Local entrepreneurs fight exponential growth of fast fashion

Published January 29, 2025

BY ZANA BALABAN

In an $1.7 trillion industry built on the exploitation of resources and human labor, fast fashion companies including SHEIN, Zara and H&M, called so by “The State of Fashion” annual report by consulting firm McKinsey and Company and the Business of Fashion, will continue to boom. While combating the worldwide effects of these multi-billion dollar corporations seems like a Goliath-sized task, eco-conscious advocates, manufacturers, designers and resellers, even those in Carmel, use their work to increase awareness.

The global fast fashion market has been projected with a compound annual growth rate of roughly 15%, Zion Market Research reported, putting the issue on a scale the fashion world has never seen before.

Fast fashion refers to the business model of rapidly producing inexpensive, trendy clothing to meet consumer demand, in the words of the Associated Press. This approach relies on quick production cycles, cheap materials and exploitative labor practices, often at the expense of environmental and ethical considerations.

“Why support this structure that is simply junking up the Earth?” asks Allison Beshwate, whose experience in high-end fashion led her to question the environmental implications of the industry and establish Inspired Muse, a Carmel eco-boutique prioritizing clothing quality over quantity. “Materials matter, just like we consider what we put inside our body, in terms of food, in order to perform.”

Beshwate reveals that to address criticism in environmental and ethical practices while maintaining profit
margins, fast fashion companies can buy certifications and carry out a deceptive marketing practice known as greenwashing. The business owner says that misleading claims of “sustainable” or “green” clothing initiatives, while vague and immeasurable, can be enough to placate consumers. A second greenwashing tactic brands use is selective disclosure, publicizing minor initiatives while ignoring larger, more harmful practices.

Recently, The Sandpiper reached out to the head of sustainability at dozens of the biggest fast fashion vendors to ask about their business ethics.

“Our streamlined and flexible supply chain minimizes intermediaries and handling stages, allowing us to pass on savings to consumers through lower prices,” responded a spokesperson from Temu, an online marketplace with the catchphrase “Shop like a billionaire” that is categorized as an ultra-fast fashion brand by the Better Business Bureau. “This also helps cut carbon emissions by minimizing transportation stages and [avoiding] wasteful overproduction compared to traditional retail models.”

Similarly, when asked about their sustainability efforts, a SHEIN spokesperson highlighted initiatives in their supply chain with waste reduction.

“By only producing small quantities of each item (100 to 200 pieces) and testing the demand of the item, SHEIN avoids overproduction and reduces excess inventory,” says the spokesperson, explaining that only once an item is popularized is it mass-produced.

As per SHEIN’s Sustainability and Social Impact Report released in August 2024, their model of mass production pumps out 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, an output comparable to the carbon dioxide output of the entire countries of Cambodia, Croatia or Guatemala, as found by the International Energy Agency.

“SHEIN is using heat, massive amounts of water, burning byproducts which are seeping into the lungs, skin and bodies of the people working in these places and their dyes involve chemicals that are next level shit,” says Beshwate, warning against the dangers when these chemicals and microplastics enter consumers’ bodies via skin pores. “Nobody should be exposed to them in their bare form. If these chemicals were to spill in a building somewhere here in Carmel, a hazmat team would come out.”

Beshwate’s perspective comes from years spent working in the luxury fashion industry, where she was often surprised by the hypocrisy she witnessed. A 100% Japanese silk collection released by Givenchy between 2009 and 2010, she exemplifies, was in reality 100% polyester, but no one was paying attention. For years, she says, this consumer innocence was evident across the board of the clothing world.

“I could never wrap my head around the fact that a $600 dress was made entirely out of plastic,” says Beshwate, reflecting on her time as a Dolce & Gabbana specialist. “But people loved it. Everyone just wanted to be cute and not give a shit.”

In the world of fashion today, as observed by Carmel designer Domini Anne, information about the horrors of petroleum-based fabrics, child labor and climate impact in fast fashion are widely available. Even with this knowledge at the fingertips of consumers, she acknowledges that the problem may be impossible to solve at its root.

“We are pretty aware of the horrible standard, that we are supporting torture and slavery when we buy from these places,” says Domini, dubbed the “Upcycle Queen” by the Monterey Herald for her work in turning discarded or unused fabrics into high value garments for fashion shows and collections. “People do it anyway because it’s cheap. This is a statement about humanity. There’s no moral dilemma, it’s a choice. If people did care that children are manufacturing the cheap clothes they wear, they would make a different choice.”

For Beshwate and Susan Galvin, founder of Carmel’s vintage resale store Foxy Couture, it’s about more than just avoiding synthetics–it’s about educating consumers on the dangers of synthetic fibers, which are derived from petroleum-based materials like polyester and acrylic. Speaking on the mountains of fast fashion clothing dumped in Chile’s Atacama Desert, Galvin makes it clear that the real deathly effects of the industry must be taught in order for consumers to make a conscious choice towards change. The South American town, according to the National Geographic, has accumulated 46 million tons of clothing, whose non-biodegradable synthetics are poisoning both the atmosphere and the people of Alto Hospicio.

“You could sit there and protest all day long about slave labor in China,” adds Galvin, who, like Domini, is committed to giving clothing a second life, “but if you don’t go home and look to see where your clothing is made, then you don’t know what goes into it.

Full transparency, according to Domini, is the only way for consumers to trust the way their garment was produced and with what materials, but she explains that the manufacturing industry has mostly shut down in California.

By overseeing every step of manufacturing at Tamo Design and Wild Feather in San Francisco, eco-fashion pioneer Tamo Hulva is able to ensure transparency, precision and sustainability in every garment. Unlike fast fashion brands, Hulva focuses on local manufacturing, which reduces transportation emissions and supports the local economy.

“Look online and you can tell by the price that it’s not made in the U.S.,” Hulva says, “but there’s not as much transparency these days. I’m able to watch and inspect throughout the entire process, versus when something is made in China, you don’t know the quality until it lands at your door. And then it’s too late.”

As Galvin remembers, the entire fashion industry used to work in the way Hulva operates. The slower and more careful pace of design allowed for true artistry that could be traced all the way back to the sheep that grew its wool. Because the business model of fast fashion is built around the quick turnout of styles to meet shifting trends, she determines a lot of the creativity of the craft to be lost.

Embodying creative philosophy is the Big Sur Fashion Show, an annual event and celebration with only one rule for designers: no traditional fabric. Elsa Rivera, executive director of the event for a decade, recalls couture creations of seaweed, trimmed cannabis, photographs, dryer sheets, knit rubber bands and bubble wrap. By abandoning traditional materials entirely, the show directly challenges the fast fashion industry.

“It’s important to have people acknowledge the impact of their choices, but ideally to do it without a bunch of judgment,” Domini says. “A better way of creating change in the world is creating alternatives.”