The post received more than 5,000 Likes and hundreds of negative comments. “Clearly whoever runs their account hasn’t bothered to look at the origins of the image,” says Illing.
Note that we’re not talking about the main Forever 21 America account (which has 1.6 million followers). The brand, which does a brisk business in $12 crop tops and $20 frocks, began in LA in the 1980s and entered the Indian market in 2011. I asked an Indian designer friend of mine if perhaps these clothes aren’t quite pricey there, relatively speaking, and the fast fashion charge is less relevant, and she told me: “It’s not that so much that as the fact that it’s an international name – people get excited, they want to buy into the buzz. When fast fashion was new in London it was cool, you can’t deny it.”
She’s right; I can’t. I worked in magazines in the Noughties when all the editors were excited about the high-low mix and working $15 Primark back with Prada. “Remember when H&M came to Australia?” said my friend. “And Uniqlo? People queued around the block in excitement. That’s where India’s at with Forever 21. It takes time to change the conversation.”
We have no idea who posted Illing’s pic on Forever 21 India’s feed. It has since been removed. My guess is that an intern thought it was cute, was unaware of the debate, and cried herself to sleep when the scandal blew up. Or perhaps it was a disgruntled former employee gone rogue, as @sophieglpls wondered when I posted about it.
What I do know is that the a mighty fast fashion backlash is brewing. The True Cost has been watched by millions of people, including this vlogger. Woke millennials want fashion to do better by people and planet.
As for Illing, she’s looking on the bright side. “Moments like this show that there’s a huge number of people who are sick of these companies continuing to operate in this way, and they will be called out for it,” she says.
There was indeed a lot of outrage in the comments on the posts and reposts, but I like this gentler reaction the best: “Trends pass but style & good quality never go out of fashion & last a lot longer,” wrote @indigo_polke on Livia Firth’s post. “Invest in key pieces that define you / become part of your identity & you won’t want to part with them!” Now that’s a campaign I’d get behind.
All artwork credit Elizabeth Illing/Project Shopshop
Read Clare Press’ take on the fake debate – why it’s not cool to copy.
See Clare’s Open Letter to Fashion.
Listen to the Wardrobe Crisis podcast.