dear
reader,
Confession: I don’t know how to make fun mistakes and fix the planet at the same time. The term ‘fast fashion’ was first used in an early 1990s New York Times article to describe Zara’s fast-paced business model. Brands began racing one another to provide the newest styles at the fastest paces at the lowest costs. Manufacturing got quicker and materials got cheaper. Clothes lasted as long as a trend did, at which point they would fall apart and be replaced by something new. There are many different opinions on fast fashion, and while I don’t support it because of the negative environmental impacts of so much careless overproduction and waste, I can debate the positives all day: increased accessibility to fashion
trends and the democratization of the clothing industry. But what gets brought up less frequently is the shift in mentality that makes today’s consumers constantly crave something new and the decrease in value that people place on their clothing. Around the time of the rise of fast fashion, the mentality of ‘live fast, die young’ that started post World War II skyrocketed, and the term ‘YOLO’ was first used in 1993. With political turmoil and financial uncertainty, youth culture prioritized r e c k l e s s n e s s , adventure, and fun. The idea that you could be responsible when you got older or that you can sleep when you’re dead became popularized and prevalent in all mainstream media. Music encouraged it, movies romanticized it, and the idea of the 27 club was born with Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994.
Fast fashion has further accelerated with social media and the pressures to constantly post photos in new clothing. Now, without even leaving the house, your entire social network can see a new dress via Instagram. The other day, my friend changed her top because she wanted to take photos and “already posted in that one.” I’ve been guilty of this, too. We get sick of the pieces in our closets (and on our social media feeds) so quickly. Our short attention spans are always looking for something new and the fashion industry is always sending us fresh looks to obsess over. Today’s twentysomething and younger consumers, myself included, have grown up in a world where fashion has always operated in this manner. I remember the freedom I felt during my first shopping spree at the local mall with friends, running from store to store,
counting out enough change from my allowance to pay for a graphic t-shirt from Forever 21. Unless you actively try to learn about fashion history, you wouldn’t necessarily know that fashion cycles weren’t always this fast-paced or that clothing was once built to last. It seems foreign that people used to mend the same dress over and over again, wearing it to every party of a season. This issue focuses on our relationship with fashion — how, why, when, and where we shop — and how that relates to our relationships with ourselves. It highlights ways to wear current trends and new pieces without contributing to pollution and shares stories of twentysomethings. It is a love letter to this decade and a breakup note to fast fashion. Thank you for picking it up.
love,
sophie
In short, fast fashion capitalizes off the mental chaos of our twenties. This zine is to encourage and arm you to fight back.
From 2000 to 2015, clothing production doubled, but the average number of times a g a r m e n t was worn declined by ~37%.
confessions of some twenty-somethings Age: 24 Confession: I preach about fast fashion but I still shop at Zara.
Age: 23 Confession: I get so stressed about getting the “work hard, play hard” balance right that I end up not working hard enough AND not having enough fun.
Age: 27 Confession: I’m addicted to shopping.
Age: 22 Confession: I’m so confused.
Age: 24 Confession: I think I wasted half of my twenties trying to have it all together and suppressing my wild inner child. Now that I’m almost 25, I feel like only I have a few years left to make up for lost time. I’m afraid I’ll look back one day and feel unfulfilled.
Age: 22 Confession: I haven’t worn half the clothes in my closet and I’m still sick of them. I know this is bad for the environment, but sometimes I just don’t care.
Age: 26 Confession: I’m against capitalism but I work in finance.
Send your confessions in through the QR code on the back of this issue.
Renting clothes is a sustainable, affordable, and fun way to wear the newest trends and designer items. It promotes a circular fashion cycle and helps prevent waste.
The following looks are just some looks I’d wear on a night out in London or to Sunday brunch in New York City :) Take it or leave it, there are many more pieces to pick from on these rental platforms, no matter your style. Best part is there’s absolutely no commitment. You can shop to your heart’s content and then send the pieces back after a wear or two. Some rental platforms also have in person locations, which is extra fun. About Hurr: Hurr is an online renting platform with thousands of renters and lenders. It was started to offer a solution to the negative habits of the fashion industry. Acknowledging that people continue to want “newness,” while concerned about the sustainability of that model, Hurr found a solution: “Getting women to rent instead, meant they could still get their kicks from the latest luxury trends and pieces, without burning a hole in their pocket or the planet (Hurr mission statement).” About Rent The Runway: The first major fashion rental website, RTR started in 2009 after discussing how much easier it would be to rent a wedding dress instead of spending thousands on one. In 2016, RTR began offering a membership plan, where consumers can pay a fixed price and get new pieces delivered to them each month (in exchange for the previous month’s pieces!).
rent o t t ha a night w for out in london 1. A pink top
2. Black bottoms
All of these pieces are available to rent at Hurr:
Tops left to right: Saks Potts, £32; Harmur, £21; Jacquemus, £37; Isabel Mar
Bags left to right: Prada, £171; Lulu Guiness, £23; Kara, £41 Bottoms left to
Earrings left to right: Versace, £18; Yves Saint Laurent, £75 Shoes left to r
3. A sparkly accent
rant, £39; Lirika Matoshi, £31; GAUGE81, £38
o right: Paco Rabanne, £114; Frame, £33; House of Sunny, £21; Self Portrait, £38
right: Moschino, £40; Gucci, £47; Amina Muaddi, £165; Saint Laurent, £123
3. S
1. A collared sweater
2. Corduroy bottoms
All of these pieces are available to rent at Rent The Runw
Tops left to right: Baum und Pferdgarten, $35; Sweet Baby Jamie, $50; Sams
Bottoms left to right: Ramy Brook, $55; Paige, $40; 7 For All Mankind, $30; Se Sunglasses left to right: Courréges, $55; Le Specs, $10; Karen Walker, $40
Coats left to right: Madewell, $55; Victor Alfaro Collective, $95; Harris Whar
Sunglasses
4. A brown coat
t a h
rent
in
ch n u r b w r ty i fo c k r o new y
way:
soe, $55; Jonathan Simkhai, $80; Tibi, $90
ee By Chloe, $75; 3.1 Phillip Lim, $80
rf London, $90
to
Thanks,
it’
’s rented.
On Saturday, March 5, The Moth Club hosted an 80’s themed club night: Dancing In The Dark. The Hackney bar advertised the event as “dripping with nostalgia,” reminiscing on “simpler, sparklier years.” The website reads: “The ‘80s were a wild time, that most of you probably didn’t get a chance to experience properly.” Themed parties and events encourage shopping sprees. They’re like Halloween in that way. Escaping to another decade often involves buying an outfit that belongs in that decade. I often struggle with dressing sustainably when attending these types of events. I absolutely love dressing up and take these opportunities to put on a completely different persona. And when I decide to go to one last minute, Amazon Prime feels like the quickest way to score an entire costume overnight. There are other ways to do it, however. The following looks were taken at The Moth Club’s Dancing In The Dark, where I had the opportunity to talk to party-goers about how they put their outfits together. You’ll see some people borrowed actual ‘80s items from their parents, others repurposed old Halloween costumes, some thrifted versatile pieces they know they’ll wear again and again, and several simply wore stuff they already owned. To no surprise, these were the most creative and interesting looks (at least in my opinion) of the night.
Gloves: borrowed from a friend
Top: one of the wea pieces, bought from on a trip to Greece
d
arer’s favorite m a small store
Necklace: a f the wearer, m independent on Etsy
Sunglasses: and worn nig
Dress: previously bought for a friend’s birthday party
favorite of made by an t designer
thrifted ghtly
Glasses: borrowed from a party-goer Necklace: made herself
THE RULES OF THE GAME
Grab a friend, a playing piece for each of you, and a dic the dice and move forward the number of spaces it Follow the directions for the color you land on. The first p to reach the final green square wins!
st
ar
t
L
g a y a l p s ’ et
ce. Roll reads. player
! e m ga
en
d
Green: Have you shopped fast fashion this month? Move up one if no, back two if yes. Blue: Is the last garment you purchased made of sustainable materials? Move up to the next blue square if yes, back to the previous one (or start) if no. Red: Have you discarded of anything in your closet this month? Move up one if no, back two if yes. Yellow: Have you online shopped this month? Move up to the next yellow square if no, back to the previous one (or start) if yes. Pink: Move forward a space for every secondhand clothing item you are currently wearing.
Read more confessions of a twenty-something and submit your own here.