GRAMGood news for people who like to be lied to and wear clothes that smell of petrochemicals: Boohoo, a UK-based online fast fashion brand that has grown rapidly in the US, has announced that will partner with Kourtney Kardashian to embark on a “sustainability journey.”
The destination is unclear, but the “journey” will include 46 limited-edition garments made from “recycled fibers, traceable cotton, recycled sequins, and recycled polyester,” as well as “see-through practices for shoppers who want to learn more about dressing.”
Although still a small fish in the US fast fashion market, Boohoo is a UK fast fashion giant, which means their clothes are made from cheap materials that harm the environment, and its workers in Pakistan are paid as little as 33 cents an hour to work in unsafe conditions. The result of this proven method of exploitation is an average of over 700 different poorly made items being uploaded to their website every week, ready for the consumer to add to cart for a quick burst of serotonin and a new outfit. to upload to Instagram over the weekend.
Following more than $1 billion in sales in the first financial quarter of 2021, Boohoo has aggressive plans for expansion in the US, with the Kardashian capsule collection set to launch at New York Fashion Week as the centerpiece of its US release.
In July, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that Boohoo was under investigation for “greenwashing,” the practice of using inaccuracy or exaggeration when labeling something as sustainable or environmentally sound. Under particular scrutiny is his “Ready for the Future” line which vaguely claims that items in this line “are made from more than 20% more sustainable materials,” an essentially nonsensical claim made with little to no evidence.
Kardashian, the oldest sister in the first reality TV family, has spent the last few years creating a personal brand obsessed with fashion and health: going vegan, ditching coffee in favor of matcha, cutting sugar out of her kids’ lives. (To ridiculous effect on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in which she tried to ban candy at a Candy Land-themed children’s birthday party.) Her content and commerce lifestyle platform Poosh, “the modern guide to living your best life,” offers quick and healthy lunch recipes from Kardashian herself, natural hangover cures, skin care recommendations and a tour of “High-Vibe Bedroom Rest Area”.
In the official press release, Kardashian herself admitted some trepidation about the collaboration: “When Boohoo first approached me with this idea that had to do with sustainability and style, I was worried about the effects of the fashion industry. fast fashion on our planet”. she said, briefly eliciting a ray of hope.
Unfortunately, she continued. “It has been an enlightening experience speaking directly with industry experts. There is still a lot of work to be done and improvements to be made, but I truly believe that any progress we can make when it comes to sustainability is a step in the right direction and will open up the conversation for further progress.” Something tells me the enlightenment she experienced was related to a paycheck and Kardashian’s inability to turn down a lucrative opportunity.
It’s unclear how sustainable the pieces in the upcoming collection, which range in price from $6 to $100, actually are. The official press release includes absurd statements like “41/45 contains pieces that contain recycled fibers such as recycled [sic] cotton” with no information on what percentage of the materials are recycled (Boohoo did not respond to repeated requests for clarification). Although the collection promises to be “traceable”, only 2 items are made with cotton from CottonConnect, an agricultural project that promotes sustainable cotton growing practices with specific farms.
Boohoo says it is making 12 of the parts “in the UK, including our own UK factory”. But conditions in the Boohoo factories were so bad that many believe they amounted to modern-day slavery, and the US threatened to ban imports unless changes were made. More than two years later, more than half of workers say they are paid less than the minimum wage and do not receive vacation pay.
Even if Kardashian’s range turns out to be as sustainable as Stella McCartney’s, her collection represents less than 0.1% of the clothing available on Boohoo. Your support, however, will help the entire company, including the 99.9% of its clothing, which is far less sustainable.
Black trench coat, green wash? Kourtney’s collaboration with Boohoo includes a reality web series about the creation of the line.
It seems that most of the heavy lifting in terms of sustainability will actually be done by the “social content series” that will launch alongside the collection, which sees footage of Kardashian talking to a variety of brilliant experts about how fast fashion is killing the planet before. happily setting off to co-sign some more of what’s being done.
At the heart of the influencer’s funneling to the landfill is a delusion of egalitarianism, with fast fashion framed as an accessible way for ordinary people to embody the aspirational lifestyles of the likes of Kardashian, who, let’s face it, would probably prefer die rather than actually use the cheap crap they’re selling for longer than the time it takes to make a contractually required post.
Fast fashion fans justify their continued patronage of these stores with claims that they just can’t afford anything else, but there’s no reason why anyone should spend hundreds of dollars on new clothes every month.
Anyone who says that a company like Boohoo can create sustainable clothing is lying. Fast-fashion retailers, from Shein and its $1 lead-filled sunglasses to Zara and its $50 polyester cardigans, run on a system of always wanting more that is at odds with the environment.
“What’s challenging is figuring out how people can continue to live in this way where it’s simple, easy, fast and fun, but doesn’t have a negative impact on people and the planet,” reflects Patrick Duffy, founder of Global . Fashion Exchange in the attached video of The Journey. A spoiler alert for everyone: you can’t. The only truly sustainable thing Boohoo and its fast-fashion brethren can do is shut down the operation immediately.
Source: www.theguardian.com