Connecting Dots: Kaftan Crisis

Lil Chains, June, 1988.

In the summer of 1988, there was a heatwave in central and eastern United States that caused severe losses to agriculture and related industries (estimated $40 billion).

That summer was the first time that climate change was seriously discussed at The White House—likely, due to the economic impact of the draught. NASA scientist James Hansen, testified to the U.S. Senate that the greenhouse effect had been detected and that the climate was in fact changing.

Since then, the world has warmed more than one degree Celsius. The main reason for this is the continued use of fossil fuels in industrial manufacturing, which has cause an accumulation of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere.

H&M is one of the world’s biggest fast fashion manufacturers—an industry that contributes four per cent of global carbon emissions yearly, with a combined revenue of $3.2 million.

Website Imagine From H&M Spring/Summer 2024 Collection Campaign

I was watching the news with my dad today, and saw the new H&M SS24 Campaign Commercial on TV. It began with a voiceover, my memory of Springtime is playing in the flower fields as a child. Online the collection is described as, a celebration of floral beauty.

Floral beauty, which has been widely know to be at risk since 1988. Indeed, over the past decade we have all experienced evidence of this, along with the acceleration of climate related catastrophes worldwide. Yet, H&M and other fashion conglomerates continue to duck civic and environmental accountability, at a cost to use all.

Is it my twisted perception, or is H&M foreshadowing the end of nature to sell kaftans?—the kind that are manufactured by cheap labour in Bangladesh, from non-biodegradable synthetic fibers constructed with fossil fueled machines.

Kaftans that are distributed worldwide via gasoline transportation, carrying goods protected by single use plastic packaging.

Kaftans stocked by minimum wage workers, on the shelves of big box H&M stores—often built upon inexpensive property like natural wetlands, which sequester massive amounts of carbon within their complex ecosystems.

Kaftans showcased by the seasonal campaign, which is served to users on their TV or mobile device. They are targeted based on their user data and behaviors.

Kaftans Inspired by flowers and nature, worn by diverse and aspirational models. The ads drive shoppers in store or online to buy.

H&M has 171 thousand employees worldwide, and 150 million customers across 75 countries.

Climate change is systemic and deeply personal. It’s all of us and none of us. It’s complacency of knowledge, since 1988.