This is because too many products are poured into the market, fueling unnecessary consumption and environmental pollution. When the British royal couple visited France in September last year, British Queen Camella and French First Lady Brigitte Macron visited Chanel workshop in Paris. According to foreign media, French ruling party lawmakers proposed a bill to impose fines of up to 10 euros per sale or up to 50 percent of the sale price by 2030 to sanction ultra-fast fashion brands. Fast fashion refers to fashion that reflects the latest trends and reduces the time it takes from production to sales as much as possible. If general fashion brands release new products about four times a year, fast fashion brands such as Zara and H&M release new products every one to two weeks. Furthermore, China’s Xu Yin and Temu are called ultra-fast fashion brands by releasing new products every day.
In particular, the bill pointed out that Xu Yin, China, has been pouring out an average of more than 7,200 products a day, causing excessive spending and unnecessary pollution. “Ultra fast fashion, which is centered on low-cost mass manufacturing products, influences consumer purchasing habits by encouraging impulsive purchases and constant desire for renewal,” he said. “There is no environmental, social, and economic impact.” The bill will be submitted to the parliament at the end of this month after a parliamentary deliberation committee. In addition, the French Environment Ministry said in a statement in the name of the minister that the government is considering introducing financial incentives to ban advertising of ultra-fast fashion companies, make these brands more expensive, and make sustainable fashion brands cheaper. The French fashion industry, which boasts various luxury brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, is well known to value and quality rather than fashion, but over the past few years, it has been rapidly eroding the market by overseas fast fashion brands that have launched a low-cost offensive. According to a tally by the shopping app Zoco, Xu Yin’s market share in France reached 13 percent at the end of last year.Fast fashion is praised for “democratizing fashion” in that it allowed anyone to wear high-quality clothes at low prices, but it is also criticized for being the main culprit of environmental pollution, as it has led to mass production and mass disposal cycles. There are also criticisms over exploiting labor to make clothes cheaply. Consumers are showing mixed reactions over the bill. Some argue that fast fashion should be sanctioned to protect the French clothing industry and for a sustainable future, but others argue that the bill is unfair because it is most disadvantageous to low-income people who value cost-effectiveness.
“For someone, fast fashion may be the only way to buy new clothes,” one netizen wrote on Twitter. “I don’t have money, but it’s worth pursuing. Even if you’re poor, you shouldn’t lose value.” Another netizen said, “This fine is not a tax,” adding, “This bill is aimed at punishing those who participate in fast fashion, and even those who exploit people and increase waste.” Cecil Dejone, director of French think tank Futuribl, said in a statement on France 24, “Fines per sale can be accepted especially in terms of freedom of consumption,” stressing, “But the point of this bill is that if you contaminate it, you have to pay a price.” “Many consumers are stuck in the mindset that they have to buy clothes made in China to buy clothes with less money, and secondhand shopping can be an alternative,” he said. “Considering the amount of clothes already existing on the planet, even if we don’t make clothes, all mankind can wear them for another 100 years.”
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
