PPB June 2021

when the numbers began to flip, 95 percent of apparel bought, sold and worn in the U.S. was made here, too, according to American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). The concept of fast fashion is fundamentally what caused American apparel brands to look overseas to source finished products. Emerging in the ’60s and exploding in popularity in the ’90s, and remaining ever-popular today, fast fashion is essentially a way for companies to capitalize off of fast-changing consumer trends and preferences. Through the late 1960s, it was the norm for fashion brands to sell four core collections a year, one for each season, planning well in advance to do so. In contrast, fast fashion operates on a 52-week model, which consists of 52 “micro seasons” each year, allowing for a constant stream of products in up-to-the- minute styles at unbeatably low prices, and vastly outnumbering traditional fashion in terms of the quantity of apparel manufactured and sold. ZARA, a fast-fashion retailer based in Spain, is seen as a game-changer in this niche. It gained popularity in the 1990s after opening a store in New York City, for running on a 15-day turnaround time for clothing to go from the design room to the retail rack, which was then unheard of—and loved by consumers. Fast forward to the present day and Fashion Nova, a U.S.-based fast-fashion retailer, releases 600 new items every week on its website, and Missguided, a UK-based fast-fashion store, releases 1,000. And with social media becoming ubiquitous, fast-fashion brands benefit from the latest in pop culture and trending social phenomena. Think t-shirts with funny statements inspired by Zoommeetings—“Turn your mic off!”—or social distancing, i.e. “Social Distancing Club” and “Socially Distant.” The problemwas, and continues to be, that fast fashion emphasizes the concept that more is better, which translates to quantity over quality, writes The Wellness Essentials, an online community. Part of the reason is that fast fashion has a reputation for living up to its name; it’s not designed to last very long and is often poorly made. In an episode of the 2019 Netflix series, Patriot Act with Hasan Minjah , a comedian and former Daily Show correspondent, it was noted that the average American buys 68 new clothing items a year—more than one item per week— American-Made Classification Standards To be considered Made in America, “all or virtually all” of a product and its components must be manufactured in the U.S. using parts that are also manufactured in the U.S., according to the Federal Trade Commission. This means that a product’s main components must be made domestically, and production must take place in the U.S., with only minor components originating elsewhere. When looking at the final product, the near-totality of the product must be identified as U.S.A-made to be considered American-made. To better understand this, FTC provides several examples, including this one from a company that produces propane barbecue grills at a Nevada plant. The product’s main parts, such as the gas valve, burner and aluminum housing, are all made in the U.S., but the product’s grill knobs and tubing are imported from Mexico. The product is still considered “Made in the U.S” because the knobs and tubing are a miniscule portion of the product’s total manufacturing expenses and in relation to the finished product. On the other hand, a gold ring that is made and manufactured in the U.S. may not be considered American- made if the gold was imported from outside the U.S. Because the raw material (gold) is very close in scope to its finished form (the ring), it would be deceptive to claim it as an American-made product. Claiming a product is made in the U.S. can be express or implied. Express claims include advertising, labeling or promotional materials that outright state the item is “American-made,” “Made in the U.S.A.,” or simply, “U.S.A.” In some cases, an image of a U.S. flag or the outline of a U.S. map in reference to the manufacturer’s headquarters, may also be used in tandem with other phrases or imagery. Implied claims are made in cases where a company does not outright state a product’s status as “American-made,” but the impression given to customers from advertising, labeling or advertising suggests the product was made in the U.S. The FTC Act grants the federal agency the power to take action against companies that advertise false or misleading claims about a product’s origins as being made in the U.S.A. When a company claims that a product or products are made in the U.S.A, it should have the necessary information on hand to prove the product’s domestic status. For more information on the FTC’s guidelines, visit the website here: www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/advertising-and-marketing/ made-in-usa. | JUNE 2021 | 19 INNOVATE