The Unfashionable Truth
about Fast Fashion

Although most people do not typically associate the fashion industry with STEM or science policy, fashion and science are intricately tied to one another due to the detrimental effects the fast fashion industry has on the environment and public health. Not only does the fashion industry generate >92 million tonnes of textile waste and contribute to 10% of global CO2 emissions per year, the chemicals and heavy metals used in the dyeing process are also toxic to humans and aquatic life.

 

Our Unfashionable Truth about Fast Fashion series stars many experts intricately involved in this multifaceted issue. We are joined by Drs. Imran Islam, PhD, and Preeti Arya, PhD, from the New York Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) who specialize in textile development. They provide insights into the macromolecular basis of fashion and the switch from using natural fibers to synthetic fibers. Former COO of Timberland and sustainable investing expert, Ken Pucker, then discusses the hurdles of increasing sustainability in the fashion industry. To discuss the legal side of the crisis, we are joined by fashion lawyer Whitney McGuire, Esq. We then cover the European solution to the crisis with Dr. Kirsi Niinimäki, PhD, an expert in fashion research and based in Finland, where she works directly with policymakers to draft policies intended to mitigate the effects of the fast fashion crisis.