This week, I’m breaking down my breakup with fast fashion, exploring its global impact (hi, Ghana), and sharing how slow fashion and thrifting became my new loves. Sustainability, but make it chic!
I enjoyed learning more about your relationship with fashion & your journey into slow fashion; the point on fashion as a way of making sense of the world is so profound.
The case study on Ghana was particularly eye opening, specifically the point on neocolonial dynamics!! I think Western individualism led me to to purely focus on how fast fashion has lead to this loss of personal identity/expression & how the trend cycle contributes to this. But, when you frame it through the lens of the global impact and how it entrenches certain dynamic? It shows thats even more problematic than this! Sidenote:
I also loved antm & the baby pictures of you are so cute 🥹
I'm really glad you enjoyed the post and that the Ghana case study resonated with you. The global impact of fast fashion is something I’ve been thinking about a lot, especially how it’s not just about individual identity and expression but also these deeper structural issues that keep certain economies at a disadvantage. The neocolonial dynamics at play are so insidious, and it’s wild how they show up even in something as seemingly personal as our clothing choices.
Also, I totally get what you mean about Western individualism shaping the way we think about fashion, it’s often framed as a purely personal issue when, in reality, the implications stretch so much further. I love that this post helped reframe that for you!
And omg, I’m so glad you also watched ANTM!! What a cultural phenomenon (for better or worse 😂). Also, thank you for the baby photo love 🥹
Amazing read! And I resonate so much with your journey to unlearn over consumption and align your love for fashion with your sustainability oriented values! Its definitely a journey but every little counts
Amazing stuff Ella!! Love the point on neocolonial dynamics reproducing themselves.
As far as grassroots/local activism, do you think content creators in Ghana/Nigeria are somewhat compromised? Because through brand deals/endorsements, they inadvertently reinforce exploitative cycle of overconsumption.
Thank you so much Osaemi! I’m glad the neocolonial dynamics point resonated with you.
You raise such an interesting question about content creators in Ghana/Nigeria and their role in reinforcing overconsumption. I think it’s a tricky balance, on one hand, many of these creators use brand deals as a means of financial stability in economies where creative work is often undervalued. On the other, as you pointed out, these partnerships can perpetuate the very cycles of excess production and waste that harm local economies and environments.
What makes it even more complicated is that a lot of these brands are international fast-fashion companies profiting off the same exploitative systems that flood markets with discarded clothing from the global North. But at the same time, local creators are also shaping conversations around sustainable fashion, thrifting, and alternative consumption habits, there's definitely a growing awareness. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you think there’s a way for these influencers to engage in brand deals without reinforcing overconsumption? Or is the system itself too flawed for that to happen?
I think it’s quite difficult for influencers to engage with brands whilst advocating against overconsumption. It’s as much of a moral dilemma as it is economic. American brands will pay handsomely and offer an avenue into the mainstream, so an influencer who is using fashion as a means to make a living rejecting a brand makes little sense in isolation. It comes down to social responsibility & leverage. Influencers can use brands to scale whilst developing enough economic & social leverage to call out brands for unethical practices without repercussions. Or separately, should these influencers develop their own brands, they’ll have the freedom to engage ethically & prevent overconsumption/waste. The issue is w supply and demand, the bigger their brand grows, the higher the chance they’ll engage overproduce.
Great post as usual!
I enjoyed learning more about your relationship with fashion & your journey into slow fashion; the point on fashion as a way of making sense of the world is so profound.
The case study on Ghana was particularly eye opening, specifically the point on neocolonial dynamics!! I think Western individualism led me to to purely focus on how fast fashion has lead to this loss of personal identity/expression & how the trend cycle contributes to this. But, when you frame it through the lens of the global impact and how it entrenches certain dynamic? It shows thats even more problematic than this! Sidenote:
I also loved antm & the baby pictures of you are so cute 🥹
Ahh Temi, thank you so much!
I'm really glad you enjoyed the post and that the Ghana case study resonated with you. The global impact of fast fashion is something I’ve been thinking about a lot, especially how it’s not just about individual identity and expression but also these deeper structural issues that keep certain economies at a disadvantage. The neocolonial dynamics at play are so insidious, and it’s wild how they show up even in something as seemingly personal as our clothing choices.
Also, I totally get what you mean about Western individualism shaping the way we think about fashion, it’s often framed as a purely personal issue when, in reality, the implications stretch so much further. I love that this post helped reframe that for you!
And omg, I’m so glad you also watched ANTM!! What a cultural phenomenon (for better or worse 😂). Also, thank you for the baby photo love 🥹
Amazing read! And I resonate so much with your journey to unlearn over consumption and align your love for fashion with your sustainability oriented values! Its definitely a journey but every little counts
thank you so much, Yasmin!
I'm happy you were able to relate to this issue on a personal level, and you are right, it is really a journey!
Amazing stuff Ella!! Love the point on neocolonial dynamics reproducing themselves.
As far as grassroots/local activism, do you think content creators in Ghana/Nigeria are somewhat compromised? Because through brand deals/endorsements, they inadvertently reinforce exploitative cycle of overconsumption.
Thank you so much Osaemi! I’m glad the neocolonial dynamics point resonated with you.
You raise such an interesting question about content creators in Ghana/Nigeria and their role in reinforcing overconsumption. I think it’s a tricky balance, on one hand, many of these creators use brand deals as a means of financial stability in economies where creative work is often undervalued. On the other, as you pointed out, these partnerships can perpetuate the very cycles of excess production and waste that harm local economies and environments.
What makes it even more complicated is that a lot of these brands are international fast-fashion companies profiting off the same exploitative systems that flood markets with discarded clothing from the global North. But at the same time, local creators are also shaping conversations around sustainable fashion, thrifting, and alternative consumption habits, there's definitely a growing awareness. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you think there’s a way for these influencers to engage in brand deals without reinforcing overconsumption? Or is the system itself too flawed for that to happen?
I think it’s quite difficult for influencers to engage with brands whilst advocating against overconsumption. It’s as much of a moral dilemma as it is economic. American brands will pay handsomely and offer an avenue into the mainstream, so an influencer who is using fashion as a means to make a living rejecting a brand makes little sense in isolation. It comes down to social responsibility & leverage. Influencers can use brands to scale whilst developing enough economic & social leverage to call out brands for unethical practices without repercussions. Or separately, should these influencers develop their own brands, they’ll have the freedom to engage ethically & prevent overconsumption/waste. The issue is w supply and demand, the bigger their brand grows, the higher the chance they’ll engage overproduce.