The Guardian view on fast fashion: it can't cost the earth | Editorial

We need to rethink the idea that the hunger for new clothes ought to be sated immediatelyFashion operates on desire. How we dress feeds off cravings to be different as well as part of a tribe; to be en vogue but ahead of the pack. The message from the high street is that such wishes can be fulfilled, and fast fashion plays on the idea that hunger can be sated immediately. But to overcome such urges we need to reflect on the fragility of our planet. This means accepting that there is a better way to keep the pleasures of fashion open to all parts of society than promoting disposable clothes as desirable. This is not just about the high cost of the ?4 dress; luxury retailers such as Louis Vuitton have offered small collections every two weeks.The fashion industry has benefited from globalisation to mass-produce goods by externalising the costs of production in the form of human and environmental damage. Every year, 100bn new garments are produced by one out of six people worldwide. Yet only 2% of them earn a living wage. In this country it is an open secret that some garment factories are not paying the minimum wage. Continue reading...