Firstly, we should define the term ‘fast-fashion’ that comes up often in the Brandy discourse. According to Oxford Languages, the term ‘fast-fashion’ describes “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.”
While the production may be fast, the consequences are faster.
Brandy Melville has disclosed next to nothing about their environmental impact. Even popular fast-fashion sister companies like Shein and Primark that have been criticized for their lack of sustainability have released statements clarifying their climate policies.
All it takes is a quick Google search. If you look up ‘Shein environmental statement’ or ‘Primark environmental statement’, you’ll find that both companies have addressed the accusations.
If you were to look up ‘Brandy Melville environmental statement’… Nothing. Brandy Melville has remained silent. So what are they hiding?
Most people are aware of how serious the issue of pollution is, but not many realize how big of a contributor fast-fashion companies are to the climate crisis. You can’t argue with the statistics:
Clothing manufacturing is responsible for roughly 20% of global water pollution. Not only does this clothing pollute the water, it also wastes 2,700 liters of it in the process of making a single t-shirt. 2,700 liters is enough to keep the average person hydrated for 900 days. Instead of that precious H2O going to those in need, it’s being thrown away to produce a t-shirt that will most likely end up in a landfill in less than a year.
Just how many clothes are being discarded? Try 9.26 million tons. Just in the U.S. Just in one year. Take that with a side 16 million tons of CO2 emissions from online returns. And the companies behind these horrifying numbers are hiding in plain sight.
Some of the most popular fast-fashion companies include: Zara, Shein, Primark, Forever 21, American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret, Urban Outfitters, and Free People. And these are only the tip of the iceberg.
Chances are, you’ve shopped at one of these stores. How could you not? With these companies dominating the fashion industry, it’s hard to find other options. Especially because these stores offer clothes at a more affordable price than sustainable alternatives.
The unfortunate truth is: the majority of your favorite brands are fast-fashion industries. The problem isn’t the consumers, it’s the producers, and the fact that our society is structured so that eco-friendly clothes are a privilege only for those who can afford them.
Comprising your closet of only eco-friendly clothes is next to impossible for the average middle-class consumer. Instead of pointing fingers at shoppers, it’s the companies and exploiters we should be holding accountable… which brings us back to Brandy.
Despite their silence, retail analysts believe that around 60% of Brandy Melville’s clothing ends up in landfills or oceans.
Brandy Hellville features clips of landfills in Kantamanto, Ghana, where most of Brandy’s waste is shipped to. The oceans and beaches around the town are littered with discarded clothes; it’s as if the executives believe that their entire purpose is to be a trash-bin for their monopolies, like sending garbage overseas equates to dropping it into some mysterious void to disappear off of the face of the Earth forever. Out of sight, out of mind.
So, if even some of the most hated companies in the world have issued statements–regardless of whether they are the full truth–why has Brandy gone radio silent?
That’s a question for a man by the name of Stephan Marsan.
