It's not uncommon for influencers to unbox their newly purchased clothes, shoes, and bags, but French Republican MP Antoine Vermorel-Marques' Shein unboxing video made international news.
"So beautiful, so stylish!" This was his first online purchase of clothes, shoes, and scarves from the Chinese fast-fashion brand Shein. He unpacked the packaging and admired them with a serious expression. Then, he shifted the conversation to complaining that the shoes might contain phthalates, chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system and even cause infertility; then he complained that the baby's clothes might be treated with formaldehyde, posing a cancer risk. Finally, he pulled out his plane ticket, revealing that these products had been shipped overseas, leaving a staggering carbon footprint. He has proposed a €5 (approximately NT$170) surcharge on every fast-fashion purchase.
Killing fast fashion and punishing the poor?
According to France 24, Wimmelheimer's bill is being called a "kill bill" for fast fashion, aimed at supporting France's domestic textile industry.
Wiemerheimer explained that this isn't an additional "tax," as the bill includes both penalties and incentives. Buying fast fashion brands will cost an extra €5, while buying eco-friendly, domestically produced clothing will earn you a €5 bonus. The basic concept is that polluters pay, a win-win for both the planet and consumers.
According to Business Insider, Zara launches 20,000 new styles annually, while Shein even boasts 6,000 new styles per day. With the rise of fast fashion, the rate at which clothes are purchased and discarded has also accelerated. Earth.org reports that manufacturers produce 100 billion pieces of clothing annually, 92 million tons of which end up in landfills. The majority of returned or exchanged items are never resold.
The average price of Shein's clothes is 7 euros (about NT$240). With its low prices and trendy designs, it has become a favorite of Generation Z. Not only has it surpassed Nike and Adidas to become a popular clothing brand on Google, its revenue has also caught up with Zara and surpassed H&M.
However, Shein has also been involved in many controversies, including poor working conditions, toxic chemicals in its products, and plagiarism of independent designers' works.
Shein is synonymous with the new generation of fast fashion. However, as more fast fashion brands emerge, how France defines fast fashion is also a problem.
How to define "fast" fashion?
While some support Wimerheima's bill, others criticize it as penalizing the poor by making it harder for them to access cheap and fashionable clothes.
The fast fashion trend continues. Temu, a shopping platform launched in September 2022, has become incredibly popular. This cross-border platform, owned by the Chinese company Pinduoduo, operates similarly to Shein, but with even lower prices.
The French parliament will debate the bill in March and April. While the bill won't solely target Shein, the draft bill aims to define "fast fashion" as a store adding 1,000 new products per day.
Sheng Lu, an associate professor of fashion and apparel at the University of Delaware, told Sourcing Journal, a magazine specializing in apparel and home goods sourcing, "Does this mean 1,000 new styles? Does this also include the same style but in different colors and sizes? Who will count? How will this be enforced?" These are all questions.
References：
*France24（2024/2/22），France’s fast-fashion ‘kill bill’: Green move or penalty for the poor?
*Sourcing Journal（2024/2/24），Will a $5 Fast-Fashion Surcharge Save the Planet?
*Business Insider（2022/12/24），The fashion industry’s dirtiest secret
Source: Environmental Information Centre
