Cruel fashion

Fast fashion in Pakistan is a human, environmental and cultural crisis, sold to us as affordability. We see low prices, but we do not see the women working 14-hour shifts in stifling factories or the rivers contaminated with the byproducts of cheap fashion or the dying traditions of our artisans who can no longer compete. Every ‘trendy’ piece comes at a cost that we have learned to ignore because it is being paid by someone else.

Some defend fast fashion in the name of economic growth. But what kind of growth exploits the poor, poisons our land and erases our traditional artisans? This is certainly not development. We need a shift towards a fairer and more sustainable fashion industry, which supports the rights of workers and the environment and also accommodates traditional artisans rather than seeking to replace them. We must regulate industries that pollute and abuse. What we choose to wear should never come at the cost of our environment or the rights of workers.

Tania Shahjahan

Qambar Shahdadkot