Synopsis

Every season tons of textiles arrive in the bustling market of Kantamanto in Ghana, Africa.
Clothes are segregated for selling and rest goes directly to the dumps. There is a mountain of
textile waste in Ghana similar to Chile, Argentina. When you look at a product in Italy there
are high chances it is made by a child in Bangladesh who gave up on their studies and
childhood to work for bare minimum wages under drastic conditions.

What is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is used to describe cheap and low-quality clothing that are quickly produced and
cycled in and out the market to meet new trends. It was first coined by the New York Times in
1990s when Spanish clothing giant Zara arrived in New York. 

The brand had a mission to take
garments from design stage to being sold in shops within just 15 days. In 2023, the global
fashion industry’s estimated worth was $1.7 trillion. From 2000 to 2014, the number of
garments purchased per capita increased by about 60% and production has doubled.

The Rise of Ultra-Fast Fashion

Fast fashion retailers move, when compared to their traditional counterparts. They tend to
compress production cycles and create multiple designs, This enables the shoppers to not only
expand their wardrobes but also refresh them quickly and cheaply.

Ultrafast fashion moves even faster. In 2023, the Chinese ultrafast retailer SHEIN consistently churned out 10,000 new designs per day, the products being considerably less expensive.

How did SHEIN and TEMU Become Global Fast Fashion Giants?

In the late 1970s, when China scaled up its manufacturing production and began opening its
economy to the world. At this time the small and mid-sized factories struggled to get access to
the large consumer markets of the US and Europe. 

American consumers bought Chinese products, however they did so under globally recognized brand names. Here, most of the profits accrued to the brands, rather than the Chinese suppliers.

The success of Amazon, Shopify and Instagram convinced consumers that they can move their
purchasing power online. These platforms taught Chinese businesses that they could directly
approach the markets of the US and Europe. 

Indeed, Amazon was the teacher. Starting in 2013, the retail website began to recruit Chinese manufacturers to sell on Amazon Marketplace. And the seeds for the birth of SHEIN were sown.

How is SHEIN More Than a Fashion Platform?

SHEIN was founded in the city of Nanjing in 2008 by a US born entrepreneur Chris Xu.
SHEIN’s revenue is between $58.5 billion and $83.5 billion as of 2025, making it the world’s
biggest fashion retailer outselling H&M and Zara.

One face of the platform looks toward its
consumers. It uses deep skills in digital marketing to place stylish fast fashion merchandise in
front of the target customers on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. The
other face of the platform is connected with a wide network of 6,000 once-struggling small
clothing factories in China.

TEMU The Successor of SHEIN

The rise of SHEIN caught the eye of another Chinese data and software firm, Pinduoduo. Later
renamed PDD Holdings, the firm opened an office in Boston’s Back Bay. TEMU was launched
in September 2022. Within three months, it was the most downloaded app on Apple and
Google. 

TEMU uses the software of its parent company to match China’s manufacturing capacity to consumer demand. The matching is done not only for fashion but for retail goods in general. Where SHEIN has 6,000 tightly integrated producers, it appears TEMU has 100,000, offering a wide range of good at startling cheap prices such as an electric cooking pot for $2.14.

Why is Fast Fashion Bad?

In Panipat, Haryana a woman is suffering from ten years of scars. She has COPD, she won’t
be able to breathe without medications ever. This is the result of being exposed to hazardous
bleaching chemicals and acids such as Sulphuric in the textile industry.

The west discards these clothes to India just after few wears making India the world’s textile waste land. China’s Guangzhou popularly known as SHEIN City, is known for exploiting their labours. Fast fashion destroys environment, producers, consumers and children.

1. Damage to environment

According to an analysis by Business Insider, 10% of global carbon emission is caused by
Fashion production, 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year and dying and bleaching of
clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year, equivalent to 50
billion plastic bottles. Fast fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water among
industries, requiring 700 gallons to produce one cotton shirt and 2000 gallons to produce a
pair of jeans. Fast fashion consumers are quick to move on to next styling piece discarding
the clothe just after seven wears.

SHEIN’s CEO, Moly Miao said that each item is produced only in small numbers, between
50-100 pieces a day. It is then tested in the market. If it becomes popular then is mass
produced. However, the issue is these manufactures use virgin polyester which releases
huge amount of CO2.

The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet.

SHEIN’s CEO, Moly Miao said that each item is produced only in small numbers, between
50-100 pieces a day. It is then tested in the market. If it becomes popular then is mass
produced. However, the issue is these manufactures use virgin polyester which releases
huge amount of CO2.

2. Exploitation of labours

A lengthy investigation by Wired chronicled how both labourers and consumers suffered
from the production of its clothes. A documentary by the UK’s Channel 4 found that SHEIN
employees were working 75-hour shifts. Swiss watchdog Public Eye released another
detailed report which accused SHEIN of violating Chinese labour laws.

Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control: Inside Shein’s Sudden Rise

Toiling away for Shein Looking behind the shiny façade of the Chinese “ultra-fast fashion” giant

How are European Countries Dealing With Fast Fashion?

EU and European countries have begun to propose and implement taxes and legislations, if not
to totally stop but to at least slow down fast fashion. Until 2021, millions of packages from
platforms such as SHEIN and TEMU, all those valued at under € 22, arrived in Europe without
paying VAT. This gave these products and unfair advantage in the domestic businesses. Since
2021 all Non - EU imports have been subject to VAT.

In 2024, Brussels approved a Directive (EU) to combat greenwashing. From 2026, brands will
not be able to present themselves as ‘carbon neutral’ or ecofriendly without verifiable evidence.

The First European Country to Approve a Tax on Fast Fashion?

France is the first European country to approve a tax on fast fashion. In June 2025, the French
Senate approved a law introducing a progressive penalty system per garment. Ultra-fast fashion
brands will have to pay an extra € 5 per item. This will make things like cheap T-shirts, dresses
and trousers particularly expensive. The figure will gradually increase to € 10 in 2030, doubling
the tax in just five years.

Other countries such as Sweden, Netherlands, France have chosen to incentivize repairs. These
measures have clear objectives making it cheaper to replace a zip rather than buying a whole
new garment.

Beyond Fast Fashion: Who Really Pays the Price?

Although the effects of these measures are being felt however the question remains whether a
shift from fast fashion to sustainable clothing can save the environment? What will then happen
to numerous workers who are employed just because of this industry? And how long will third
world countries keep bearing the human and environmental costs on behalf of the so-called
super powers?

Every season tons of textiles arrive in the bustling market of Kantamanto in Ghana, Africa.
Clothes are segregated for selling and rest goes directly to the dumps. There is a mountain of
textile waste in Ghana similar to Chile, Argentina. When you look at a product in Italy there
are high chances it is made by a child in Bangladesh who gave up on their studies and
childhood to work for bare minimum wages under drastic conditions.

Fast fashion is used to describe cheap and low-quality clothing that are quickly produced and
cycled in and out the market to meet new trends. It was first coined by the New York Times in
1990s when Spanish clothing giant Zara arrived in New York. 

The brand had a mission to take
garments from design stage to being sold in shops within just 15 days. In 2023, the global
fashion industry’s estimated worth was $1.7 trillion. From 2000 to 2014, the number of
garments purchased per capita increased by about 60% and production has doubled.

Fast fashion retailers move, when compared to their traditional counterparts. They tend to
compress production cycles and create multiple designs, This enables the shoppers to not only
expand their wardrobes but also refresh them quickly and cheaply.

Ultrafast fashion moves even faster. In 2023, the Chinese ultrafast retailer SHEIN consistently churned out 10,000 new designs per day, the products being considerably less expensive.

How did SHEIN and TEMU Become Global Fast Fashion Giants?

In the late 1970s, when China scaled up its manufacturing production and began opening its
economy to the world. At this time the small and mid-sized factories struggled to get access to
the large consumer markets of the US and Europe. 

American consumers bought Chinese products, however they did so under globally recognized brand names. Here, most of the profits accrued to the brands, rather than the Chinese suppliers.

The success of Amazon, Shopify and Instagram convinced consumers that they can move their
purchasing power online. These platforms taught Chinese businesses that they could directly
approach the markets of the US and Europe. 

Indeed, Amazon was the teacher. Starting in 2013, the retail website began to recruit Chinese manufacturers to sell on Amazon Marketplace. And the seeds for the birth of SHEIN were sown.

How is SHEIN More Than a Fashion Platform?

SHEIN was founded in the city of Nanjing in 2008 by a US born entrepreneur Chris Xu.
SHEIN’s revenue is between $58.5 billion and $83.5 billion as of 2025, making it the world’s
biggest fashion retailer outselling H&M and Zara.

One face of the platform looks toward its
consumers. It uses deep skills in digital marketing to place stylish fast fashion merchandise in
front of the target customers on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. The
other face of the platform is connected with a wide network of 6,000 once-struggling small
clothing factories in China.

The rise of SHEIN caught the eye of another Chinese data and software firm, Pinduoduo. Later
renamed PDD Holdings, the firm opened an office in Boston’s Back Bay. TEMU was launched
in September 2022. Within three months, it was the most downloaded app on Apple and
Google. 

TEMU uses the software of its parent company to match China’s manufacturing capacity to consumer demand. The matching is done not only for fashion but for retail goods in general. Where SHEIN has 6,000 tightly integrated producers, it appears TEMU has 100,000, offering a wide range of good at startling cheap prices such as an electric cooking pot for $2.14.

In Panipat, Haryana a woman is suffering from ten years of scars. She has COPD, she won’t
be able to breathe without medications ever. This is the result of being exposed to hazardous
bleaching chemicals and acids such as Sulphuric in the textile industry.

The west discards these clothes to India just after few wears making India the world’s textile waste land. China’s Guangzhou popularly known as SHEIN City, is known for exploiting their labours. Fast fashion destroys environment, producers, consumers and children.

According to an analysis by Business Insider, 10% of global carbon emission is caused by
Fashion production, 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year and dying and bleaching of
clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year, equivalent to 50
billion plastic bottles. Fast fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water among
industries, requiring 700 gallons to produce one cotton shirt and 2000 gallons to produce a
pair of jeans. Fast fashion consumers are quick to move on to next styling piece discarding
the clothe just after seven wears.

SHEIN’s CEO, Moly Miao said that each item is produced only in small numbers, between
50-100 pieces a day. It is then tested in the market. If it becomes popular then is mass
produced. However, the issue is these manufactures use virgin polyester which releases
huge amount of CO2.

The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet.

A lengthy investigation by Wired chronicled how both labourers and consumers suffered
from the production of its clothes. A documentary by the UK’s Channel 4 found that SHEIN
employees were working 75-hour shifts. Swiss watchdog Public Eye released another
detailed report which accused SHEIN of violating Chinese labour laws.

Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control: Inside Shein’s Sudden Rise

Toiling away for Shein Looking behind the shiny façade of the Chinese “ultra-fast fashion” giant

How are European Countries Dealing With Fast Fashion?

EU and European countries have begun to propose and implement taxes and legislations, if not
to totally stop but to at least slow down fast fashion. Until 2021, millions of packages from
platforms such as SHEIN and TEMU, all those valued at under € 22, arrived in Europe without
paying VAT. This gave these products and unfair advantage in the domestic businesses. Since
2021 all Non - EU imports have been subject to VAT.

In 2024, Brussels approved a Directive (EU) to combat greenwashing. From 2026, brands will
not be able to present themselves as ‘carbon neutral’ or ecofriendly without verifiable evidence.

The First European Country to Approve a Tax on Fast Fashion?

France is the first European country to approve a tax on fast fashion. In June 2025, the French
Senate approved a law introducing a progressive penalty system per garment. Ultra-fast fashion
brands will have to pay an extra € 5 per item. This will make things like cheap T-shirts, dresses
and trousers particularly expensive. The figure will gradually increase to € 10 in 2030, doubling
the tax in just five years.

Other countries such as Sweden, Netherlands, France have chosen to incentivize repairs. These
measures have clear objectives making it cheaper to replace a zip rather than buying a whole
new garment.

Beyond Fast Fashion: Who Really Pays the Price?

Although the effects of these measures are being felt however the question remains whether a
shift from fast fashion to sustainable clothing can save the environment? What will then happen
to numerous workers who are employed just because of this industry? And how long will third
world countries keep bearing the human and environmental costs on behalf of the so-called
super powers?

How is Europe Tackling Fast Fashion?

Are some jokes really Discriminatory?

In the words of comedian Rowan Atkinson ‘The job of comedy is to offend, or have the
potential to offend, and it cannot be drained out of that potential. Every joke has a victim.

That is the definition of a joke.’ Therefore, a joke will always offend. Comedy shows are the
places where the audience consent to this offence and the comedians, unlike the general
public, are given some suspension from the rigid morals and immorals so that they can enter
the restricted zone and make jokes around it.

We clearly understand that some jokes don’t discriminate, however some do such as racist,
non subversive rape jokes, homophobic, sexist, transphobic or jokes otherwise aimed at,
making fun of, marginalised, vulnerable and oppressed groups of society. 

Are all jokes made on these topics unethical and discriminatory? Why are only comedians blamed for joking about these topics and not the general public?

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1782372880/o8cadthgjajcurxgggrq.jpg

Defining Discriminatory Jokes

All jokes are offensive and some are discriminatory. For instance, subversive jokes made on
racist, sexist and otherwise discriminatory topics challenge these stereotypes by revealing
their absurdities. And the same is true where such jokes are designed to expose the
discriminatory belief of the audience. 

Therefore, we come to the conclusion that the jokes which rely on discriminatory beliefs or attitudes without subverting them and rather endorsing them are termed as discriminatory offensive jokes and are morally wrong.

Take the example of AIB roast in the year 2015 by Tanmay Bhat, Ashish Shakya, Gursimran
Khamba and Rohan Joshi. The roast was completely based on identity jokes including height,
skin color, gender etc. 

When one cannot look beyond these things, can it be called art after all? Ashish Solanki’s ‘Pretty Good Roast Show’ is an example that roast shows can be creative as well with the performances of comedians Onkar Yadav and Gurleen Pannu.

What is the correlation of comedy with society and mental health?

Sometimes even sexist and misogynist jokes pass as a ‘benign violation.’ Such as when
Comedian Harsh Gujral blurted out ‘You can get a russian in Rs 6000.’ Regressive wife,
mother-in-law and transphobic jokes made by comedian Kapil Sharma. 

Such jokes rely on shared stereotypes and the problematic part is when such jokes re-inforce these stereotypes reminding the audience that they have something to bond over because everyone is laughing and agreeing to it. Another comedian Madhur Virli in his Stand up - Love and Latex makes rape jokes. Here the comedian is making the heinous crime look funny.

John Morreall depicts, ‘ As listeners enjoy sexist and racist jokes, they let harmful stereotypes
in under their moral radar, as a kind of mental toy or aesthetic object. And that keeps those
stereotypes in circulation, which perpetuates racism and sexism.’ Maharashtra based
comedian Pranit More came into the spotlight when one of the audience members said he
went out for a date, spent Rs 370 on the woman and got nothing in return from the woman.

The audience laughed and More did nothing to call him out. This shows where we are as a
society, when spending on the woman is assumed to be guaranteed the man consent to her
body.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1782373010/wqrh0braphgd753posf5.jpg

The dangerous part is that comedy is a transaction. These comedians alone are not
blameworthy but the upper caste, upper class, misogynist audience they have is equally a
representation of our society's mindset. 

Already in our country certain groups and genders face insults and attacks and when these discriminatory jokes are normalised through the audience they make these groups even more excluded. This feeling of not being able to belong in social groups creates a mental toll among the marginalised and makes them feel unsafe in their own country.

Are only comedians to be blamed?

Emily McTeranan in her paper ‘The Ethics of Offensive Comedy’ explains that in our daily
interactions we have a social responsibility to not to offend others and treat them with
consideration. When we abide by these social norms our social relations run smoothly. 

Still there is some partial suspension such as in case of interaction among friends, however
everyday humour largely is based on bonding and to bring a moment of pleasure. Now, in the
case of comedians, such a social duty seems to be suspended to a much greater extent and
their work is to push the boundaries of these social norms, distinguishing edgy from
discriminatory. This is the reason why comedians are blamed more because they have a stage
and public.

Laughter is the best medicine

Still, despite all of this we cannot forget that comedy plays a very important role too in our
society. Richard Child calls it the ‘value of freedom to play around with ideas.’ 

As an art form comedy has been used since ages as satirical weapon by writers and contemporary comics such as Manjeet Sarkar, Masoom Rajwani, Ravi Gupta and Kunal Kamra. Whenever times have doomed no one can deny the fact that comedy has been the saviour of mankind. 

It provides one of the most essential methods to speak against the tyrants and as a small protest
against oppression. ‘Humour is a great way for us to have evolved so we don’t have to hit
each other with sticks’ , says Scott Weems.

However, with comedians being non sensitive and neglectful and at the same time the
Government's surveillance being at its peak where it is mercifully butchering freedom of
speech day in and out, what will be the future of comedy in India?

In the words of comedian Rowan Atkinson ‘The job of comedy is to offend, or have the
potential to offend, and it cannot be drained out of that potential. Every joke has a victim.

That is the definition of a joke.’ Therefore, a joke will always offend. Comedy shows are the
places where the audience consent to this offence and the comedians, unlike the general
public, are given some suspension from the rigid morals and immorals so that they can enter
the restricted zone and make jokes around it.

We clearly understand that some jokes don’t discriminate, however some do such as racist,
non subversive rape jokes, homophobic, sexist, transphobic or jokes otherwise aimed at,
making fun of, marginalised, vulnerable and oppressed groups of society. 

Are all jokes made on these topics unethical and discriminatory? Why are only comedians blamed for joking about these topics and not the general public?

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1782372880/o8cadthgjajcurxgggrq.jpg

All jokes are offensive and some are discriminatory. For instance, subversive jokes made on
racist, sexist and otherwise discriminatory topics challenge these stereotypes by revealing
their absurdities. And the same is true where such jokes are designed to expose the
discriminatory belief of the audience. 

Therefore, we come to the conclusion that the jokes which rely on discriminatory beliefs or attitudes without subverting them and rather endorsing them are termed as discriminatory offensive jokes and are morally wrong.

Take the example of AIB roast in the year 2015 by Tanmay Bhat, Ashish Shakya, Gursimran
Khamba and Rohan Joshi. The roast was completely based on identity jokes including height,
skin color, gender etc. 

When one cannot look beyond these things, can it be called art after all? Ashish Solanki’s ‘Pretty Good Roast Show’ is an example that roast shows can be creative as well with the performances of comedians Onkar Yadav and Gurleen Pannu.

What is the correlation of comedy with society and mental health?

Sometimes even sexist and misogynist jokes pass as a ‘benign violation.’ Such as when
Comedian Harsh Gujral blurted out ‘You can get a russian in Rs 6000.’ Regressive wife,
mother-in-law and transphobic jokes made by comedian Kapil Sharma. 

Such jokes rely on shared stereotypes and the problematic part is when such jokes re-inforce these stereotypes reminding the audience that they have something to bond over because everyone is laughing and agreeing to it. Another comedian Madhur Virli in his Stand up - Love and Latex makes rape jokes. Here the comedian is making the heinous crime look funny.

John Morreall depicts, ‘ As listeners enjoy sexist and racist jokes, they let harmful stereotypes
in under their moral radar, as a kind of mental toy or aesthetic object. And that keeps those
stereotypes in circulation, which perpetuates racism and sexism.’ Maharashtra based
comedian Pranit More came into the spotlight when one of the audience members said he
went out for a date, spent Rs 370 on the woman and got nothing in return from the woman.

The audience laughed and More did nothing to call him out. This shows where we are as a
society, when spending on the woman is assumed to be guaranteed the man consent to her
body.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1782373010/wqrh0braphgd753posf5.jpg

The dangerous part is that comedy is a transaction. These comedians alone are not
blameworthy but the upper caste, upper class, misogynist audience they have is equally a
representation of our society's mindset. 

Already in our country certain groups and genders face insults and attacks and when these discriminatory jokes are normalised through the audience they make these groups even more excluded. This feeling of not being able to belong in social groups creates a mental toll among the marginalised and makes them feel unsafe in their own country.

Emily McTeranan in her paper ‘The Ethics of Offensive Comedy’ explains that in our daily
interactions we have a social responsibility to not to offend others and treat them with
consideration. When we abide by these social norms our social relations run smoothly. 

Still there is some partial suspension such as in case of interaction among friends, however
everyday humour largely is based on bonding and to bring a moment of pleasure. Now, in the
case of comedians, such a social duty seems to be suspended to a much greater extent and
their work is to push the boundaries of these social norms, distinguishing edgy from
discriminatory. This is the reason why comedians are blamed more because they have a stage
and public.

Still, despite all of this we cannot forget that comedy plays a very important role too in our
society. Richard Child calls it the ‘value of freedom to play around with ideas.’ 

As an art form comedy has been used since ages as satirical weapon by writers and contemporary comics such as Manjeet Sarkar, Masoom Rajwani, Ravi Gupta and Kunal Kamra. Whenever times have doomed no one can deny the fact that comedy has been the saviour of mankind. 

It provides one of the most essential methods to speak against the tyrants and as a small protest
against oppression. ‘Humour is a great way for us to have evolved so we don’t have to hit
each other with sticks’ , says Scott Weems.

However, with comedians being non sensitive and neglectful and at the same time the
Government's surveillance being at its peak where it is mercifully butchering freedom of
speech day in and out, what will be the future of comedy in India?

Madhvi

Articles by Madhvi