Ultra-fast fashion charms young despite damaging environment

Young people under the age of 25 – widely known as Generation-Z – love placing multiple orders for ultra-fast fashion, which then arrive in the post. Photo: AFP

So-called "ultra-fast fashion" has won legions of young trend-setting fans who snap up relatively cheap clothes online amid surging inflation, but the booming genre masks darker environmental problems.

Britain's Boohoo, China's Shein and Hong Kong's Emmiol operate the same internet-based business model – produce items and collections at breakneck speed and rock-bottom prices. They are giving intense competition to more well-known "fast fashion" chains with physical stores, like Sweden's H&M and Spain's Zara.