Can Fast Fashion Giants Really Be Regulated?

By Skye Fearnon, Curious PR Work Experience Team

This summer, A-Level student Skye joined the Curious PR team for some work experience, enabling her to get a taste of the PR profession. During her time here, we asked her to write a blog about an issue she's passionate about, which resulted in this piece.

A big thanks to Skye for this contribution, which aligns with our view that the human and environmental costs of fast fashion must be addressed - FAST. We'd like to thank Skye for all of her hard work, and wish her the best of luck with her studies!

When was the last time you saw an advert for Shein or Temu? I'm sure you wouldn't have to look far before you come across their names on a giant billboard, or via a pop-up on your phone promising low prices without mentioning the hidden consequences of exploitation. Personally, I’ve previously fallen victim to the eye-catching prices and heavy discounts, but after learning about what really goes on behind the scenes, would you press ‘buy’?

These companies present themselves as a cheap and easy way to keep up with the latest trends - but have you ever wondered how they really get their prices so low? A BBC investigation earlier this year showed quoted sweat shop workers in Panyu - the neighbourhood in Guangzhou known as "Shein village" saying, "If there are 31 days in a month, I will work 31 days," and most said they only have one day off a month. 

The low-priced garments produced by fast-fashion chains drive excessive consumption and waste, exacerbating the textile sector’s impact on the environment.

French Goverment Takes Action

On 10th June 2025, the French Senate overwhelmingly backed a new bill designed to regulate low-cost clothing giants. The Business of Fashion reports that this legislation introduces an eco-score system that will evaluate the environmental impact of products sold by fast fashion companies, including emission levels, resource use and recyclability. Brands with the lowest scores could be taxed up to €5 per item starting in 2025, increasing to €10 by 2030.. It’s clear that France is taking this issue seriously. So is it time for the UK to do the same? 

With additional regulations emerging as climate change and pollution progresses, more brands will be aiming to rectify the effects of producing their products in order to avoid these charges, and maintain their brand reputation, which hangs in the balance like a swinging price tag.

The Problems With Exploitation

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the term 'Sweatshop' refers to a small factory where workers are paid very little, and work many hours in very bad conditions. With the use of these, as well as the taboo topic of child exploitation, it's clear these fashion giants are trying to mask the unethical ways in which they’re able to get a product from the design stage to the shop floor in as little as 10 days. We hear the term ‘fast-fashion’ frequently in everyday media, but we never really take into account te impact. It becomes increasingly evident that these industry giants turn around such a volume of clothes through the quickest, cheapest and easiest means possible, without taking into account the resulting social and environmental damage.  

In order to manufacture things quickly and as inexpensively as possible, children and women often work in brutal, inhumane and unhygienic conditions, with pay that is not even adequate to cover the expense of living. Sweatshops are notorious for dangerous working conditions that frequently lead to accidents and injuries. One prominent example is the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, where an eight-story building housing garment factories collapsed, killing over 1,100 workers and injuring thousands more.

More, More, More

Ultimately, the issue fuelling the fast fashion giants, is the incessant consumer demand for more. Some suppliers claim they lack the resources and infrastructure to do so in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner, meaning they will likely continue the behaviour for as long as they can, to minimise costs and maximise profits.

However, speaking as someone that wants to go into the fashion industry, I think it's essential we all do our part to minimise our carbon footprint and move forwards towards sustainable and equal working conditions within the industry. Think twice about whether you really need something BEFORE you purchase, and don't be influenced by excessive marketing that promotes overconsumption. Support local small businesses, and finally, think eco-friendly