Front Cover Image: Protesters out on the Streets due to the Unsafe Conditions within Garment Factories
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Capitalism and the Relation to Fashion
2.3 Colonialism and Globalisation
2.4 Exploitation and Violence
2.5 Summary
3. Discussion and Analysis
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Environmental Impact
3.3 Beauty Standards and (the Lack of) Diversity
3.4 Cultural Identity
3.5 Summary
4. Conclusion
5. Recommendations
6. References
7. Figure List
8. Appendices
8.1 Student Record
8.2 Ethics Form Route A – Application
8.3 Ethics Form Route A - Signed
8.4 Sample Email Interview and Questions
8.5 Email Interview Answers
8.6 Interview Transcripts
8.7 Sample Survey Answers
1. Introduction
Fashion is an omnipresent force in our lives, whether it is viewed as art to be admired or something that is functional which does not require much thought beyond said function. However, no matter how it is viewed, everyone partakes in fashion; whether that is consciously or subconsciously. Fashion has been viewed as something that has been aspirational for centuries. Sewell (2010) puts forward the argument that 17th century France was the epicentre of fashion, especially within Europe and “flatters the vanity of the rich” by the 18th century the idea of fashion moved beyond the rich; and with this consumption of fashion we see the precursor to the rise of capitalism that came with the industrial revolution.
With this rise of capitalism fashion became violence and remains as such. The hands are stained with the blood of those the industry so willingly sacrificed, from the charred corpses throughout history to those who are crushed when the already shaky foundations can no longer bear the weight. Wei (2022) states that research within fashion is categorised into four major categories when it comes to discussion: race, ethnicity, body types, and gender. Whereas the aim of this literature review is to expose how capitalism, colonialism and globalisation, and consequently exploitation and violence are the catalysts for the previously stated issues within the fashion industry and how it can be dismantled, not just reformed.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
As stated in my introduction, the aim of this literature review is to explore the deeper issues within the fashion industry. The focus of this contextual review will be how fashion is intertwined with capitalism and colonialism and the consequences of these, while also looking at these issues with a retrospective lens to gain a deeper understanding of how the modern fashion industry works; as well as how some of the fashion industry’s tragedies, such as the Rana Plaza collapse, impacted the industry and the consumer.
2.2 Capitalism and the Relation to Fashion
What is capitalism? Both Jahan and Mahmud (2018) say that “capitalism is often thought of as an economic system which actors own and control property in accord with their own interests and demand and supply freely set prices in markets in a way that can serve the best interests of society.” They then go on to say that the essential feature of capitalism is to make a profit. Meanwhile critics of Capitalism such as Marx (1961, pp.176, 178) explains that the worker who is the one making the product is not seen as human and is detached from the product. Using the idea of capitalism and that profit is the driving factor, we can see how the fashion industry is predatory in the way that it creates a climate of scarcity to send a message to customers that they should buy their products or lose out on the opportunity (Briggs, 2013, p.189). This tactic creates a panic within the consumers, that they will lose out on the next biggest fashionable thing, thus making them an outcast within. Both Briggs (2013, p.190) and Sewell (2010) agree that prior to the 18th Century fashion was practiced by the elite, but post-industrial revolution fashion became more widespread, with Sewell (2010) discussing that this was a precursor to capitalism, he also implies that fashion is aspirational with how luxury goods are a leading sector within the French economy. Truong, McColl, & Kitchen (2010), also put forward the idea that luxury goods are aspirational and a symbol of wealth and status, this affects consumer behaviour. These ideas are backed up by Briggs (2013, p.186) who calls fashion its own political economy. Hoskins (2022, pp.100-101) argues that using Marx’s theory this is an offshoot of “commodity fetishism” which places deeper meaning and powers onto items “beyond their composition”. Furthermore, Hoskins (2022, p.101) discusses the idea that people are hyperaware and consume within groups which is the driving force behind consumption and means consumers are “locked into the mindset” that having more is important, and that having designer items equals your worth as a human being.
With consumers having the mindset that more is important, created by fashion brands, in particular fast fashion brands, this has become a way that they create profits. Barber (2021, pp.112-115) explains that the way that this works is that the brands have a high turnover, consequently when they place their large orders these become cheaper. Due to the high volume of work outsourcing is needed to happen meaning there is no transparency, with the Fashion Sustainability Directory (2025) putting forth the idea that this leads to exploitation, of not just the workers but their resources and argues this is a form of neocolonialism.
2.3 Colonialism and Globalisation
Barber (2021, pp.35-36) describes colonisation as when a country with power and resources dominates and rules another country but then proceeds to extract the country’s resources which includes not only materials, but also labour. They then impose a new set of cultural norms for colonised country and its people to now follow. Colonisation is intrinsically racist and often linked to slavery and exploitation; and when looking at it through the lens of fashion what the citizens often wear assimilates with the dominant culture. Barber (2021, p.65) continues to argue that Ghanaians under colonial rule were expected to adopt the West’s views of professionalism, which included how they dressed. This also signalled a proximity to power and would get the citizens further.
Barnard (2020) states that globalisation is related to colonisation as it is the dominance of one group of people but is presented as a process of in which non-Western cultures can buy Western goods, such as fashion. Inevitably globalisation means that these local cultures are absorbed by the dominant Western culture. Barnard (2020) also asserts that “Globalisation is the crystallisation of the entire world as a single place” and due to this globalisation is monolithic and omnipresent.
The Atacama Desert (Figure 1) has become one of the world’s fastest dumping grounds for fast fashion brands due to the rapid production and consumption of fashion (Bartlett, 2024), a form of “waste colonialism” a term coined in 1989 at United Nations Environmental Programme Basel Convention working group, meanwhile in Ghana, the Ghanaians have become overdependent on the West’s discarded clothes and is home to Kantamanto Market, which is one of the world’s largest second hand markets, therefore destroying the local fashion industry, whether it’s the textile industry or making it so designers cannot compete with the cheap clothing (Barber, 2021, pp.60, 65). Hoskins (2022, p.108) like Barber (2021) discusses how colonialism destroyed the fashion and textile industry. However, in India, the British East India Company destroyed Dhaka muslin purposefully, Vawda (2022) discusses that the extinction of Dhaka muslin and the crippling of the Indian handloom industry was achieved through five ways, and one of those ways being the Industrial Revolution. With Hoskins (2022, pp.122-123) backing up the idea that Industrial Revolution meant homeworkers were unable to compete due to volume and pricing that fabrics were now being produced at.
Figure 1: Atacama Desert, the “world’s dumpster”
(Date Unknown)
In Bangladesh over four million people work within the garment industry and this is due to Bangladesh being steered into the overdependence of clothing exports due to neocolonial politics which includes intensive but low-paid labour and even forty years later is still trapped within this financial dependence and unable to achieve stability (Hoskins 2022, p.108). With Chile, Ghana, Bangladesh and the extinction of Dhaka muslin it shows that while society thinks of colonialism as something dead, the consequences still live on, with Barnard (2020) also arguing that within the early stages of capitalism people were encouraged to consume quickly as fashion constantly changed and that these countries had to quickly adapt under the colonisers.
2.4 Exploitation and Violence
The quote “history repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.” is often attributed to Marx (1852), with the meaning behind the quote being when a major event happens for what society sees to be the first time, it is considered a tragedy. However, when events echo said previous event, it becomes less impactful. Something that the fashion industry has reflected, especially since the early 1900’s with the treatment and sacrifice of garment workers.
In 1911 New York, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory (figures 2, and 3) was ablaze, killing 146 garment workers. The workers, who were predominantly young immigrant workers, were trapped by locked doors. Hoskins (2022, p.125) argues that the doors were locked to keep out union workers due to the factory continually being used as site for industrial action. Stein (2011, p. 73) states that the building was supposedly “fireproof” and the only evidence of the fire were the victims and furniture. During the fire it is reported that the workers were jumping from the eighth, nineth, and tenth stories to their deaths as there was no other way out (Delp, Guzman, and Riley, 2019; Schulte, 2011). The workers who were killed or injured due to the fire were a minor factor within the minds of the bosses when they measured the success of the factory itself and how it withstood the fire (Schulte, 2011).
Figure 2: The (New York) World front page reporting on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory – Figure of deaths is misreported as it was in fact 123 women who died and 23 men taking the death toll to 146. (1911)
Figure 3: The aftermath of the fire, showing the scale of catastrophe in what was considered the deadliest workplace disaster in New York, for 90 years.
(1911)
Workers, especially garment workers are seen as sacrificial; and history once again repeated itself in 2013. This time in the form of the Rana Plaza collapse (figure 4) near Dhaka where over a thousand workers had been killed and more were trapped under the rubble, with some having to self-amputate to be pulled free (Hoskins, 2022, p.3).
Figure 4: The Rana Plaza collapse in 2013
In the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse retail brands announced that they were going to do social/factory audits. However, these audits have not impacted the workers in terms of fair wages, with Karim (2014) and Theuws et al (2013) for the Clean Clothes Campaign stating that wages in Bangladesh were some of the lowest in the world, with Karim (2014) saying that these workers are viewed as “disposable bodies”. Misogyny also plays a part with how garment workers are treated, Phillips in 2018 reported that 27million women make up the garment industry in India, which is 60% of the workforce; he also states that for every 100 rupees men earn, women earn 57 rupees. Kelly (2021) reported the death of Jeyasre Kathiravel who was raped and killed by her supervisor, she worked at Natchi Apparels, a supply factory for brands such as H&M, and after her death her union reported that she tried to report harassment and intimidation, but to no avail. In the article by Kelly (2021) it is also said that the union TTCU constantly face harassment and intimidation but scared to speak out due to backlash. While Karim (2014) states that in 2012 trade union leader Kolpona Atker was murdered. Both these cases show how misogyny influences the exploitation of workers within the garment industry. It creates a hostile environment for workers, and sets a precedent of fear, especially when considering that workers who have joined unions have to keep their membership secret because at the very least, they will lose their jobs (Karim, 2014).
2.5 Summary
Before doing the research, it was very easy to view the fashion as an industry that was broken. However, when you connect the idea of colonialism with capitalism it is very easy to see how violence and exploitation happen, as if that’s how the fashion industry was built to work. Using Barber’s (2021, pp 35-36) definition of colonialism, as explained before and Marx’s theory, as explained by Bais (2012) that increasing the exploitation of labour leads to higher profits for the capitalists, and when profit is the goal of capitalism it reveals how intertwined everything becomes; especially when Sewell (2010) and Hoskins (2022) discuss how inherently capitalist fashion is.
3. Discussion and Analysis
3.1 Introduction
Kawamura (2020, p25) describes fashion as something that needs to be studied empirically due to the abundance of “non-academic information about fashion in our everyday life”, with fashion being based around assumptions and untested hypotheses. For this report I decided to use both a survey and interviewed people from different backgrounds as my primary research to gain a wider understanding of how people viewed fashion and what they perceived to be problems within the industry, and using the most common themes from my primary research as the basis for the discussion and analysis while using the contextual research to explore how it is all intertwined.
3.2 Environmental Impact
Fashion has had a substantial impact on the environment, and this has been the source of conversation around consumers. Within in my survey concern for the environment was expressed by many people when asked about the issues/problems linked to the fashion industry, with one person (who shall be called participant 1) even commenting on the water usage (figure 5).
Figure 5: Two responses out of 14 discussing the environmental problems they associate with the fashion industry within the survey. Eight commented on environmental impact overall (2025)
During the email interview, with participant that I shall call “G”, who is an activist and former clothing brand owner, when asked about if fashion causes the most harm under the current societal structure, she speaks about how “the industry is built up of the ruling class and encourages hyper-individualism”, and as result consumers “put convenience over humans rights and environmental safety”. She also speaks about how both environmental harm and worker exploitation go hand in hand; and this stems from a system that puts profit first. The Bhopal gas disaster in 1984, supports what “G” stated in her interview, with the Union Carbide plant producing pesticides, these pesticides as Hoskins (2022, p.136) points out, they were used for the production of cotton in the USA. The United Nations (2024) call Bhopal a sacrifice zone due to the pollution and contamination of the drinking water and soils, something that affects 71 villages, or over 200,000 people; and that alone is not including the 570,000 people who were initially exposed to it, which resulted in 10,000 deaths after three days and over 20,000 since then.
The Aral Sea, in Uzbekistan being drained since 1977 (figure 6) highlights the environmental damage also caused by the production of cotton, numbers are not consistent when researching the amount of water used for cotton; however, the WWF (2007) reports that it is 8506 litres of water to create 1kg of cotton, and as a result pollutes or drains water supplies. This also strengthens what both ‘participant 1’ and ‘G’ commented on in terms of the environment.
Figure 6: Satellite photo produce by NASA that shows the draining of the Aral Sea over the course of 43 years
As discussed earlier, Ghana have become over dependent on the West’s discarded clothes, which is a result of the West’s overconsumption especially relating to fast fashion; the findings in my survey found that people are aware of the effects of the overconsumption and fast fashion, with ‘participant 1’ stating that it reflects society’s need for instant gratification and links it to capitalist pressure to buy and disregard, while also saying the pursuit of profit comes at the cost of the planet. Participant 2 echoes participant 1 concerns while discussing how cheap fabrics and clothes contribute to fast fashion waste, but also environmental contamination. Participant 2 also discusses the idea that companies like ‘Vinted’ is a backlash towards consumer waste and brands such as ‘Shein’. Mulkey (2024) supports these ideas after reporting ‘Shein’ being the biggest polluter in fast fashion, beating out brands such as H&M, and Zara. This is linked to use of AI which “enables fast fashion to become the ultra-fast fashion industry” and is already catastrophic to the environment, textile waste, and microplastic pollution. Kent (2025) also reported that Shein is once again one of the biggest polluters, with the carbon emissions being a main reason why (figure 7).
Figure 7: Bar chart showing the carbon emissions in 2024, with Shein being
first and Zara’s parent company Inditex being second
The environmental damage caused by the fashion industry can be considered a form of colonialism if Barber’s definition (2021, pp.35-36) is applied due to these companies using and destroying the resources of previously colonised countries, and using “G’s” perspective, it goes in hand with wanting profit.
3.3 Beauty Standards and (the Lack of) Diversity
Beauty standards can encompass many things but often plays a role within the fashion industry with Dorkenoo (2023) stating that the fashion industry sets the unrealistic body standards. The beauty standards within the fashion industry was a topic that had the most concern expressed about within my survey. Participant 1 explains when asked about whether the fashion industry reflects the issues of society that fashion mirrors a culture obsessed with instant gratification and the cycle of buying and discarding fuels unrealistic body standards due to “a narrow definition of worth tied to appearance...”. Participant 3 strengthens participant 1’s argument by saying that one of the issues closest to them was size inclusivity as they never fit the beauty standard, they go on to say that plus size fashion costs more because of the use of “more fabric”. Participants 4 and 5 both discuss the lack of diversity within the fashion industry, especially surrounding POC (people of colour); with participant 5 stating that body types are seen as a fashion trend, which also leads to racism and other discrimination.
Analysing the idea of racism within the fashion industry and subsequently the beauty standards that are promoted to the consumer, it plays out in ways where POC are seen as commodities or gimmicks. Alek Wek when walking for Betsy Johnson in 1998, threw off the blonde wig she was wearing (figure 8), and in McDonald’s article Hair Story: Alek Wek (2016) she discusses how “that moment has become a literal symbol of rebelling against a European standard of beauty” while also speaking about how Alek Wek refused to be a gimmick within fashion.
Figure 8: Screengrabs of Alek Wek throwing off her blonde wig during the 1998
Fall runway for Betsy Johnson
Interviewee participant “D” who is a political activist, ARAF (Anti-Racist, Anti-Fascist) chairwoman, and activist within the Roma community, she spoke about how she views fashion is used as a way to control and distract the population, and with the vanity of fashion the beauty standards come into play which consequently encourages such things as disordered eating to obtain that beauty standard. Lindo (2025) discusses further the idea of colonialism in beauty through the lens of beauty pageants in Jamaica (figure 9) and how in 1929 white people dominated the pageants. She goes onto state that the winners were representative of colonialism due to the favouring of whiteness “and showcased the lighter natural features that were deemed to be an ideal of beauty”. Tate (2010) also echoes this with the quote “‘Black women want to be white’ because white beauty is iconic.” and traces the origins of these ideals back to imperialism, slavery, and postcolonial dependency with the idea of whiteness being more civilised.
Figure 9: The “Ten Types” pageant in Jamaica, 1955
Eviota (2023), comments on the media coverage of fashion from both fashion shows and advertising campaigns being mainly fronted by white, skinny models which excludes POC, especially women, potentially leaving them “disorientated” as they try to navigate their own identities. She then goes onto state that tokenism is what is helping the industry appear more diverse to seem more inclusive. “G” also states that one way she would want the fashion industry to change would be for it to be a tool so people can communicate who they are instead of the companies building it up to make a profit off insecurity that comes with the aforementioned.
3.4 Cultural Identity
Within my interviews cultural identity was a topic that was examined through different lenses. “S”, who is a fashion student, speaks about the idea of collaboration that has been a result of colonialism, meanwhile “D” as previously mentioned, speaks about her identity as a Roma woman, and “J”, a volunteer in a community hub, whose focus is on working with the local community, and providing for those in need, he tackled this from the perspective of subcultures and what fashion means to those who he meets within the hub.
Analysing “J’s” interview first, he describes fashion as something that’s “all in the mind” and that it serves the purpose of standing out (something that has been acknowledged by “G” too). He also goes onto say that fashion is used as an identity marker for groups of people and their interests, whether it’s football, or music being the two that he mentioned. He also acknowledges different subcultures (figure 10 & 11). When asked about the people who he meets, he states that most of the time these people have no interest in fashion as due to living circumstances, they need it to be practical.
Figure 10: Manchester United fans, with one showing off his tattoo in Kuala Lumpa, 2009
Figure 11: Siouxsie Sioux, from the band Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1980’s
With ‘D’s’ interview, she speaks about how she would change the industry through a non-tokenistic way and amplify the voices of indigenous people. One reason being that she sees her culture as a Roma woman being taken away from her, then sold back to her at prices she cannot afford. She references this being through the boho chic aesthetic (figure 12) and because of the popularisation of this aesthetic it has made her culture feel commodified, resulting in her feeling like she’s unable to dress in her culture’s clothes because it plays into a stereotype and feels like a costume.
Figure 12: Kate Moss, for V magazine in 2009 on the steps
of a vardo (or a Romani wagon) which is traditionally
used by Romani people as their living accommodation
Subcultures, particularly those that have political (punk and goth for example) or cultural roots from outside the Western cultures have been commodified, “D” explains this with boho chic and her culture; but Zarif (2025) discusses how capitalism has caused the downfall of subcultures. He defines subcultures as a social movement that challenges the social norm. Zarif (2025) also discusses the aestheticisation of such looks meant it appealed to the masses and with this appeal, fast fashion companies saw opportunity to make a profit; stripping away the cultural meaning of these (sub)cultures.
“S” expressed a slightly different view from “D” by stating that the impact that colonisation has had on fashion has been negative overall, but the benefits have been that it has given people the opportunity to create more ideas, with fashion holding the space for society to express its creativity. “G” echoes the idea that fashion is a space to be able to express oneself creatively, but further mentions the idea that fashion is inherently political and should be used as way to create community. Barnard (2020) comments on the idea that fashion has become a “one style suits all” while using Tommy Hilfiger as an example, due to globalisation; this highlights where my interviewees and survey participants feel like fashion is currently at within society and Zarif (2025) further supports this with his discussion about how capitalism uses fashion and popular aesthetics to create profit.
3.5 Summary
Despite people viewing fashion as very different things, people have similar views when discussing the problems within the industry; but even with that not everyone agrees that fashion is inherently political or a reflection on society with participant 6 in my survey discussing that they view fashion as something that is for elite therefore is not a reflection, and participant 7 expressing the idea that fashion should be something that should be kept separate from society and societal issues. However, a criticism for that due to fashion’s relationship with capitalism, as pointed out by Sewell (2010) and Briggs (2013, p.186), it is nearly impossible to do so, and even the topics as previously discussed do not exist in a vacuum, they are consequences of capitalism and colonialism.
4. Conclusion
Dismantling the fashion industry would be an arduous task, one that cannot be done without real change within society. I continue to uphold the idea that the industry cannot be reformed due to how the industry is built on the exploitation of workers, as argued by Karim (2014) which also supports Marx’s (1961, pp.176, 178) theory of capitalism; which is a form of colonialism, something that Barber (2021, pp.35-36) argues within her definition of capitalism and Barnard (2020) expands upon with the idea that globalisation is a form of colonialisation as both seek dominance over one set of people by another, and in this context it is through fashion and culture. People are wanting to see change, and with both “S” and “G” they want to see an industry that is more community based and localised, “D” wants to see an industry that takes away the elitism and the “MET Galafication” of fashion in order to make it more accessible, and finally “J” wants to see an industry that comes back to the UK and create opportunities for those who are qualified, as well as opportunity to start a business that is sustainable in an economic sense. Prior to the industrial revolution the fashion industry was “a cottage industry” as stated by clothing brand Carr & Westley (2022), and despite Selway (2010) discussing that fashion was for the elite during this era, people now want to feel connected to what they wear and what they want to convey.
5. Recommendations
Using the ideas and wants of my participants and interviewees, in order to start dismantling the fashion industry there needs to be the focus on the local communities which can lead to something bigger.
The first idea is to educate oneself on the industry through both reading and documentaries. “The Anticapitalist Book of Fashion” by Tansy Hoskins (2022) is a book that encompasses everything that has been discussed and can be considered a starting point before doing deeper research. Bel Jacobs’ blog is another example due to her relationship with the fashion industry as she quit her job as the fashion editor of the Metro after the Rana Plaza collapse to become an activist. In 2008, the BBC released a documentary called “Blood, Sweat, and T-shirts” where fashion lovers (which included now TV presenter Stacey Dooley) were sent to India to educate them on how their clothes are made.
Secondly, amplifying the voices of those who need their voices to be amplified. Within activism circles, people want to do the right thing hence why they are activists; however, at times the activists voices become louder than those of who need their voices to be heard which is why it is important to listen and amplify.
Finally, as a personal protection to oneself: join a union. This means that there is legal protection if needed, and it stops the exploitation of you, the worker. Some examples are USDAW being the main one for retail workers, Labour Behind the Label for garment workers globally, and Bectu Fashion UK to help creatives and freelancers. If there is a feeling of being unable to join a union due to being unsure about where you fall within the industry, unionise with colleagues/peers to create momentum and a movement.
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7. Figure List
Front Cover Image: Zaman, M. (2023). Reatives of Bangladeshi workers who lost their lives in the Rana Plaza collapse gather with banners and placards in Savar on June 29, 2013, at the site of Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster. [Photograph, Online] CNN. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/rana-plaza-garment-worker-rights-accord.
[Accessed: 04/01/2026]
Figure 1: Bernett, M. (n.d.). Woman Holding up an Item of Clothing in the Atacama Desert ‘dumping ground’. [Photograph, Online] Refinery29.com. Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/04/11360411/chile-fast-fashion-dumping-atacama-desert-now [Accessed: 03/01/2026]
Figure 2: Front Page of The World, 1911, Reporting on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. (2018). [Scanned Image, Online] The Smithsonian. Available at: https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/what-you-may-not-know-about-triangle-shirtwaist-factory-fire [Accessed: 03/01/2026] Owned by The Library of Congress.
Figure 3: Aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, March 25th, 1911. (2006). [Photograph, Online] The Smithsonian. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/uncovering-the-history-of-the-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-124701842/ [Accessed 03/01/2026]
Figure 4: Biraj, A. (2015). Reliving the Rana Plaza factory collapse: a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 22. [Photograph, Online] The Guardian. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/23/rana-plaza-factory-collapse-history-cities-50-buildings [Accessed: 03/01/2026]
Figure 5: Webb, R. (2025). Screenshot of Varying Survey Answers for Question 2. [Screenshot]
Figure 6: NASA (2024). The Shrinking of the Aral Sea as Seen through Satellite Images from 1977 to 2020. [Photograph, Online] Mongabay.com. Available at: https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/uzbekistan-plants-a-forest-where-a-sea-once-lay/ [Accessed: 03/01/2026]
Figure 7: Business of Fashion (2025). Shein’s the Biggest Fashion Polluter. Businessoffashion.com. [Bar Graph, Online] Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/shein-struggling-clean-up-image-emissions/ [Accessed 03/01/2026]
Figure 8: Alek Wek Throws off Wig at Betsy Johnson 1998 Fall Show. (2017). [Screenshot, Online] X (formerly Twitter). Available at:
/photo/1 [Accessed: 03/01/2026] Source Video Found Here:
Figure 9: Ten types, One people: Colonial beauty in Jamaica, 1955. (2025). [Photograph, Online] Warwick.ac.uk. Available at: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/ghcc/blog/lindo_jamaican_beauty_standards/ [Accessed 03/01/2026]
Figure 10: Manchester United fans, with One Showing off His Tattoo in Kuala Lumpa, 2009. (2025). [Photograph, Online] BBC Sport. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2qd53v479o. [Accessed: 03/01/2026]
Figure 11: Siouxsie Sioux, from the Band Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1980’s. (2025). Far Out Magazine. Available at: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/artist-siouxsie-sioux-crushed-spirit/ [Accessed: 03/01/2026]
Figure 12: McKell, I. (2009). Kate & the Gypsies. [Photograph, Online] V Magazine (Issuu). Available at: https://issuu.com/vmagazine/docs/v61_fall09 [Accessed: 03/01/2026].