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cheap fast-fashion clothing in a PRIMARK store in Munich
Image: Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON/picture alliance

Fast fashion

Fast fashion has become a massive trend in the textile industry, disrupting how clothing is made and marketed. Explore its impact in this selection of recent DW content on the topic.

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All Content on this topic

Two men turn to look at the camera. One is wearing tinted glasses and has his hand on the other man's lapel.

'Becoming Karl Lagerfeld' miniseries profiles fashion icon

A French miniseries celebrates the German fashion star Karl Lagerfeld. Daniel Brühl shines in the lead role.
FilmJuly 1, 2024
DW Sendung Afrimaxx

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

Kinshasa’s most popular street foods, post-punk fashion and a canvas for human-wildlife conflicts.
LifestyleJune 28, 202426:04 min
Warren Meko and Prince Mekko sit on chairs in front of a house looking stylish

South African twins give Afropunk a luxurious twist

The Meko twins use luxurious leather to create their unique Afropunk designs born out of South Africa's townships.
LifestyleJune 28, 202406:04 min
A man walks down a dusty road wearing sneakers with all sorts of attachments on them.

Robotic shoes: Kenya's answer to high-end fashion brands?

These shoes with added electronic components even play music and light your path with flashlights while you walk!
CultureJune 17, 202401:31 min
A man appears to fly through the sky

Dancer Yoann Bourgeois falls with grace

The choreography of French dancer Yoann Bourgeois mesmerizes theater audiences, as well as pop stars.
LifestyleJune 9, 202404:54 min
A group of models wearing Brazilian-flag themed outfits stand on an elegant red-carpeted stairway in a marble hall

Brazilcore: How favela fashion became cool

Designers like Abacaxi are reclaiming the Brazilian flag for all as they celebrate the style of the favelas.
LifestyleMay 27, 2024
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

How should we deal with invasive species? Eat them?

Invasive species are a global problem. Introduced on purpose or by mistake, they often cause a lot of damage.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 24, 202426:04 min
DW Global Us - Näherin

Kenya: Fashion star and community activist

Fashion was an escape for David Avido: from an unpromising future to being a star in his own right.
SocietyMay 13, 202405:17 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Investors preying on US trailer parks

Residents of US trailer parks at risk of becoming homeless. And Vietnamese coffee growers turning to sustainable farming
SocietyMay 10, 202426:06 min
Shein on App Store displayed on a phone screen and Shein website displayed on a screen in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 19, 2023.

China's Shein fashion retailer faces stricter EU regulation

The fast-fashion online retailer is now subject to EU rules on user protection as a "very large online platform."
TechnologyApril 26, 2024
DW Sendung Afrimaxx

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

Fighting crime with art, weaving the past and the present and customized cakes too pretty to eat.
LifestyleApril 19, 202426:04 min
Crocheted colored bags hang next to a picture of a man wearing a white macrame hood

Ghana: Using age-old techniques to make striking fashion

Henrietta Agyekumhene uses traditional Ghanaian crochet and macrame techniques to create unique fashion items.
LifestyleApril 19, 202405:22 min
DW Sendung Afrimaxx

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

Fighting to be a female chef, custom sneakers, and a new arts center in Zambia.
LifestyleApril 12, 202426:04 min
Afrimaxx Sendung | 12.04.2024 | Dennis Chege

Turning Kenya's broken sneakers into wearable art

Kenyan entrepreneur Dennis Chege is helping to fight back against discarded shoes with his wearable sneaker art.
ArtsApril 12, 202406:35 min
A combine harvests cotton in a field in Brazil

Fashion giants linked to deforestation in Brazil

Zara and H&M sell items produced with Brazilian cotton linked to deforestation and land grabbing, says a new report.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 11, 2024
A waste dump with used clothes in Java, Indonesia

Fast fashion: France seeks to slow down wasteful industry

France is working on a new law that is calling for companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products.
BusinessApril 8, 2024
Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

What's better – cotton or polyester clothing?

Are you torn over your clothing's environmental impact? Explore its complexities from production to consumption habits.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 4, 202415:24 min
DW afrimaxx 22.03.2024 - Urezkulture

A truly head turning accessories brand from Lagos

Going to the gala with junk on your head? That's the latest craze in Nigeria.
LifestyleMarch 22, 202404:35 min
DW Sendung Euromaxx | Haute Couture

Future Wear: Fashion by Iris van Herpen

This Dutch designer’s creations come across like sculptures, and they’re even found in a museum.
LifestyleMarch 18, 202404:04 min
Still | Afrimaxx-Sendung am 15.03.2024

Nigeria: Meet the shoemaker mixing style with sustainability

How one man in Lagos makes sustainable and stylish footwear.
ClimateMarch 15, 202404:59 min
A woman dressed in black speaks with several models dressed in various outfits, at a fashion show

Ukrainian designer resists Russia with fashion

With her fashion creations, Ukrainian designer Lilia Litkovska is making a statement against the war.
LifestyleMarch 12, 202404:36 min
Image reading "no more waste?". Half of the picture shows clothes on hangers, the other half shows white threads used in textile industry. The picture is rich in contrast

Can we really recycle our old clothes?

100 billion clothes made yearly, 65% landfilled in 12 months. New textile recycling tech aims for sustainability.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 8, 202413:29 min
DW Sendung Afrimaxx

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

Nigerian clay pots go viral, road-tripping through South Africa and Kenyan fashion made from trash
LifestyleMarch 6, 202426:05 min
DW Sendung Afrimaxx | 08.03.2023

Don't waste your clothes! Trashion is the Kenyan way

Would you wear fashion made out of trash?
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 6, 202404:43 min
Firefighters work to contain a fire at a commercial complex in Dhaka

What's causing Bangladesh's repeated fire tragedies?

Bangladesh has seen some of the world's worst building blazes in recent years, with each incident claiming many lives.
SocietyMarch 2, 2024
Iris Apfel seen in black and white

Style icon Iris Apfel dies at 102

An inspiration to fashion fans of all ages, Iris Apfel lived to be 102 and was a rule-breaker right up until the end.
LifestyleMarch 2, 2024
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco Africa - The Environment Magazine

'Green loans' help e-mobility expand in Uganda. Controversial solar panels on a Cambridge chapel.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 5, 202426:06 min
Boutique with colorful rental clothes in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Amsterdam's fashion library takes on textile waste

In Amsterdam, fashion fans can reduce the environmental toll of fast fashion by renting their clothes.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 5, 202403:30 min
A middle aged man with a gray beard and slicked back white hair, in a blue Oxford shirt

Ahmad Mohammed: From bodyguard to fashion designer

Ahmad Mohammed made a name for himself as Germany's best-known bodyguard. He's started his own sports label.
SportsFebruary 2, 202404:31 min
DW Euromaxx KW 20

Queen of Black: Berlin Fashion Designer Esther Perbandt

Esther Perbandt is more in demand than ever since placing 2nd in the casting show "Making the Cut."
CultureFebruary 2, 202406:12 min
DW Afrimaxx Sendungslogo Composite

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

Upcycling in Kenya’s film industry, redefining the image of dreadlocks and the Queen of scraps.
LifestyleFebruary 2, 202426:04 min
H&M, logo seen here, said it was investigating the ad campaign

H&M pulls ad accused of sexualizing young girls

H&M has pulled an advertising campaign in Australia that some users said hypersexualized young girls.
SocietyJanuary 23, 2024
Picture of two teenagers with their backs to the camera, playing a retro game on the NES at the Gamescom 2023.

Retro games: Why pixel graphics won't go out of fashion

Games with pixel graphics cater to the retro trend and strike a chord with gamers across generations.
LifestyleJanuary 10, 2024
DW Sendung Afrimaxx

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

Why dancing at funerals goes well, why pain doesn't define art, and the latest trend in design.
LifestyleJanuary 5, 202426:04 min
Several models stand on a runway

Malawian fashion brand pioneers inclusivity

Malawian fashion brand House of Xandria allows people from all walks of life to feel included and beautiful.
LifestyleDecember 27, 202305:43 min
A Black model in a black dress poses

Black is beautiful as African models conquer catwalks

White beauty norms have long dominated the fashion industry, but Black models are starting to change that.
DiversityDecember 19, 202305:36 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

What is beauty? - Global Us

Skin bleaching is risky but it's common in Jamaica. A German beauty salon run by migrants is fighting racism.
SocietyDecember 16, 202326:06 min
Woman sits in her fashion studio

Global Queen from India

Karishma Shahani-Khan is an Indian fashion designer who wants to change the world with a no-waste approach.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 15, 202304:58 min
Wax figures of famous singers wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.

'Tis the season for the ugly Christmas sweater

From the US to the UK and now even Germany — it's time again to dig out and don your tackiest Christmas sweater.
LifestyleDecember 15, 20239 images
Colorful socks in Ghana's Kente design adorn three people's feet.

Ghana's Afrisocks brighten up your feet and your day

Voted one of the world's funkiest socks by New York Magazine, Afrisocks bring African culture to your feet.
DesignDecember 13, 202305:34 min
A woman wearing a large necklace of pale chunky beads and face paint

Nigeria: How beads are used to celebrate heritage

Beads have long been associated with royalty to spirituality. Today, they're bringing a new look to modern fashion.
BusinessDecember 11, 202301:30 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Climate change – A race against time

Severe drought in the Amazon and fair fashion in India
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 8, 202326:06 min
Sendung Afrimaxx 24.11.23

Madagascar's fashion maverick fusing music and style

Musician and designer Sacha Bam Bam is known for her flamboyant style.
LifestyleNovember 21, 202302:57 min
Peter Nygard

Canada: Fashion mogul Peter Nygard convicted of sex assault

Four women have accused the he Finnish-born Canadian fashion magnate of sexual assault.
CrimeNovember 12, 2023
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco Africa - The Environment Magazine

The challenges facing South Africa’s southern right whales, and a sustainable gem mine in Zimbabwe.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 9, 202326:06 min
Garment workers block roads as they take part in a protest in Dhaka on November 1, 2023

Bangladesh: Garment workers say current wages unsustainable

Factory representatives and workers' unions both say international fashion brands could help solve the problem.
BusinessNovember 7, 2023
A young man sketches on a pad of paper in a fashion studio, as two people look on

Recycled denim designs take on fast fashion

In Nigeria, Uche Aladinma creates fashionable and durable streetwear from recycled denim.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 3, 202304:44 min
A woman wearing a bright pink headscarf shows off a piece of dyed fabric.

Kenya's outfits crafted from food waste dyes

A Kenyan textile company is redefining style by creating outfits using fruit and vegetable-based dyes.
CultureOctober 30, 202301:16 min
A woman sits at a sewing machine

Ghana has become fast fashion's dumping ground

More than 70 tons of discarded textiles from the West show up in Ghana;s landfills every day.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 25, 202306:58 min
A woman holding fabic

Kenya: President Ruto pushes for locally-made clothing

Stakeholders support President Ruto's drive to boost Kenya's textile industry.
BusinessOctober 23, 2023