Applications such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram are all key contributors to the ongoing and visible downfall of the fashion industry. How? In many different ways, each of these platforms damages an already fragile industry by targeted advertising, growing resell culture, fast fashion endorsement, trend praise, and digital overconsumption.
Targeted advertising on Instagram has been prevalent for years. The truth is that your phone is listening, more specifically these large platforms are listening. Instagram studies your search history and pairs that to your explore page so that companies pay them for strategically placed advertisements. This is a problem not only for the exploitation of your information but also because it leads to no discovery or adaptation in the industry. The brands that pay for these advertisements are most commonly trend-based companies or start-ups who require social media presence to stay relevant. In other terms, Instagram needs these companies just as much as they need the platform to grow. Most of these "instabrands" buy clothing in bulk from big fast fashion companies such as Shein or Alliexpress and up the price of the cheap garments to sell to the public.
TikTok in particular has many creators who publicly endorse fast fashion with "hauls" of up to five hundred dollars from brands such as Shein, to their thousands of followers. Clothing "hauls" are a growingly popular way that an influencer showcases findings or PR packages in video format by listing the brand and typically the price as well. The viewer sees many on-trend clothing items and for low prices without knowing the consequences of purchasing. Who wouldn't visit Shein's website after seeing something as affordable as a four-dollar pair of jeans? (Read my post titled What is Fast Fashion?) These companies pay influencers money to promote their cheap clothing to the masses in what seems like a never-ending cycle. Younger people most commonly fall into the cycle of buying from Fast Fashion due to its overwhelming TikTok presence.
With the prevalence of Fast Fashion in social media, trend culture is an inescapable defeat for sustainable designers all over the world. Trends, which social media influencers give power to, are not an adequate option to look to when building a wardrobe or style identity. Trends most commonly circulate through Instagram. Instagram is the foundation of trend culture and Instagram influencers thrive off of trends. The problem with this is, to mass-produce trendy clothing, a fast fashion production style is required. Companies such as Zara, Topshop, H&M, and others can design, produce and sell a product in only fifteen days to abide by these trends. These brands also are notorious for designer duplicates. Not only are designer duplicates harmful to an already decreasing designer market, but also promotion from influencers can be preferred by consumers. Small start-up and future designer brands are unable to make money and gain exposure due to these duplicates, therefore leaving no future for the industry as a result of fast fashion's overwhelming social media presence.
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