Are there any social issues in fashion design?

Answer 1

There are quite a few social issues in the fashion industry.

Environment and over-consumption

Because clothing labels come out with new lines each year, trends change. This encourages people to consume MUCH more than necessary, which forces more production. These materials and production have a significant impact on the environment. Many synthetic fabrics (such as polyester) are are made from petroleum, and many more natural materials (such as cotton and silk) are grown on land that could be used for farming.

Advertising and body image

The fashion industry is known for utilizing young women who are extremely young and thin, which has an impact on the way society views women. The constant and incessant images of young women with flawless skin and very thin figures (sometimes real, sometimes photoshopped) has contributed to a huge population of women with body-image issues, as well as ageism and sexism.

Sweat shops and other unethical practices

Many of the clothes that are widely distrubuted are manufactured in sweat shops, where people are poorly paid and horribly treated (very few breaks, bad working conditions, employing young children, etc.) Other fashion houses sell diamonds, which are often mined under very poor conditions, and controlled by violent groups of people all over the world.