Polyester as Critical Thinking: Influencing the Cosmic Void of Fast Fashion

Required disclaimer: This article explores the dark side of the influencer world, focusing specifically on its collusion with fast fashion and the lack of awareness in its content. It's important to note that this article doesn't cover all influencers, but rather a significant portion who support and fuel certain systems.

It's undeniable that the figure of the influencer has contributed to the amplification of contemporary hyperconsumerism. After all, their role is precisely to guide consumer choices—be they products, services, or experiences.
In the specific case of fashion influencers —who would be more accurately called clothing influencers , given the complete lack of reflection in their content—the connection to fast fashion is almost systemic. They constantly collaborate with major brands in the sector, incessantly promoting new collections every two weeks, fueling a constant flow of "haul" content that drives compulsive consumption.

We focus exclusively on mass-market brands, completely ignoring niche or sustainable businesses. Worse still, we prefer to ignore the serious social and environmental responsibilities of fast fashion when they emerge—for the umpteenth time.
In recent years, some influencers have discontinued collaborations with Shein, spurred by the scandals that have emerged. A step in the right direction, certainly, but somewhat contradictory considering they continue to promote dozens of other brands with identical practices.

Having outlined the general context, it is important to delve into the many problems associated with this toxic system.

One of the main ones concerns a lack of knowledge about the products being promoted. It's common to see influencers extol "soft" and "bright" fabrics, confidently declaring the quality of 100% polyester garments. You don't need a degree in fashion design to recognize a synthetic, poorly tailored garment from a low-cost brand. One can only hope that such claims stem from specific commercial agreements and not from genuine conviction.
Making the situation even more worrying is the fact that a large portion of the public is made up of teenagers, often lacking the critical tools to distinguish quality from marketing. The result? A widespread dissemination of misinformation, which legitimizes unsustainable consumption and fuels widespread ignorance about the composition and true value of garments.

Then there is an even more complex issue: the improper legitimation of the figure of the “fashionable” influencer.

A certain hostility has long been felt in the industry towards those who call themselves such, and with good reason. Because a fashion influencer is not – or should not be – someone who shows off their purchases in shopping malls, nor someone who talks about spring/summer trends through superficial content. Nor is it someone who discusses "the right colors" or  “outfits to enhance the figure”.
A fashion influencer, in the truest sense of the word, is a passionate, scholarly, and professional fashion expert. She analyzes fashion shows, decodes trends like a trend forecaster, and observes the evolution of the most innovative brands. And above all, she connects clothing to the times that create it: to society, politics, culture, and much more.
As Maria Luisa Frisa reminds us in Le forme della moda , fashion is not just clothes, but a catalyst and translator of contemporary impulses . Those who truly work in fashion also possess solid technical and material skills.

Faced with this, the majority of those identified today as fashion influencers do nothing but promote empty content, encouraging the purchase of low-quality products and actively contributing to an unsustainable model.

Finally, the most serious problem: the code of silence.
Can we really believe that certain influencers ignore the inhumane practices of fast fashion? Children forced to work in dilapidated factories, shackled and working grueling shifts; a devastating environmental impact to produce disposable clothing.
It's no longer a question of misinformation: today, ethical violations in the industry are public knowledge. Those with the power to influence consumer choices also have a responsibility. Yet, too often, this responsibility is ignored in the name of quick profits.

Meanwhile, emerging and sustainable brands—those truly trying to change things—are struggling to gain traction, overshadowed by the mountains of junk collections that flood social media every day.

The question, then, is just one: how long will we continue to call “fashion” what is just marketing disguised as lifestyle?