Unpacking fashion’s complicated impact on the planet

Hot Buttons

For the first topic of our first episode, we are asking a simple question: what is fashion’s actual impact on the environment?

We know the environmental impact of fashion is vast. But has it been properly quantified? It turns out, no. And that’s a problem for figuring out how to fix it.

Then, we turn to the most visible problem in the fashion industry: textile waste.

Rachel and Shilla are both involved in an effort to bring more transparency and regulatory scrutiny to the textiles industry. We’ll dig into some possible solutions for textile waste.

We’ll finish with one of the hottest stories in fashion: Shein.

In April, the Wall Street Journal revealed the Chinese mega-retailer had raised over $1 billion at a $100 billion valuation. Shein is now one of the most valuable private companies in the world — built off an ultra-fast fashion model that pumps out thousands of new styles per week.

What does Shein’s rise tell us about the tension between consumer desires for sustainable products and actual buying habits? And can Shein clean up its operations in a meaningful way?

Additional reading:

• New York Times: how fashion giants recast plastic as good for the planet
• Vox: fashion has a misinformation problem
• New York Times: the biggest fake news in fashion
• WWD: New working group to tackle textile waste
• Business of Fashion: the sustainability regulations that could reshape fashion.
• Sourcing Journal: Critics say Shein’s textile waste solution isn’t good enough
• WSJ: Shein valued at $100 billion funding round
• Daily Beast: Has Shein killed the dream of sustainability in fashion?

Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.

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