1240680743820357632

“About Stella – Stella McCartney Brand History.” Stella McCartney, www.stellamccartney.com/experience/us/about-stella/.

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