Z(ero) Culture Jam

Whether out of the necessity of fresh clothing while on a long trip or desire for a trendy piece at a fraction of the designer price, there are myriad reasons why people choose to purchase items from manufacturers such as Zara. Whether the purchase is intentional or an afterthought, the fact remains that 3 out of 5 clothing items will end up in a landfill within a year of purchase. That’s a solid 60% of all clothing purchased—not even accounting for apparel that is resold in op-shops and consignment stores.

Nor does that 60% account for clothing produced but never purchased, as those numbers are much more difficult for the public to come by, as, understandability many clothing producers are hesitant to make public their corporate losses. This 3-in-5 statistic paints a staggering picture of how conditioned we’ve become to purchasing and discarding items without taking time to consider how our actions impact the planet or our fellow man.

Fast fashion is truly a fast industry, with some companies doing new merchandise drops as often as multiple times per week. This constant supply and demand is the cause of the aforementioned strain on resources and people, necessitating near-constant demand for new merchandise and, thus, new designs. Zara is a particularly glaring example of a massive corporation that has repeatedly ‘appropriated’ (read: stolen) artwork and designs from independent artists and designers. The company has then splashed out that work onto their productions without providing financial compensation or even credit to the original designer. Zara has repeatedly gone so far as to enlist their substantive legal department to fight against individuals seeking to prevent the world’s largest fashion company from reproducing their work without permission. 

This campaign utilized fashion photography from Zara juxtaposed against photographs of discarded clothing from actual clothing waste facilities. The brand's logo has been modified to read "ZERO" instead of the shop's name.