Do influencers promote fast fashion brands?

This article is a reflection on the era of social media influencers we live in. We notice that they have become trendsetters and that they influence our choices in terms of fashion. The fast fashion industry has really taken hold of this phenomenon and started using influencers to promote their fast fashion products. It is therefore necessary to think before buying what they support on their social media accounts.
The article is written by Delicia Joseph Darwin, a writer in France, inspired by the leaders of sustainable fashion. She has written several articles for the Indian newspaper The Hindu and for the French web magazine Trustmag. Coming from a journalistic and literary background, nature and poetry influence her writing process

Sometimes we tend to buy something because we trust the celebrity or influencer promoting it. We look to our favorite celebrities and believe they will only sell or support the best products. However, we cannot believe everything we see on social media.

Keep reading the article to find out if your favorite celebrity or influencer promotes brands that are part of the infamous fast fashion industry!

 

Why is it important to avoid fast fashion?

Did you know that 57% of all discarded clothes end up in landfill? Yes, fast fashion is one of the main reasons for clothes piling up in landfills, which are then incinerated. This process is harmful to the environment because toxic gases are released during combustion. Fast fashion promotes short-lived fashion trends. They go out of fashion quickly and reduce the life of a garment.

Today, most of us are aware of the harmful effects of fast fashion. From excessive water consumption to toxic chemicals, not to mention soil pollution and the poor working conditions of workers, fast fashion always has a price to pay.

Still, fast fashion seems to continue to show up in the fashion market using various marketing strategies. One of these strategies is to use the influence of celebrities and other famous people on social media such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and others.

The importance of influencer marketing:

Influencer marketing is a phenomenon of using influential people who are active online and willing to share brand messages with their virtual communities. Due to the rapid growth of social media, this marketing technique works well to reach more people around the world.

Before the influencer era, brands commonly used celebrities in four different ways. The first is the recommendation : a celebrity who has used the product and shares his experience with his followers. The second is a endorser : a celebrity who lends his name to the brand and associates himself with it. The third is an actor : a celebrity who will participate in the advertising campaigns of the brand. The fourth is a spokesperson: a celebrity who will support the values ​​and beliefs of the brand.

Today, social media has taken a central place in the digital marketing of brands, making influencers one of the most powerful trendsetters.

Celebrities promoting Fast Fashion:

Fast fashion relies heavily on influencer marketing to increase sales. Some celebrities have collaborated with fast fashion brands like Fashion Nova, Nasty Gal, Shein and others.

In 2018, Fashion Nova collaborated with Cardi B. She promoted the brand saying she was an avid consumer. With this collaboration, the fast fashion brand has targeted people who want to buy clothes on a budget. 

Fashion Nova made a million dollars in one day. This was all possible because of Cardi's influence. Despite the environmental impacts of fast fashion, influencer marketing has tricked people into buying a lot of shoddy clothes.

Then the film actress Jennifer's body, Megan Fox has collaborated twice with fast fashion brand Boohoo. She posted a series of photos promoting her collection on Instagram. These posts can influence its 20 million followers despite the brand's unethical practices.

Celebrities and greenwashing:

As consumers are aware of the harmful effects of fast fashion on the environment, these brands are desperately trying to do greenwashing. There are times when they use celebrities for their ad campaigns which is nothing more than a greenwashing strategy. For example, the fast-fashion brand H&M used the actress from the series The iron Throne, Maisie Williams. She announced on Instagram that H&M has decided to use only recycled and sustainable fabrics by 2023.

However, this may be considered greenwashing due to the brand's inability to be transparent. It has yet to provide a reasonable living wage for its workers in the garment industry.

Influencers and Buyer Choices:

When an influencer promotes a fashion product, he creates a hype among his followers. Lighting, hairstyles and makeup elevate the value of the product. Studies have shown that many people tend to buy clothes online simply by clicking on links posted by influencers. Sometimes they don't even look for an alternative because it was suggested by an influencer.

They trust the influencer more than the brand itself!

Hence, it becomes necessary for a celebrity or an influencer to be eco-friendly while promoting any brand.

Have you noticed any eco-responsible influencers?

On the bright side, there are eco-conscious influencers who support sustainable brands and help raise awareness in the online community.

Emma Watson has teamed up with People Tree to create a series of casual sustainable clothing. The actress House of Cards, Robin Wright, created an ethical fashion brand For women. Margot Guilbert is an influencer from Bordeaux who shares sustainable and ethical look ideas on her Instagram.

Follow them for inspiration!

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In conclusion, with great power comes great responsibility!

But we can't blame influencers alone, as fast fashion brands tend to exploit influencers' online fame. We have to be more careful before giving in to trends. What we post online can also influence our friends, family and followers.

The responsibility lies with each social media user.

Share your thoughts with us!

Bibliography

  • “The Celebrity Effect in Fast Fashion Industry,” ukessays.com, 11 2018. UKEssays, 2022, .
  • Yang, Jingyue, “Celebrity Endorsement and Co-branding: A Review on Luxury Brand Reconstruction Strategy,” Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 663 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 663, Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Comprehensive Art and Cultural Communication (CACC 2022), Atlantis Press.
  • Léa, Claude et al, “Influencers impact on decisionmaking among generation Y and Z Swedish females when purchasing fast fashion,” Jönköping University, 2018.
  • Duggan, Ellen, “How does the promotion of fast fashion through influencer marketing on Instagram impact Millennial's purchase intentions, from an Irish female Millennial perspective?” National College of Ireland, 2021.
  • Tomovska, Elena, “The role of Instagram influencers as a source of fashion information”, Tekstilna industrija, 68, 2020, p.58-64, 10.5937/tekstind2004058T.

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