To what extent does fast fashion commodify cultural rituals,

and is this commodification harmful to cultural identity?

In today’s society, fast fashion has become an important staple in our lives and its growth

throughout the years has become immensely popular. For starters, fast fashion has revolutionized

the clothing industry, improving the way we shop and style. However, as trends shift at lightning

speed, fast fashion has emerged as both a blessing and a curse. It has not only transformed the

economical and retail landscape but has also redefined our cultural expressions and values

involving clothing. It has become a significant issue affecting global economies, cultures, and

environments. As consumers prioritize affordability and trends, the meanings and traditions

behind clothing are often overlooked. We must reflect what implications fast fashion is applying

to our cultural identity and why it is crucial to preserve the authenticity of our cultural

expressions among this society of mass consumption.

Firstly, commodification in the context of fast fashion can be described as evolving clothing or

accessories in a short span of time to fit or satisfy consumer needs based on latest trends.

However, as we know, fast fashion can also modify cultural rituals because due to the rapid

production of clothing, deeper cultural meanings can be stripped or deprived. The first claim

suggests that cultural appropriation can take place when fast fashion is commodified. Cultural

appropriation is when huge fashion companies or brands make assumptions about the lifestyle of

certain cultures without understanding; this reduces many important cultural symbols. In the

article, "Performing Beauty: Dove’s 'Real Beauty' Campaign," Millard (2009) shows Dove, a

worldwide retail company, and how their marketing strategy and main objective is to redefine
beauty standards by displaying women with diverse features such as different body types and

racial backgrounds. They seem to want to promote a realistic portrayal of women and beauty,

therefore the company was praised by many. However, the author had examined and found that

examples of cultural appropriation and representation had been present. Millard describes that

within commercial reasons, the brand will only make modifications to issues that it seeks or

wants to address. Moreover, the campaign can be seen as a marketing strategy only meant to

uplift its brand’s sales. This raises suspicions about the brand’s authenticity and sincerity when it

comes to showing commitment to their customers about social changes. Also, in terms of cultural

appropriation, although Dove attempted to spread a message about the importance of cultural

diversity, when they shared the imagery and stories of women who have faced discrimination,

this was only used as a mere marketing tool and profit. This can help us understand that this

company’s actions about body positivity and beauty were not genuine.

Secondly, fast fashion can commodify cultural rituals in society by creating economic

exploitation. In "Fashion Culture: Creative Work, Female Individualization," Angela McRobbie

(2002) discusses how women engage in fashion as it allows them to express their individuality

and creativity, as well as helping them create their cultural identity according to contemporary

society. However, she describes the negative economic structures that are found; she critiques the

fashion industry for its constant exploitative practices regarding the labor and production of

clothing. Pointing out that the exploitation of cheap labor takes place mostly in developing

countries, women employed in these factories frequently face poor working conditions, are

forced to work overtime, and they are paid less wages. Overall, McRobbie concludes that

although the fashion industry promotes individualism and acts as a creative outlet for women, it
almost always relies on the system of economic exploitation because they prioritize profit gain

over the ethical considerations of these women. These economic realities can be found not only

in the fast fashion industry but also in many situations such as human trafficking and child labor.

This shows that our modern cultural rituals are slowly evolving into these unethical practices as

well.

In addition, fast fashion can commodify cultural rituals by creating the loss of cultural heritage.

In "Youth in the Empire of Consumption: Beyond the Pedagogy of Commodification," (2009)

Henry A. Giroux discusses how the increasing modern consumer culture of industries like

fashion has impacted the way the youth of this generation perceive the world, their identity, as

well as social interactions. He argues that young people are heavily influenced by consumerist

ideologies to shape their values, and this is why they are viewed as the first and foremost

consumers by fashion brands and companies that want to stand out and market to. These themes

relate to the loss of cultural heritage because as the young are continually diving deeper into

consumer culture, they may be ignoring or forgetting previous traditional knowledge and

practices that used to shape people’s cultures. These youth are very vulnerable to neglecting local

customs and potential histories. The homogenization of culture can occur as well, where as the

youth gravitate towards global consumer culture, aspects of their cultural heritage may fade.

Moreover, the personal lives of youngsters can also be negatively affected, as they may be

disconnected from their community. This prevents them from having the feeling of belonging or

sense of community, and they may lose the opportunity to have collective experiences with

others. Despite all this evidence, the author believes that this generation still has the chance and
potential of resisting consumerism and the new society, which will allow them to rediscover their

cultural identities.