My Thoughts on the Fast-Clothing Industry - Forever 21’s Bankruptcy Filing

Korean news about Forever 21’s bankruptcy has mostly highlighted the immigrant success story and how the company struggled to keep up with online shopping. These reports focus on the economic side and the wealth the company built. But I want to talk about the negative effects Forever 21 has had on the environment and the labor market.

Forever 21 was one of several brands selling cheap, fast-fashion clothing inspired by Korean style. I remember there was also a brand called “Kimch” at the time. Forever 21 came to the East Coast of the U.S. about 20 years ago and quickly became the most successful, especially among American teenage girls. Those girls are now in their early 30s. The affordable, trendy clothes that were common in Korea became popular with American girls. H&M soon followed, and Zara joined later. When I visited Italy in 2005, Zara was not considered a fast-fashion brand, and the jacket I bought then was so well made that I still wear it. Zara eventually switched to fast fashion to stay competitive. In many ways, Forever 21 was the pioneer of fast fashion in the U.S. The story of Korean-Americans bringing Korean style to the U.S. and finding success is often told, but since the focus is mainly on wealth, I think it is more of a myth.

Forever 21 is a problem for the labor market. The textile industry relies on cheap labor, and its products often come from labor exploitation. The industry also harms the environment. Fast fashion is a big part of this problem. It causes water pollution and releases a lot of greenhouse gases during production. There are also environmental issues from transportation, since factories are in developing countries and products are shipped worldwide, which adds to carbon emissions. Many of these clothes are worn only once or twice before being thrown away, either burned or sent to landfills, causing even more environmental harm. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Americans threw away 12 million metric tons of clothing and shoes in 2015, three times more than in 1990, and 69% of that went to landfills. H&M now has huge amounts of unsold clothes, and because it is fast fashion, these will likely end up in landfills or be burned.

Many experts believe that Forever 21’s bankruptcy is a turning point for fast fashion. Its popularity is now falling instead of growing. As a result, the U.S. fashion industry is starting to pay more attention to environmental issues and look for new solutions. Companies are now focusing on sustainability and social responsibility. For example, Zara has announced it will use only organic, sustainable, and recycled materials like cotton, linen, and polyester by 2025. H&M has a recycling program where customers can bring in used clothes for a discount on new ones. Anne Taylor offers a rental program where customers pay a monthly fee to borrow clothes.

Even though these changes are just beginning, the fast fashion industry is at a turning point. As consumers care more about the environment, companies will need to create sustainability programs to stay in business. This is why I see Forever 21’s bankruptcy as a positive step. Now, Forever 21 must focus on social responsibility if it wants to survive, instead of just chasing wealth and fame.

10/21/2019 by Dr. Lan Joo