Abstract:

The analysis of the fast fashion business model highlighted the environmentally devastating consequences contrary to current green transition directives.

Fast fashion exploded in the 1950s and 1960s, during a period of strong economic growth and prosperity, and spread by implementing a fast and affordable model of textile production, employing natural and human resources in an unsustainable manner. The introduction of this model led to a change in consumer habits, causing a domino effect with negative consequences for the environment. In recent years, awareness in relation to environmental issues has prompted many companies to direct their marketing strategies toward a more sustainable market. To gain a central role within the said market, companies are adopting a model called "greenwashing," or "cleaning up" their image by communicating the sustainability of their products [2].
This is the cultural context in which the didactic experimentation that applied research methodology to teaching for the development of a dissertation in Fashion Design is set.

There are three phases:
Knowledge: it aimed to identify a brand's distinctive factors and their possible influence on environmental sustainability: history, target audience, positioning of products offered within the market, mission, values and ideas.
Selection and comparison: A number of brands were selected, for which a detailed comparative analysis was carried out with respect to the identified factors.
Analysis: for each brand, a specific garment, i.e., t-shirt, was chosen, taking into account, for each brand, the materials used and the traceability of each garment, as well as the way it communicates to its consumers.

Evaluation:
Through the use of both environmental and social indicators, evaluation criteria were extrapolated, namely sufficient, insufficient and negative.
The results from that study showed that no brand achieves sufficiency in all assessment indicators, falling short in both environmental responsibility and social justice. A substantial difference emerges between brands that promote and operate transparently by adopting sustainability criteria and those that adopt a greenwashing model. This work has highlighted how through the use of appropriat tools and criteria for comparison and through the use of certain qualitative data, it is possible to demonstrate the reality hidden behind products touted as sustainable with eco-friendly materials.
The experiment made it possible to become aware of the potential of the indicator approach, which objectively evaluated the entire process, from the company background, to the procedures for making sustainable garments, to communication and promotion.

References:
[1] Mukendi, A., Davies, I. , Glozer, S. e McDonagh, P. (2020). doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0132
[2] Cai Y., Choi T., doi. org/10.1016/j.tre.2020.102010

Keywords:

Fast fashion, environmental impact, sustainability, greenwashing.