Fast fashion certainly isn’t a recent phenomenon, but it’s these online-only retailers that are giving new meaning to the term, churning out low-priced dresses, bikinis and bodysuits at breakneck speed. And unlike traditional fast fashion stores, their digital-first business model translates to much lower overheads, allowing them to slash prices and dedicate budgets to targeted marketing campaigns. Mary watches Love Island, which this year was sponsored by Insta-led fast fashion brand I Saw It First, and follows contestants such as Molly-Mae Hague, who recently launched a collection with Pretty Little Thing. She’s also a fan of Kylie Jenner – perhaps the ultimate Gen Z pin-up – who has over 145m Instagram followers. Kylie’s billion-dollar fortune means her stream of brand-new outfits often come from the likes of Balmain and Fendi, but stores such as Boohoo and Missguided are attuned to the tastes of their shared audience, and whip up imitations of her and her sisters’ looks for a fraction of the cost.
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