Forever21 May Be In Trouble, But That Doesn't Mean Fast Fashion Is Over

By Alyssa Hardy


Forever21’s prevalence in the world of quick and inexpensive style is hard to overstate. Believed by several because the ultimate marker of any time as a trend has reached the masses, the brand’s heavy mall presence and low average price point made it famed referred to as any other label; Kanye West even name-dropped it in a lyric. Even so, the brand’s days may be numbered, however that might not directly signal a shift for the better.


In late August, Bloomberg announced that the fast-fashion retailer was considering a bankruptcy filing to manage its longstanding debts. (At publish time, the brand has although to officially file, or comment on reports; Forever21 did not return a request for comment made by MTV News.) Some critics on social media took the bankruptcy rumors as a symptom that the era of fast style may be finally ending as consumers move toward sustainability.


The reality is likely more complex than that, especially given that a 2019 survey by Piper Jaffray found that Forever21 is still among the best places that young people like to shop. Although between the rapid expansion to 723 stores worldwide, dozens of lawsuits over alleged copyright infringement, along with privacy violations and rightful criticism about their contributions to waste problems in the industry, a change felt inevitable. It was just a matter of when.


At its inception, Forever21 was a younger, cooler brand that other labels first scoffed at, however ultimately feared. They would make the same trends seen on the runways, nevertheless faster, cheaper and definitely more obtainable, the cost of which was often felt by sweatshop workers rather than consumers. The brand’s design model wasn’t an outlier in the space, either: Other fast style brands like H&M and Zara, both of which have also saw a significant downturn in sales this year, worked to claim a space that speedily changed the landscape of style. The mall was at its height and brands were on a mission to serve teenagers looking for the next trendy thing they could realistically afford.


Then Instagram happened. Brands like Nasty Gal and FashionNova suddenly planned the same trend-driven products, yet prioritized their digital and social footprint; in the process, they grew their customer bases by way of the platform. Other retailers like Amazon issue a wide number of products, often at dirt-cheap prices. Best of all, any digital-first property primarily did so without brick and mortar presence, thus cutting down on their overhead. And with the advent of two-day shipping, several shoppers started to view the mall as obsolete, thus making stores a higher and higher gamble.


“Retailers are facing dramatic shifts these days. Those that have a model that utilizes also much space, stores that are bigger than needed and need more rent and even merchandise, creates an obsolete formula,” Marshal Cohen, Chief Industry Advisor at retail analytics firm the NPD Order tells MTV News. “Combine with the ability for competitors to play in a similar arena as fast-fashion retailers and sell style products at an excellent price, and that also breaks the fast style model.”


Although while competition and threats of lawsuits — just this week Ariana Grande reported she could be suing the company for using her likeness — are enough to prepare an agency shutter, that’s not the only problem Forever21 usually be having. The younger demographic, particularly the ones they are targeting, don’t seem to be interested in the brand the way the generation before them was.


“I honestly only shop at Forever 21 if I am looking to waste time,” Marissa, a 19-year-old student at Cornell University told MTV News. “When I'd like to go shopping, the store isn't my first choice because I have to search for something I like. Almost everything seems pretty at first glance, nevertheless awkward whenever you take a closer look.”


Marissa also noted that Forever21’s sizing “feels off” across its offerings, which is a problem several of those quick-to-market brands have faced over the years. Vanity sizing, where a brand purposefully marks an item smaller than it actually is to provoke a customer to buy, is one issue; another is a concerted lack of common for sizing, which permits brands to cut corners by sewing and cutting items in bulk. And in an era once labels like Aerie earn major industry writeups and customer kudos for baking body diversity into their brand ethos, failing to account for shoppers' emotions in fitting rooms can be a death knell.


Other students felt that the company’s once super on-trend styles haven’t kept up with the times. “Being away at college, I may no longer make sure the excellent class of items being shipped to me,” 21-year-old Cameron told MTV News. “The price isn't worth it if what you purchase is only good for one wear.” As an alternative, she shops at Style Nova. “It caters more to curvy ladies, and their return policy is easier,” she added, noting that their options are still in the same price point as Forever 21.


She’s not alone in simply taking her agency towards other fast-fashion retailers. “I normally opt for stores like Target, Pacsun, American Eagle in malls, or online stores like Zaful,” Marissa explains, nodding to a firm that has been accused of selling counterfeit clothing at a steep discount from the original — the furthest logical conclusion of fast style ware.


Although while some shoppers are simply looking to other agencies with similar turnaround models, several clients have become more aware of the societal and environmental impact that style leaves in its wake. For its part, Forever21’s website cites maintainability efforts in the form of recycling programs for used clothing along with recyclable packaging, nevertheless the fact remains that the quantity of clothing being made with wasteful and harmful materials is still a major problem.


According to the New York Times, the style industry is one of the biggest polluters of tidy water, and three-fifths of apparel ends up in landfills, within per year of being produced. Given both its price point and the excellent class of its wares, several Forever21 pieces seem primed for a fast life indoors your closet. Plus, with the rise of reselling sites like Depop and Poshmark, folks are finding more sustainable ways to buy clothing that lasts longer for less.


“I used to frequent Forever 21 because it was inexpensive and I wanted to follow style trends. However in college, I took a class on environmentalism and sociology, where we discussed about human rights and the environmental impact of last fashion,” 22-year-old Molly told MTV News. What she learned flipped a switch for her, and right now she tries to shop in a way that is both sustainable and affordable: She shops second-hand. “My friend showed me how easy it was to thrift, and I developed a new personalized fashion that focused far less on trends yet on basics that don’t go out of style,” she added.


While Forever21’s future might not be the perfect symptom of the shift in fast style at large, it does highlight a shift in how young clients shop in general. Young people may still want affordable, trendy pieces — although just like its clothing, maybe the Forever21 model wasn’t made to last.