Women’s fashion brand Forever 21 has come under fire for stealing the work of an anti-fast-fashion artist. The artwork was in the form of a clothing label which read “I probably won’t wear this dress again because it’s already on my Instagram”, providing a harsh commentary on the throwaway culture perpetuated by selected fashion brands.
The fashion group shared an image of the artwork on their Instagram account without crediting the creator, fuelling a backlash from the artist herself as well as the growing anti-fast-fashion community behind her. The artist responded by saying that she was shocked that the label “would openly make light of the disposable ferment culture.”
With a sustainable mindset growing among brands and consumers, people are becoming more aware of the harsh realities behind the production of their favourite clothes. According to data from the Enviro Audit Committee, in the United Kingdom alone there is 26,7kgs of consumption of new clothing per head, which is the highest rate in Europe.
Forever 21 released a statement via the BBC reflecting upon their decision to share the post. “We missed the mark by not reviewing the post in question before it was posted by our local franchisee’s account. We’d like to apologize for the post and recognize that it was not in good taste and promptly had it removed.”
