The global fashion industry is worth over $2.5 trillion, providing affordable clothing to consumers worldwide. However, the rise of fast fashion—where brands produce inexpensive, trendy clothing at high speed—has led to major economic, social, and environmental concerns. While consumers enjoy low prices and frequent new styles, the real cost of fast fashion is often paid by low-wage workers, the environment, and small businesses. This project challenges students to investigate who really benefits from fast fashion and whether the industry’s current model is sustainable.

Students will begin by researching how fast fashion brands operate, exploring how companies like Zara, H&M, and Shein produce and distribute clothing at an unprecedented pace. They should analyze the economic advantages of fast fashion, including its ability to create jobs, increase affordability, and drive consumer demand.

A key focus of this project is examining the hidden costs of fast fashion, particularly its impact on labor rights and environmental sustainability. Many fast fashion brands rely on low-cost production in developing countries, where garment workers often face poor wages, unsafe working conditions, and long hours. Additionally, fast fashion contributes to massive textile waste, pollution, and excessive water usage, making it one of the world’s most environmentally damaging industries.

Another major aspect of this investigation is evaluating who benefits the most from fast fashion. While consumers enjoy low prices, companies earn billions in revenue, often at the expense of workers and small fashion brands that cannot compete with fast-moving trends. Students should explore whether alternative models—such as sustainable fashion, ethical production, and second-hand clothing markets—offer better long-term solutions.

The final investigation report should assess whether fast fashion is an economic necessity or an unsustainable industry, weighing its economic benefits against its environmental and social consequences. The goal of this project is to help students critically evaluate the real cost of consumer choices and explore alternatives to the current fast fashion model.