Changes in Working Culture

The fashion industry has always been excessively glamorized on almost every form of media. Hip hop lyrics constantly put mainstream fashion brands on a pedestal. Each brand has its own celebrity ambassadors, ranging from actors to musicians.  The idea of luxury fashion is quite plush and very tame when discussed in passing conversation, but the reality of the industry is much more harsh. The fashion industry is known for a brutal work culture. 

Besides the constant pressure to innovate against current trends and rival companies, brands must innovate against themselves, adhering to the idea that repetition is a barrier to success. Systemic bullying and discrimination exist in a large number of companies and result in rapid burnout and high turnover. These issues are commonplace even across continents. In China, labour is cheap and companies do what they can to reduce this cost even further, relying on illegal methods to evade taxation. Workplaces are often unsafe and not up to standard and employees are forced to work extremely long hours. SHEIN is one such company. In the West, employees suffer from workplace harassment and tough deadlines, which are only worsened during peak months where collections are due to release. In the UK, only about 51% of fashion businesses have diversity and inclusivity strategies, according to a report by the British Fashion Council. 

In recent times however, this has changed. Social media has made it very easy for employees to raise awareness about their issues and the nature of these platforms allows for greater visibility.  Platforms like Glassdoor also allow employees to post about their employers. Hopefully the industry learns from the mistakes that have plagued it over the past decade in order to create an environment that appeals to applicants from a diverse array of backgrounds and accepts its constituents as human beings deserving of a positive working culture.