BY MAXI HUNT

As fast fashion is increasingly condemned as unsustainable, millennials and Generation Z are turning to global marketplace Depop to buy and sell clothing, whether it be new, self-designed or second hand. 

Since April, the app has seen a 163 per cent increase in signups and a 300 per cent increase in items sold. 

Sustainability in the fashion industry has become a pertinent issue, as a report from Nielson found 73 per cent of Millennials were willing to pay more for sustainable goods and 62 per cent of Generation Z prefer to buy from sustainable brands.

Depop has become a place where people can purchase pre-loved clothes, encouraging more sustainable fashion practices. 

Avid Depopper and Monash student Aimee Comas began her Depop store at the start of quarantine as a sustainable way to get rid of her extra clothes.

"[On Depop] it feels better to be selling [clothes] to another person who you know is going to wear them," Ms Comas said.

"It gives agency to sellers… the peace of mind that their clothes are [directly] going to someone else.”

Ms Comas said lockdown has made her reflect not only on the daily sustainable choices she makes, but also where she sources her fashion.

"Because you're given more time to think about everything, a lot of people have thought about their role as an ethical consumer," she said.

While individual choices make a difference, Depop buyer Sian Tija Hennessy stressed there is only so much of a difference that we can make with our own sustainable choices.

"Individual choices will not be the solution to fast fashion, that can only be addressed on a systemic level," she said.

"Fast fashion relies on unethical practices… [but] new fashion being produced by companies does not need to be unethical.

Ms Hennessey also addressed the privilege of being able to afford the clothes that are sold on Depop, especially sought-after rare and vintage pieces.

"We should not be shaming people who can't afford sustainable fashion," Ms Hennessey said.

"Fast fashion exists because there is a market for it," she said.

"It's hard to ignore the aspects of racism and systemic poverty in this.”

Ultimately, Ms Hennessey said we need to take a look at the way we consume.

“We’ve outgrown the need for fast fashion,” she said.

High school student Arianna O'Donnell has been running a successful business on Depop, garnering more than 150 sales, with her turnover increasing during the pandemic.

Ms O’Donnell started her resale career through Melbourne Girls' Trade Facebook group and shifted to Depop after the app gained popularity. 

Ms O'Donnell said social media has changed our perceptions of fashion and therefore is greatly responsible for the popularisation of fast fashion.

"Now, you can only wear things once," she said.

"Brands capitalise off teenagers who want to fit in with everyone else… they also capitalise off seasons." 

Ms O’Donnell likes to support the slow fashion industry, but she feels the premium price point that these brands charge excludes many people from the market.

"If you're the majority of people, you can’t afford that," Ms O'Donnell said.

"[But] if you can buy second hand it helps so much," she said.

While Depop’s popularity has skyrocketed during the pandemic, the app was already steadily gaining popularity.

According to Depop CEO Maria Raga, the company experienced an 85% year-on-year growth in sales in 2018.