How Covid-19 Impact Fashion Industry, Is That A Good Thing or Bad Thing

How Covid-19 Impact Fashion Industry, Is That A Good Thing or Bad Thing
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The COVID 19 pandemic has highly affected different sectors of the economy. Such impacts have resulted in the loss of jobs and businesses. One of the most affected is the fashion industry. A substantial number of people have been laid off from their jobs, and most of the independent contractors in the industry are facing an uncertain future. The coronavirus continues to spread in different parts of the world, and therefore, it is expected that it will continue to impact the fashion industry. Such an impact is not a good thing because it has affected a lot of people. Therefore, this paper will focus on the negative impact on the fashion industry, such as cheap labor, environmental impacts, and closure of businesses. It will also address the strategies that can be used to counter such impact.
One of the main impacts of COVID 19 on the fashion industry is the loss of business and jobs, and this is a bad thing. A substantial number of people highly depend on the fashion industry to make a living. For instance, some of the largest manufacturing companies in the industry have employed many people. COVID 19 has changed the spending patterns of most people. As a result, most fashion companies have been forced to close their businesses. This means that the employees who were working in such industries have been laid off. The business owners have also lost a substantial amount of their investments, especially those that have closed their business indefinitely. People have families to feed, and therefore, the loss of jobs and businesses has affected their families too. As the virus continues to spread in different parts of the world, the future of the fashion industry remains uncertain. This means that business owners in the industry should look for alternative sources of making money. The former employees will also be required to look for jobs in other sectors. This is a challenging task during the pandemic period because most businesses have been closed. As well, most companies are not employing new workers because they are already struggling with a reduction in profits. Their aim is to cut production costs as much as possible. Hiring new employees would not facilitate the reduction of such costs. Once people have a limited income, the most important things they should have are food and shelter. This makes clothing not a priority to most people, and it is an indication of how much losses the fashion industry will suffer. Therefore, the impact of COVID 19 on the fashion industry is a bad thing because it has affected the ability of people to live a comfortable life.[Carta Mantiglia Pasini, Laura. "The Circular Economy in the Fashion Industry and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Focus on the Italian market: the Dyloan case study." Bachelor's thesis, Università Ca'Foscari Venezia, 2020.]
Another bad impact of the COVID 19 pandemic is the availability of cheap labor. Employees are used to a certain level of living standards. If their wages are reduced, it means they will not be able to meet their needs as they used to. Most companies in the fashion industry have been forced to lay off their employees or cut their salaries because the company is not making enough profits. The reduction in profits is attributed to people spending patterns and a reduction in income. However, people need clothing because it is a basic necessity. Therefore, some companies in the fashion industry are operational. However, for the companies to make enough operations to keep them in business, they have to reduce overhead costs. One of the main ways they are doing so is by employing people who are willing to accept low wages. This means the companies can readily get cheap labor because many people have lost their jobs and are looking for ways to make a living. Therefore, an individual would be willing to accept a job regardless of how low it pays for them to provide for their families. The fact that companies are taking advantage of the high rates of unemployment is a bad thing. Some companies might be in a position to retain their employees, recruit new ones and be able to pay high wages. However, they have taken advantage of the pandemic to maximize profits by reducing production costs. The changes in spending patterns among consumers do not mean that people can barely afford to clothe. Some people are making a lot of profits during this pandemic and have the ability to buy expensive clothes. This is an indication that some companies in the fashion industry are making a lot of profits, and it is wrong for them to seek cheap labor.[Brydges, Taylor, and Mary Hanlon. "Garment worker rights and the fashion industry’s response to COVID-19." Dialogues in Human Geography 10.2 (2020): 195-198.]
Another impact of COVID 19 on the fashion industry is a rise in the environmental concerns that people have had regarding the industry. Among such environmental concerns are air, water, and land pollution caused by the dumping of fabric. During the pandemic, the production of PPEs has increased at a high rate, and this means more waste has to be dumped. Such makes the impact a bad thing because people should be focusing on the reduction of environmental pollution instead of increasing it. Getting rid of such pollution might cost a lot of money in the future. The distribution of the fiber, crops, and garments used in the fashion industry is unavoidable since people need clo...