St Gallen Textile Museum stages exhibition on fast fashion

“Fast Fashion. The Dark Side of Fashion” is the name of the latest fashion exhibition to arrive at the St Gallen Textile Museum in Switzerland.

The exhibition, originally curated by the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, explores the economic, social and environmental issues behind the fashion industry and the influence of fast fashion culture.

While classic fashion segments such as haute couture and ready-to-wear produce only two collections a year, high street labels launch up to twelve collections, adding increased pressure to the supply chain.

Bargain prices are good news for consumers, but workers involved in manufacturing processes are paying a high price for fast fashion, says the exhibition. Long working days, minimum wages and unsafe working conditions are some of the issues these workers have to face, plus health problems and environmental pollution.

The exhibition will feature illustrations by Swiss cartoonist Ruedi Widmer and works by Bengali photographer and activist Taslima Akhter. Pieces by dance director Helena Waldmann and Swiss performance artist Andrea Vogel will also cast a critical light on fast fashion and its consequences, hoping to raise awareness of the challenges ahead.

“Fast Fashion. The Dark Side of Fashion” will run from October 26 until June 15, 2017.