A lot of us think our appearance speaks for us, and therefore we focus and spend lavishly on clothing, but little do we acknowledge the horrors our actions do to the Earth. I have never been much into fashion, but I never realised what is happening till I came across a video of American comedian-turned-commentator Hasan Minhaj on ‘fast fashion’. I have been thinking about that a lot since the recent floods caused massive destruction in Pakistan.
For sure, it is not the only or even a major factor, but I think the surge of fast fashion in Pakistan did play its part in exacerbating the climate change phenomenon, which actually caused excessive rains and the consequent flooding.
International brands get their items manufactured in Pakistan and that damages the country so much. From exploiting our workers by paying them drastically low wages to the water consumption, and the hazardous waste disposal, a simple commercial transaction costs the country a great deal. The world of the local brands is not different either.
Apart from the environmental harm, fast fashion is harming us psychologically, too. Most of us have become hoarders, while other fall into the trap because everyone else is doing that. I think it is time we made sustainable fashion choices while caring for the earth and ourselves.
ARJUMAND RABAB ABIDI
KARACHI
