Ggood news for people who like to lie and wear clothes that smell like petrochemicals: Boohoo, a UK-based online fast fashion brand that has grown rapidly in the US, has announced that they will be partnering with Kourtney Kardashian to embark on a “Sustainability Journey.”
The destination is unclear, but the “journey” will include 46 limited-edition pieces of clothing made from “recycled fibers, traceable cotton, recycled threads and recycled polyester” as well as “transparent practices for shoppers who want to learn more about clothing”.
Although still a small fish in the fast fashion market in the US, Boohoo is a giant of fast fashion in the UK, which means that their clothes are made from cheap, environmentally harmful materials and that their workers in Pakistan are paid just 33 cents an hour to work in unsafe conditions. The result of this tried and tested exploitation method is an average of more than 700 different poorly made items uploaded to their website each week, ready for the consumer to add to their cart for a quick burst of serotonin and an outfit new. upload to Instagram on the weekend.
After over $1 billion in sales in the first financial quarter of 2021, Boohoo has aggressive US expansion plans, with the Kardashian capsule collection set to launch at New York Fashion Week at the heart of their US launch.
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 to label something as sustainable or environmentally sound. Of special consideration is their “Future Ready” line, which vaguely claims that items in the line are “composed of more than 20% more sustainable materials,” an essentially nonsensical claim made with little or no evidence.
Kardashian, the eldest sister of reality TV’s first family, has spent the past few years building a fashion-forward, health-obsessed personal brand: going vegan, ditching coffee in favor of matcha, cut sugar out of her children’s lives. funny effect in an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians where she tried to ban candy from a Candy Land-themed children’s birthday party). Her content-meets-commerce lifestyle platform Poosh – “the modern guide to living your best life” – offers healthy and quick lunch recipes from the Kardashians themselves, all-natural hangover cures, skincare tips skin and a tour of supermodel sister Kendall Jenner’s “High -Vibe Bedroom Living Area”.
In the official press release, Kardashian herself admitted some trepidation about the collaboration: “When Boohoo first approached me with this idea about sustainability and style, I was concerned about the effects of the fast fashion industry on the planet ours.” she said, briefly sparking a glimmer of hope.
Unfortunately, she moved on. “It was an enlightening experience to speak 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 future advancements. . Something tells me the enlightenment she experienced had to do with a paycheck and Kardashian’s inability to turn down a lucrative opportunity.
It’s unclear how durable any of 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 of the 45 pieces contain parts that contain recycled fibers such as recycled cotton” without any 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 farming practices with specific farms.
Boohoo says it is making 12 pieces “in the UK, including our British factory”. But conditions in Boohoo’s factories were so bad that many believe they amounted to modern slavery, and the US threatened an import ban unless changes were made. More than two years later, more than half of workers say they are being paid less than minimum wage and receive no vacation pay.
Even if Kardashian’s range turns out to be as durable as Stella McCartney’s, her collection makes up less than 0.1% of the clothes available at Boohoo. However, her approval will help the entire company, including 99.9% of their much less durable clothing.
It appears that much of the heavy lifting’s sustainability will actually be done by the “social content series” being released alongside the collection, which sees footage of Kardashian talking to a range of brilliant experts about how quickly fashion is killing the planet forward with joy. heading off to co-sign several more in the works.
At the heart of the landfill influencer pipeline is a false illusion of egalitarianism, with fast fashion framed as an accessible way for everyday people to embody the aspirational lifestyles of the likes of the Kardashians, who, let’s be real , perhaps they would rather die than wear. cheap swill they’re flogging for longer than it takes to make a contract required post.
Fans of fast fashion justify their continued patronage of these stores by claiming that they simply cannot afford anything else, but there is no reason why anyone should spend hundreds of dollars on new clothes every month.
Anyone who says 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—are based on a system of always wanting more that is at odds with the environment.
“What’s challenging is figuring out how people can still live in this way where it’s simple, easy, fast and fun, but doesn’t have a negative impact on people and the planet,” says Patrick Duffy, founder of Global . Fashion swap in The Journey companion video. A spoiler alert for everyone: you can’t. The only really sustainable thing Boohoo and its fast fashion brethren can do is shut down immediately.
