A social media influencer called out a major fast fashion brand and its supermodel muse for capitalizing on cheaply made goods that have a higher chance of ending up in landfills, as reported by The Mirror.

What's happening?

Dr. Brett Staniland (@twinbrett) took to TikTok to share the message with more than 31,000 followers. He called out Zara and the company's collaborator, Kate Moss, for a "blatant cash-grab" as they released a recent festival collection targeted at Gen Z attendees of the 2025 Glastonbury Festival. 

Staniland poses a question in his video, asking who this collection is for. He points to the fact that most Gen Zers prefer to thrift, especially those within festival culture, and accuses the brand of "haute-washing."

Similar to greenwashing, haute-washing disguises irresponsible corporate practices, presenting a product to consumers that is not as high-quality as marketing would lead them to believe. However, instead of dressing up corporate actions as eco-friendly, haute-washing causes consumers to think the product is couture quality, and even in some cases, handcrafted. 

Why is haute-washing important?

Haute-washing allows consumers to believe they're buying well-made, unique products that will last for years to come, while corporations profit from the cheaply made reality. It allows fast fashion brands to maintain a high-end image without actually earning that status.

This negatively impacts consumers, who are essentially duped into buying low-quality products that will inevitably end up in landfills or elsewhere in the environment once a garment breaks down.

Right now, the fashion industry generates 92 million tons of textile waste annually, while also producing 10 percent of the world's carbon pollution. Experts say if current trends continue, that number will spike to 134 million tons by 2030.

What's being done about haute-washing?

Consumers are smarter than fast fashion brands believe, especially Gen Z, who have grown up in a time when you can't trust everything you see online. Statistics show that about 87% of the generation is willing to buy items secondhand. That suggests that Gen Z is trying to break up with fast fashion. 

Meanwhile, it's important for people with an audience to continue calling out major fashion brands for poor practices.

"It's not a glam fest for the majority of festival-goers outside of the VIP ropes," said Staniland. "So I doubt people will be spending money on these types of clothes."

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.