Fast Fashion and Information Cascades: What’s Up Next?
A recent article by Open Access Government, “Social media “influence” accelerates fast fashion culture” discusses how social media is treated as a shopping platform and used to promote fast fashion trends. While the article does not list an author, Open Access Government is a site dedicated to discussing key public policies from around the world. Considering the relationship between environmental policies and fast fashion, the site serves as a strong educational resource surrounding the topic. Another recent article by Emma Morgan titled “How Influencers Accelerate the Growth of Fast Fashion and Greenwashing” published by Eco Stylist, focuses on influencer marketing and how brands take advantage of it to continue creating and cycling through trends. Emma Morgan is passionate about sustainable fashion and studied journalism and communications at the University of Iowa, indicating her background in the matter.
The fast fashion industry has been around since the early 2000s. However, with the emergence of social media, its popularity has skyrocketed in the last few years. With platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, it has become easier than ever to create and share new “fashion trends.” Through this shift in the use of social media, more and more people have begun turning to social media for fashion inspiration as it helps them learn about recent trends. Morgan states that many fast fashion brands also form paid partnerships with social media influencers to get them to create and share different trends.
The rise of fast fashion trends serves as a strong example of an information cascade as presented in class as people’s choices are directly dependent on what they perceive of others. Information cascades occur in connected networks where people make sequential decisions. Within this phenomenon, members then imitate the decisions of others in their network even if their individual information would have led them to make a different decision, much like in the realm of fashion trends.
Before delving deeper into the correlation between information cascades and fast fashion marketing, it is important to first consider the business relationships between influencers and companies. Fast fashion brands are known for engaging in influencer marketing as they are typically less established and more “trend” driven than traditional retailers. Morgan even shares in her article that 54% of people believe influencers are somewhat responsible for the rise of fast fashion— establishing the link between social media and fast fashion. Moreover, since influencers are being paid to review and showcase products, they will primarily provide positive feedback on the “trendy” items the brands they work with created and sent them — whether they are truthful or not. However, the general public can only see the information that these influencers are displaying publicly, rather than their genuine thoughts on different pieces of clothing and accessories. As a result, the information they receive is limited, as it usually is in information cascades. Viewers are then influenced to purchase these fast fashion items and partake in the trends created by influencers. The article by Open Access News even cites social media as “the new, unsuspecting marketplace.” This further ties into the idea of information cascades as, rather than wearing what they like or following their own ideas, people tend to turn towards social media influencers for inspiration and emulate what they are wearing.
Looking at fast fashion trends from a wider lens, it is important to note that the information cascade of ever-changing trends in the fast fashion industry holds significant consequences for the environment. People around the world are buying unsustainably produced clothing and fashion accessories in bulk and phasing them out after the short-lived trends pass. To conclude, it is important for consumers to think before buying into trends and avoid falling into the herd mentality that is common on social media.
Sources:
https://www.eco-stylist.com/how-influencers-accelerate-the-growth-of-fast-fashion-and-greenwashing/