In an age in which a dress can cost less than a fast-food meal, we must ask: What is the true price of “cheap” clothing or fast fashion?

Last month, France passed a landmark law to confront the environmental and social fallout brought by ultra-fast fashion. As a result, the French Government will impose a €5 eco-tax on every item sold by companies like Shein and Temu, brands that churn out thousands of new styles each week. By 2030 that surcharge will double to €10 or 50 per cent of the item’s retail price, whichever is higher. The law also bans influencer marketing by these brands and redirects tax revenues into sustainable fashion initiatives.

It is a bold, unprecedented move, a Government drawing a line in the sand and saying: The era of disposable fashion is over.

Should Jamaica do the same?

Let’s lay bare the numbers.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), the fashion industry now produces over 100 billion garments annually, more than 13 pieces for every person on Earth. EMF suggests that the average person buys 60 per cent more clothing than in 2000, yet wears each item far less. Furthermore, the World Bank estimates that 87 per cent of all clothing ends up incinerated or in landfills. That’s a trillion-dollar industry built not on creativity or durability, but on churn, volume, and obsolescence.

Today, the average ultra-fast fashion item is worn just seven times before being discarded. Fortune reported that, in France, 35 pieces of clothing are thrown away every second. Here in the Caribbean, our landfills are inundated with synthetic, non-biodegradable textile waste, much of it imported second-hand from the global North.

The United Nations and the World Economic Forum say that textile production alone is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. It also produces 20 per cent of global wastewater, largely from dyeing and finishing processes that poison rivers and pollute communities.

And the human cost? Fast fashion thrives on the backs of the most vulnerable — women and children in the Global South working in unsafe factories for poverty wages. A 2023 Clean Clothes Campaign report revealed that garment workers in Bangladesh earn less than US$2 a day. We are quite literally wearing oppression and calling it style.

But France is not alone in this reckoning. The UK has initiated a forthcoming “Textiles Tracker” to label garments for reuse and recyclability. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive forces big retailers to disclose supply chains and environmental impacts. Cities like New York and Los Angeles have banned single-use plastics in fashion packaging, while over 60 Indian brands are collaborating on shared fabric-recycling hubs across Southeast Asia. These global shifts show a rising tide that Jamaica can ride, and shape.

France’s new legislation doesn’t just regulate, it reimagines. It requires brands to disclose an eco-score detailing each item’s recyclability, water usage, and emissions. It bans influencer marketing for ultra-fast fashion. Let that sink in — a Government is holding social media accountable for glamorising environmental destruction. France is reshaping the cultural narrative around clothing itself.

Meanwhile, France’s luxury fashion houses continue to dominate the global market. In 2024, LVMH (parent of Louis Vuitton and Dior) reported €84.7 billion in revenue. Chanel brought in €17.9 billion. Hermès earned €15.17 billion. Kering, home to Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, added €17.2 billion, with Saint Laurent alone contributing €2.9 billion. Even smaller heritage brands like Longchamp are valued at US$1.5 billion. Together, these French maisons generated more than €135 billion, proving haute couture is about scale and strategy as much as style.

Was the law designed to protect these brands? Perhaps. But there’s no public evidence to suggest that. What’s undeniable is the contrast in accessibility — a pair of Dior jeans costs between US$1,650 and US$2,300. On Shein? A lookalike pair costs US$18 to US$40. This price gap illustrates the real tension between sustainability and affordability, one that Jamaica must take into consideration and navigate carefully, because we are not bystanders in this reality.

STYLE A STYLE AND STYLE CYAAN SPOIL

Jamaicans are deeply stylish people. We love trends. We shop online. We travel abroad and import vast quantities of second-hand clothing through the “folded trade”, cast-offs of the very same fast fashion culture that we could argue helps to overwhelm our dumps from Riverton to Retirement.

But Jamaica is also crafting its own fashion renaissance. Annaixe blends costume and nature, earning global praise for designs rooted in raw, organic materials. Troy “Oranine” Williamson of Tribe Nine Studios reimagines “boring” fabrics like khaki with bold prints and streetwise silhouettes. Mina Robertson of Haveli perfects quiet luxury with ready-to-wear that’s minimalist, effortless, and distinctly Caribbean. And rising talent Denali fuses island rhythm with global edge, offering a glimpse into fashion’s future. These creatives prove that sustainability, innovation, and style can be stitched into our very soil, and worn proudly on the world stage.

While social media influencers may flaunt 20-item hauls for US$100, these local visionaries strive for quality and authenticity. What are we teaching our children about value? About careless consumption? About identity? About what it means to be Jamaican in a global fashion landscape?

It’s time we assert ourselves, not just with critique, but with action.

Therefore, before we consider the complexity of the imposition bans or introduction import surcharges, we should begin with two simple but powerful steps:

1) consumer education, and

2) strengthening the local design economy.

Let’s launch public awareness campaigns targeting young people and social media users, encouraging conscious consumption. A simple rallying cry could be: “Wear Your Values!”

As a woman who grew up with a mother who sewed most of my clothes, and still wears Jamaican-made designs today, I can say with pride that we have a rich textile heritage. Designers like Louise Graham, Cedella Marley, Jae Jolly, Uzuri International, Devine Treasures, RebekahAfrica, April J, and Lucia Rose are just a few of the visionaries reshaping Jamaican fashion as sustainable, culturally rich, and globally competitive. They must be at the heart of a national strategy.

France’s fast fashion ban is not just about Europe, it’s a moral mirror for the world. They are showing us that another model is possible. One that doesn’t treat fashion as disposable, people as expendable, or the planet as limitless.

We can no longer afford to be fashionable at the cost of being unsustainable. Nor can we allow our culture to be colonised by cheap trends and careless consumption.

It’s time for Jamaica to stitch together a new story, one of style, sustainability, and sovereignty.

Because the threads we choose today will weave the future we wear tomorrow.

Lisa Hanna is Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern, People’s National Party spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, and a former Cabinet member.

Lisa Hanna