Las Vegas vintage store promotes sustainable shopping as fast fashion waste grows

Las Vegas (FOX5) – Fast fashion may keep closets full, but it has a hidden cost. From water pollution to mountains of trash, fast fashion globally generates approximately 92 million tons of textile waste annually, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

Experts have warned that the way people shop is having a serious impact on the planet. Second-hand shopping is emerging as a sustainable option in the valley.

Anne Braulver, owner of Old School Vintage in the Arts District, said her business is about more than style.

“The fast fashion industry is the second largest polluter or depleter of our atmosphere,” Broller said.

Environmental impact of textile production

Fast fashion – the rapid production of low-cost clothing – comes with environmental consequences. Denim production has a serious impact on the environment, consuming up to 5,000 gallons of water per pair of jeans and releasing toxic chemicals into the water.

UNLV fashion historian Deirdre Clemente said 10% of global carbon emissions come from the manufacturing and distribution of clothing.

“That level of environmental impact is not a sustainable way to produce and wear our clothes,” Clemente said.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the industry generates around 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year – most of it is worn just a few times before being thrown away.

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Vintage shopping has picked up pace

At the Arts District’s Antique Mall, shop owners say more people are turning to vintage.

Melissa Bachila, manager of the antique mall, said, “I’ve noticed that a lot of buyers are coming in to shop because they’re fed up with the big name… stuff at the mall… even though they’re cheap, they don’t last a month or two of washing.”

Broller said vintage clothing offers durability and exclusivity.

“It washes better, you can line dry it, it creates a wardrobe that no one else will have,” Broller said. “It’s human rights, it’s animal rights.”

Shop owners say the goal is not to shame fast fashion, but to rethink how people shop.

“Take a piece of old clothing and combine it with something fast fashion you have, this way we slow it down,” Brollwer said.

Over 20 independent vintage shops operate in the Arts District. To know more you can visit website.