A fashion educator is speaking out after observing a disturbing trend on social media — and she is warning shoppers to be wary of one company's sustainability claims. 

What's happening?

As reported by 9News Australia, TikTok is home to "a bleak subculture of ultra-fast fashion fans" who show off their hauls of cheap, trendy apparel made to wear and discard quickly, with the hashtag #sheinhaul having more than one million posts.

For its part, Shein, which frequently relies on influencers to promote its brand, has vehemently denied being a fast fashion company, saying that its "approach represents part of the solution by reducing overproduction and waste at the source and maintaining affordability."

However, sustainable fashion creator and founder of Eco Styles Nina Gbor warns that companies like Shein, Temu, and Fashion Nova present themselves as something they're not.

"What's gonna come next after ultra-fast fashion? Is it going to be instant fashion?" Gbor told 9News. "Is it going to be supersonic fashion, fashion at the speed of sound? It just seems to be getting worse and worse."

Why is this important?

More than 101 million tons of textiles end up in landfills globally every year. In Australia, the average consumer discards 25 outfits annually, according to 9News, contributing to a looming economic, environmental, and public health threat, particularly in developing nations that import waste. Australia ships nearly 116,000 tons of textiles abroad each year.  

"If we do not stop what we are doing, we will pollute the planet irreversibly in 30 years," Gbor told 9News. "The chemicals from making clothing, going into our waterways, put forever chemicals in our water, which are linked to increased risk of cancer." 

What can be done about this?

Gbor believes ditching fast fashion shouldn't be difficult because supporting sustainable, ethical fashion can save consumers significant money in the long run. That's because a high-quality garment can last for years as opposed to merely a few wears. What's more, shoppers can find incredible deals on a thriving (and growing) secondhand market. 

"I do not empathise with people who say, 'Oh we're in a cost-of-living crisis, all I can afford is fast fashion,'" Gbor told 9News. "You can, you can host a clothes swap, you can get clothes for free, we have op-shops, secondhand markets, so I don't buy that excuse."

Meanwhile, retail experts, including Lisa Asher from the University of Sydney Business School, are calling for the Australian government to combat waste by making it less profitable for companies to sell low-quality apparel and banning the promotion of fast fashion.

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"The government must provide deterrents for these suppliers to shift from disposable to durable," Asher told 9News. "Clothing should be tested to endure frequent use of one or two years, and a warranty to go with it."

"Banning influencers promoting these brands, whether paid or not, should also be banned," Asher added. 

The latter idea has already gained traction in other countries, as Gbor points out. France has proposed legislation that would make it a crime for influencers to do sponsored or paid fast-fashion hauls, and she believes the concept would work in Australia.

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