Slow Down! Putting the Brakes on Fast Fashion

Today's fashion industry is obsessed with getting product to store shelves quickly, changing out assortments constantly, and charging rock-bottom prices. But there's a price to be paid for that behavior. So says Maxine Bédat, chief executive officer of Zady, Inc., an advocate of the concept of ''slow fashion.'' The company has launched a year-long research effort to examine the impact of traditional fashion supply chains on people and the environment. At the same time, it's spearheading a new way of making and selling clothing – one that supports decent wages and humane treatment for factory workers, while minimizing the industry's impact on oceans, drinking water, forests and climate change. Apparel is the second-most polluting industry in the world today, Bédat says, and she's determined to change that state of affairs. She talks about how Zady is emphasizing ''quality over quantity,'' and whether the practices of a relatively small apparel maker can be extended to much larger entities. Success, however, will require a major overhaul of apparel supply chains.