Vector sewing machine robot produces textiles, the worker looks after them
PICTURE this: you are lying on your bed, scrolling through TikTok, when a video showcasing trendy outfits catches your eye.
One piece stands out to you and with a simple tap, countless similar products appear. Within seconds, you are adding items to your cart and clicking buy. And this action repeats as you continue to scroll.
This endless scroll-and-shop cycle arises from trends and accessibility on digital platforms, making it easy to indulge without considering the cost. Even when we do, we often only focus on the price, which can be suspiciously low.
It makes us wonder: how can clothes be so cheap? How could low prices lead to such high quantities? Most importantly, what is the real cost behind our consumption?
Under the label
The high production and consumption of fast fashion severely harm the environment. According to the United Nations, the textile sector annually produces between two and eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, uses 215 trillion litres of water and contributes to nine per cent of the microplastic pollution flowing into the ocean. It is also the third-largest contributor to global annual plastic waste, accounting for 11%.
The human cost is equally troubling. Fast fashion workers often face unsafe conditions, low wages and excessive hours. A 2020 Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) report found that 93% of surveyed brands failed to provide evidence of paying a living wage and 63% do not disclose their supplier information or only partially comply with the fashion industry’s Transparency Pledge, which aims for greater supply chain transparency.
Regarding governance, according to Sustainable Directory, many fast fashion brands operate in countries with weak governance and limited resources to enforce labour and environmental laws. For instance, major production countries like China and Bangladesh are criticised for having inadequate worker protections.
With every fast fashion item we buy, a cost is borne by the planet and the people we will never meet.
Sewing the change
Despite fast fashion’s dominance, consumer mindsets are notably shifting toward sustainability.
Fortune Business Insights identified that sustainability has become a leading trend in the fashion industry, driven by greater environmental awareness and demand for ethically manufactured products.
Educational institutions play a key role in this shift, especially among the younger generation, as their initiatives now emphasise sustainable practices.
The Sunway College’s Diploma in Fashion Design Technology programme, in collaboration with lifestyle and fashion event organiser STYLO, for example, aims to foster conscious sustainability in fashion to tackle issues such as fashion waste.
Students are trained to use augmented reality (AR), 3D digital fashion and creative design software to create digital prototypes, pattern modification and motion fit testing, which could reduce the need for physical samples, reducing fast fashion waste and resource usage.
The campus also conducts events that promote sustainability. In September, the university’s Rock the Goals 2025 featured an adaptive fashion show where Fashion Design Technology students showcased punk rock aesthetics through sustainable fashion, emphasising fashion as a platform for positive social change.
Wearing the mindset
These initiatives could spark conversation and reflections among students, influencing their attitudes and choices towards fashion.
From an educator’s perspective, Sunway University’s School of Communication and Media Studies senior lecturer and programme leader Dr Yesuselvi Manickam observes that students today are more conscious of fast fashion’s impact, amplified by social media and university projects highlighting textile waste, overproduction and unfair labour practices.
“Education plays a significant role in shaping how students think and act; it is where awareness translates into action,” she explained.
“When students learn about sustainability, they begin to view fashion as more than just style and trends. They start asking questions like, ‘Who made my clothes?’ or ‘What happens to this fabric after I throw it away?’”
While cost and social pressure pose challenges to students adopting sustainable practices, she hopes that sustainable fashion will become central to young people’s approach to fashion and creativity.
Aleesya Abd Hamid, a Sunway University student pursuing a BA (Hons) in Communication, describes her current relationship with trends and fashion as healthy after her awareness of fast fashion’s impact grew during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I became really aware of it during the pandemic when everyone was ordering on Shein. I was suspicious of the surprisingly cheap options and I did my research. A lot of these fast fashion brands sacrifice longevity and even creativity for cheap labour and cost-effective production,” she said. Since then, she has become more selective, researching brands and favouring independent designers and local shops. While sustainable fashion can be expensive, she believes it encourages more thoughtful, long-term choices.
Threading the future
As fast fashion’s environmental and social costs of fast fashion become increasingly visible, the shift toward sustainable fashion has become increasingly necessary and the younger generation is primed to lead this movement.
With universities introducing innovative programmes and inclusive initiatives, students are empowered to become the catalysts for a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry. But, while systemic change is the long-term goal, it often begins with something much smaller: the choices we make every day.
