How cheap, cheap consumer culture is crippling the fashion and music industries

It’s no big secret that we find ourselves within a culture fixated on cheap trends and over-consumption. Life where a ‘double wear’ is criminal - well, I’ve already been out in that dress this year … MUST BUY MORE CLOTHES!! But the truth is, this trend and desire to sport a new-garm’-a-day has been enabled by fast fashion brands; even the high street has been taken over by these over-producing under-pricing trend wear machines. Whilst this fashion normality is ruining the planet, it’s also ruining the industry; ye but .. why would I buy one pair of designer jeans when I could just get this SHEIN haul that’ll last me all year?? I’ll be able to wear it all at least once before it falls to bits!! High-quality, well-designed clothing items are suddenly out of fashion, and the irony of that not only kills ME, but all the timeless, luxury brands we know and love (or at least, we used to...). 

Campaigns like F@*K FAST FASHION are spearheading the spreading of awareness about this calamity within the fashion industry, and how it’s seeping into other industries, too. Tour merchandise, for example, is a terribly great example. Not only do music fans now refuse to buy official merchandise, but they hand over their money to the peddlers (the big, bad bootleggers) on the street outside, for a T-Shirt fit for nothing more than sleeping in. Although, their offers are hard to resist, and there is nothing that pushes you to cop a piece like a toothless hobo cosplaying as businessman, spraying and exclaiming about the bargain-of-a-lifetime that you just considered walking past.  

In this diabolical age of digital streaming, artists rely on merch sales to make their monies. For grass root artists especially, official merchandise sales can make or break their tour. Music fans have been blinded by the prices of the bootleggers and acclimatised to their criminal business models over decades, with peddlers being found outside shows in the 70s! Although, with authentic merch being nothing to scream about - yes Swifties, we see your fading merch – what incentive do fans have to spend the (3x) extra on the ‘inside’ merch? 

The issue is, from a flaky fan’s perspective, it makes sense to purchase from the peddlers. (Slightly) compromised quality for cheaper clothes, plus no queues or lugging a hoodie round a concert … if you’re blissfully unaware of the torment the touters have caused the music industry, why waste your time, or your weekly wage, on official merch? The answer? Make. Them. Care.  

Here’s where our fashion aficionados, F@*K FAST FASHION, come into play. Spreading awareness of the tragedy thrust upon these creative industries by fast brands and bootleggers is the only way to make people consider what kind of company their spends are funding, and where their money could be better dispersed. Like the depreciation of official merch sales is down to the rumrunners of the music biz, the ever-hollowing high street shops have the fast, fast fashion vendors to thank.  

Although, the scream-and-shout method can only carry so far, zealously comes from within. People can’t be forced to care for a cause - giving their money to the artist directly (via official merch) has to be an initiative fans (think they) have adopted by themselves … nothing to do with the subconscious moral-penetration of certain feature articles and general ‘banging on’ of certain online campaigns … 

As designer garms are treasured by fashion enthusiasts, band t-shirts are renowned for their sentimental value, and are considered a token of tantalisation by many music lovers. They are the physical embodiment of ‘I was there!!!’ and double up as bone-fide proof. So where did the love go? Well, clearly not very far, people still buy the counterfeits. One Mum was found to have made a sweet £250,000 over three years selling fake Ts on eBay! The love has clearly just lost its path and needs major re-direction. More specifically, the temptation of the tout needs to be taken away, or even better, forcefully and LAWFULLY removed! 

‘Make it illegal for people to sell fake merchandise outside of live music venues’ - 18th March, 2017 … PETITION REJECTED. It makes it difficult to combat the crooks when LAW ENFORCEMENT professionals neglect the cause. There must be a reasonable explanation for the trusty (huh!) British Government to reject such a well-informed, honourable petition, I hear you cry … NOPE. And I quote, ‘It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government to do (ermm .. arrest the touts?). Selling fake goods is already illegal, so we’re not sure what action you would like Government to take.’ 

Counterfeit products and fast fashion items are on sale all over the world, littering every street corner with their low-quality, throw-away ethos. That’s why campaigns, articles, and the media generally must take it upon themselves to inform, educate and generally MAKE NOISE about the downfall and devastation of the beloved creative industries, seen as our British Government are so notorious for putting out societal ‘fires’...  

Money's tight, we all get that – insert more Government slander - and everyone’s purse strings are being pulled a little tighter by the day. But, the point I’m trying to make is, no matter how tempting the price tag, consider who it is you’re giving your money to. Whether you’re musing the merch stand or hunting the high street, make sure you’re happy with the back pockets you’re filling. The more given to the fast fashion phoneys, the longer (and larger) their empire will grow. It’s time to start financially appreciating the arts and boycotting the bootleggers!! 

It’s no big secret that we find ourselves within a culture fixated on cheap trends and over-consumption. Life where a ‘double wear’ is criminal - well, I’ve already been out in that dress this year … MUST BUY MORE CLOTHES!! But the truth is, this trend and desire to sport a new-garm’-a-day has been enabled by fast fashion brands; even the high street has been taken over by these over-producing under-pricing trend wear machines. Whilst this fashion normality is ruining the planet, it’s also ruining the industry; ye but .. why would I buy one pair of designer jeans when I could just get this SHEIN haul that’ll last me all year?? I’ll be able to wear it all at least once before it falls to bits!! High-quality, well-designed clothing items are suddenly out of fashion, and the irony of that not only kills ME, but all the timeless, luxury brands we know and love (or at least, we used to...). 

Campaigns like F@*K FAST FASHION are spearheading the spreading of awareness about this calamity within the fashion industry, and how it’s seeping into other industries, too. Tour merchandise, for example, is a terribly great example. Not only do music fans now refuse to buy official merchandise, but they hand over their money to the peddlers (the big, bad bootleggers) on the street outside, for a T-Shirt fit for nothing more than sleeping in. Although, their offers are hard to resist, and there is nothing that pushes you to cop a piece like a toothless hobo cosplaying as businessman, spraying and exclaiming about the bargain-of-a-lifetime that you just considered walking past.  

In this diabolical age of digital streaming, artists rely on merch sales to make their monies. For grass root artists especially, official merchandise sales can make or break their tour. Music fans have been blinded by the prices of the bootleggers and acclimatised to their criminal business models over decades, with peddlers being found outside shows in the 70s! Although, with authentic merch being nothing to scream about - yes Swifties, we see your fading merch – what incentive do fans have to spend the (3x) extra on the ‘inside’ merch? 

The issue is, from a flaky fan’s perspective, it makes sense to purchase from the peddlers. (Slightly) compromised quality for cheaper clothes, plus no queues or lugging a hoodie round a concert … if you’re blissfully unaware of the torment the touters have caused the music industry, why waste your time, or your weekly wage, on official merch? The answer? Make. Them. Care.  

Here’s where our fashion aficionados, F@*K FAST FASHION, come into play. Spreading awareness of the tragedy thrust upon these creative industries by fast brands and bootleggers is the only way to make people consider what kind of company their spends are funding, and where their money could be better dispersed. Like the depreciation of official merch sales is down to the rumrunners of the music biz, the ever-hollowing high street shops have the fast, fast fashion vendors to thank.  

Although, the scream-and-shout method can only carry so far, zealously comes from within. People can’t be forced to care for a cause - giving their money to the artist directly (via official merch) has to be an initiative fans (think they) have adopted by themselves … nothing to do with the subconscious moral-penetration of certain feature articles and general ‘banging on’ of certain online campaigns …

As designer garms are treasured by fashion enthusiasts, band t-shirts are renowned for their sentimental value, and are considered a token of tantalisation by many music lovers. They are the physical embodiment of ‘I was there!!!’ and double up as bone-fide proof. So where did the love go? Well, clearly not very far, people still buy the counterfeits. One Mum was found to have made a sweet £250,000 over three years selling fake Ts on eBay! The love has clearly just lost its path and needs major re-direction. More specifically, the temptation of the tout needs to be taken away, or even better, forcefully and LAWFULLY removed! 

‘Make it illegal for people to sell fake merchandise outside of live music venues’ - 18th March, 2017 … PETITION REJECTED. It makes it difficult to combat the crooks when LAW ENFORCEMENT professionals neglect the cause. There must be a reasonable explanation for the trusty (huh!) British Government to reject such a well-informed, honourable petition, I hear you cry … NOPE. And I quote, ‘It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government to do (ermm .. arrest the touts?). Selling fake goods is already illegal, so we’re not sure what action you would like Government to take.’ 

Counterfeit products and fast fashion items are on sale all over the world, littering every street corner with their low-quality, throw-away ethos. That’s why campaigns, articles, and the media generally must take it upon themselves to inform, educate and generally MAKE NOISE about the downfall and devastation of the beloved creative industries, seen as our British Government are so notorious for putting out societal ‘fires’...  

Money's tight, we all get that – insert more Government slander - and everyone’s purse strings are being pulled a little tighter by the day. But, the point I’m trying to make is, no matter how tempting the price tag, consider who it is you’re giving your money to. Whether you’re musing the merch stand or hunting the high street, make sure you’re happy with the back pockets you’re filling. The more given to the fast fashion phoneys, the longer (and larger) their empire will grow. It’s time to start financially appreciating the arts and boycotting the bootleggers!!