France decided to declare war fast fashionFast fashion, which is based on the constant change of the wardrobe, is generally fed by clothes. low cost and Asian giants like Shein or Temu have great engines. The lower house of the French Parliament recently passed a package of measures aimed at making such clothing less attractive.

Supporters of the regulations argue that it does so because of the environmental damage caused by this branch of the textile industry, but also to protect its own companies from what has already been described as “unfair competition”. The measures would still need to pass the French Senate before becoming law, but they make for an interesting debate that goes well beyond France.

At the end of the day, Paris has always prided itself on being a pioneer and an international reference in the fashion world. And this is no exception.

remove attraction. In France, they consider clothing from brands such as Shein to be less attractive to buyers. And they want to achieve this through a number of measures that affect the image and visibility of this type of clothing, but first of all they hit one of the most sensitive and market-oriented points: customers’ pockets.

The French initiative is interesting for several reasons. First, because the phenomenon fast fashion This is by no means exclusive to France and is already practiced in many other countries. This is partly the reason for the mountains of textile trash that can now be seen even from space. Second, France boasts of being a pioneer in launching an institutional offensive to curb its expansion.

“It is the first country to legislate to limit the excesses of ultra-fast fashion,” celebrates Christophe Béchu, Horizons Minister of Ecological Transition.

It’s a matter of image… and money. The French initiative is interesting both in terms of its aim and above all in terms of the strategy it proposes to achieve this goal. Broadly speaking, what supporters of the measure are proposing is reducing its visibility. fast fashionTo ensure that the customer is aware of its environmental impact and, most importantly, that it is less cheap and therefore less attractive. To achieve this, France is trying to put in place a number of measures.

First, it affects advertising. Their proposal is to ban the cheapest textile product, which often only lasts a few months and is thrown away. The second focuses on the image of clothes: their manufacturers must report on the impact of their products on the environment. The third one focuses on customers’ pockets. The idea is to impose surcharges on products as early as 2025, based on the argument of the environmental bill.

Punishing fast fashion. The expected amount will vary. France24 notes that a surcharge of 5 euros per item is contemplated initially and from next year; This amount will increase to 10 euros in 2030. Of course, with an important nuance, especially when talking about clothing. low cost: This additional charge will never represent more than 50% of the price of the product. The money generated from the tax will remain in the industry and will be used to help sustainable clothing manufacturers.

Newspaper Liberation provides a few more keys. The proposal calls for an economic “penalty” of 50% of the tax-free price of each product; This means that for a jersey or t-shirt sold for 8 euros, the company will have to pay a fee of 4 euros. In 2030, the penalty can reach a maximum of 10 euros, but this limit is 50% of the sales price.

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Step by step (legislative). war against the french fast fashion It is also interesting that it has not remained on the agenda of political discussions. The country has already taken steps to move these measures from theory to legislation. And it started by defining what exactly deserves that label fast fashion: Among its criteria will be the volume of garments produced and the speed of turnaround of collections, which is one of its characteristic features. “Shein offers 900 times more products than a traditional French brand,” he recalls of the offer. Speaker Anne-Cécile Violland also stated that this was an example of intensive fashion production.

For now, the initiative has received approval from the lower house of the French parliament, but the bill still needs to be submitted to the Senate. As Béchu emphasized yesterday, his first step was positive in any case through your profile on X: “The National Assembly has just unanimously passed a bill aimed at stopping the growth of ultras. fast fashion […]. “Today, a big step has been taken to reduce the environmental footprint of the textile industry.”

The fact that it has achieved this level of support in the National Assembly does not mean that the measure is not controversial. Left MPs and the Green Party saw, for example, how an initiative aimed at further tightening the new rule was rejected. His proposal included minimum sanctions for those who violate the new guidelines, import quotas, as well as the implementation of stricter labor criteria in the sector, France Press reported.

What are they discussing? Numerous documents related to the measure can be found on the National Assembly website; these include proposals and memos summarizing the arguments of the measure’s supporters and insisting, for example, on the “profound ethical and environmental concerns” the measure raises. fast fashion. One of his main concerns is how this will affect the French industry.

“It is to fight against unfair competition against companies that prefer textile production that is more sustainable and respectful of people and the environment. Our lands are full of them and we are fighting against them. fast fashion This also means helping them develop,” says Antoine Vermorel-Marques, a member of parliament from the Les Républicains party founded by Sarkozy.

“Thanks to its ability to reduce prices, it encourages relocation and competes with French textile producers who are subject to important social and environmental standards,” adds Vermorel, noting a system that creates “a textile passport that supports our companies.” and we often penalize foreign competition that does not respect workers’ rights, our environment, and the health of their customers.

Fashion and environment. That’s the other key to the debate about ultrafast fashion: It has to do with customers’ health and their own environment. Those who support the measures say “the fight against fast fashion It also appears to be a public health issue,” and Shein articles claim that there are studies that “identify the presence of toxic products in certain clothing.”

Not only that. They also remember that the textile and clothing industry is responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on soil, water and biodiversity pollution. “Therein lies an environmental health issue that national representation must address.” His focus is on companies like Shein, which he mentions openly and has an extensive catalog exceeding 470,000 products. They insist their industrial machinery is capable of launching “more than 7,200 new clothing models per day.”

What does Shein say? The Chinese company spoke through the Reuters agency and shifted the focus of the discussion slightly: In its view, the key lies in its market strategy, which ultimately – it claims – also affects its environmental impact. His argument is simple. He assures that because his articles meet current demand, they guarantee a very low rate of unsold clothes, a far cry from the 40% he attributes to traditional brands.

Regarding France’s initiative, Shein argues that its main effect will be a “worsening of the purchasing power” of the consumer. And this, he emphasizes, “at a time when they are already feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis.”

Image | Dick Thomas Johnson (Flickr)

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