Author Archives: PRATYUSHA KIRAN

Pratyusha Kiran, PhD in Science, Technology, and Society, specializes in sustainability transitions in fast fashion. Experienced in policy analysis and ethnographic research with Indian manufacturers, she brings expertise in data analysis, public policy, and sustainability.
The interaction of toxins on the production end and consumer end of fashion consumption

Underneath It All: Unveiling the Toxic Reality of Fast Fashion Underwear and the Social Dimension of Health

Have we ever considered how our clothes could impact our health? Could something as simple as underwear influence our fertility? Can our clothing choices be detrimental to our wellbeing? These questions might be surprising, but recent studies have shown that the chemicals in our clothes can cause skin irritation, allergies, cancer, neurodevelopment disorders, reproductive toxicity, and much more (Cohen et al. 2023; Cowley et al. 2021; International Labor Organization 2021). And the fast fashion industry is at the center of this issue because of the cheap raw materials used in production (Pointing 2024). Fast fashion here mainly refers to a business model that focuses on quick and cheap production of trendy clothing (Sull and Turconi 2008). (read more...)