By George Gallardo & Brianna Vaca, Staff Reporters
At first glance, those budget-friendly clothes from fast-fashion retailers might seem like a bargain, but the true cost of those deals sometimes involves the exploitation of both workers and the environment. Shortly before Toros went home for the Thanksgiving break, the Growth and Leadership Opportunity for Women program hosted a two-part seminar aimed at educating students about the impact of their shopping habits.
As a function of the CSUDH Women’s Resource Center, GLOW provides training and support to students during the fall semester to bolster their teamwork skills. The seminar kicked off on Nov. 19 with a clothing swap, followed by an upcycle event on Nov. 21. In collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, a cohort of 12 student interns from GLOW worked to raise awareness about how cheap, disposable clothes can come at a much higher price.
In 2020, the European Union estimated that textile production accounted for about 20 percent of global clean water pollution. Fast fashion brands mass produce clothing quickly at a fraction of the cost, replicating high-fashion designs and flooding the market with low-quality apparel. GLOW intern Sam Alvarez Chavarria told The Bulletin the goal was to make Toros think twice before picking up that $8 t-shirt.
“I know we love to shop at Forever 21, H&M, and then you see people do their $500 Shein haul on TikTok,” said Alvarez Chavarria, a fourth-year political science and women’s studies student. “We’re really just trying to have students on campus generally see the devastating impacts that fast fashion has on our environment on workers and labor.”
Swap ‘n’ shop
During the kickoff event on Nov. 19, students were invited to exchange their unwanted clothing with someone else. Three racks and tables were filled with clothes, including footwear and outerwear. Students could also donate clothing or stop by the information booth to learn more about sustainability and the impact of fast fashion practices on the environment.
“A lot of people from campus actually brought clothes they might have put in a landfill or just left in the back of their closet until they forgot about them,” said third-year child development major Sabrina Mance, who works as a peer leader at the WRC. “Bringing them here allows for people who may have thought their clothes were trashed to turn them into something that everyone can still enjoy.”
Clothing production has surged over the past two decades, bolstered by the rise of the fast fashion industry. The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity reports that consumption has increased by 400 percent, but the lifetime of clothing items has decreased. Subsequently, this contributes to textile waste.
“We’re not throwing away the clothes that we no longer need, instead giving it to other people to hopefully find a new home,” said Samantha Ruvalcaba, a first-year computer science student who participated in the event.
Up, up(cycle), and carry away
Day 2 of the seminar on Nov. 21 took place on the East Walkway, where Toros transformed their old t-shirts and jeans into reusable tote bags – a process known as upcycling.
As fast fashion continues to grow in popularity, GLOW wanted to educate participants about some of the other ways they can reduce their textile waste and repurpose their unwanted clothing in creative ways. GLOW distributed mini sewing kits to students so they could continue to practice upcycling at home.
“It gives students an outlet to combat something like fast fashion because it’s such a big topic that it allows us on an individual level to really do something and make change,” said GLOW intern Kasey Dunmore, an advertising and public relations student.
“You have multiple options inside of your closet,” said Porscha Bell, a criminal justice student and another GLOW intern. “Learning how to revamp things instead of just simply throwing them away for them to be a waste and just to bring more waste into our environment.”
Bell told The Bulletin that she hopes attendees will reconsider their clothes shopping habits and give some of the items in their closet a second chance, even if they’re never worn again.
“I think it’s important to attend an event like this on campus because it brings awareness to the fast pace of fast fashion,” Bell said. “What fast fashion is and how dangerous it is to us as people, but also what it does to our ecosystem.”
