The fashion industry is in a total identity crisis. We see several fashion giants trying to reinvent themselves to meet sustainable criteria (no names mentioned). Others aren’t even trying and instead work day and night to churn out cheap junk for as many people as possible (no one forgotten).
It’s getting a bit tiring to discuss the dark sides and potential future of fashion retail, but I am gonna try out one last idea, that is as simple as it is radical. Like two separate brain hemispheres, let the chains dedicate themselves to style — that is, producing modern and timeless basics in good quality. Then let the second-hand market own the trends — because if there’s one thing we know, it’s that trends go in cycles.
First, a few premises. If we assume that not everyone on the planet will have an idealistic awakening and stop buying new stuff. If fast fashion companies truly have a genuine desire to stop poisoning the planet and harming the people working in their factories. And, if we think that trends aren’t inherently evil but serve a creative purpose for the world’s fashion designers and as important reflections of contemporary culture and society. Then, this dualist proposal could solve a few problems.
So, rather than continue chasing trends, fashion giants should lean into what they, from the beginning, did best: producing good-quality, timeless, yet modern, basics, for a fairly good price. Because basics are normally garments that we enjoy buying brand-new and put money on. Everybody wants a wardrobe with well-crafted essentials — perfectly cut jeans, durable white tees and cosy knits — that last for years. This approach extends the lifespan of garments and reduces the environmental toll of constant production cycles.
The idea aligns with emerging regulations, like the EU’s Digital Product Passport, which calls for greater traceability and longer-lasting products. By focusing on basics, fast fashion could become less fast and carve out a role that aligns with sustainability without giving up profitability.
Then, let the second-hand market own the trends. Thrift and vintage stores, both out on the streets and in digital spaces, are uniquely positioned to become the trend incubators of a new fashion ecosystem. Scandinavian cities like Copenhagen and Stockholm are already home to second-hand retailers that excel in concept development, trend relevance, and sensitivity to what’s hot: building their entire concept around social media and runway trends directly from TikTok and Paris.
Trends, by their nature, move in cycles. What was fashionable 20 years ago often resurfaces today, albeit in a refreshed, reinterpreted form. Styles merge, evolve, and give birth to new visual concepts, yet their origins almost always stem from something that came before, and that you can easily find second-hand. For example, Capri pants, first popularized in the 1950s, have resurfaced in various forms. In the 90s, they were styled sportier, and worn by stars like the Spice Girls, and by the 2000s, icons like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City gave them new life. Now, in 2024, Capri pants are once again trending on fashion influencers’ Instagram feeds, and second-hand retailers pushed them like butter all summer long.
Fast fashion simply can’t compete with the richness and authenticity of the second-hand sector, which makes its ability to tap into past styles one of its greatest strengths. Similarly, it is very rare to find nice basic wear in good condition second-hand, making fashion giants very relevant in this area. The future of fashion isn’t about producing more, but about producing smarter. How we refine the purpose of fashion niches and let them thrive together for a more sustainable future, is worth thinking about.
Patrizzia Ohlson works as an Account Manager at the communications agency Juno
