Pop Up Vending Machine Shows Fast Fashion Truth

Have you ever wondered what kind of work goes in to making those cheap tees and bargain jeans you wear a few times over before tossing in the trash? Coinciding with Fashion Revolution Day, fast fashion vending machine in Berlin showed shoppers the horrible working conditions experienced by those who produce some ultra inexpensive high street offerings.

What do we really know about the clothes on our backs? Who creates these trendy items, and under what conditions? Those looking to purchase the bargain shirt available in the vending machine simply typed in their size and paid their €2 (approximately $2.22) before a television screen displayed the text, “People want fashion at a bargain but would they still buy it if they knew how it was made?” The film that followed will certainly make you think twice.

This video goes on to show women and children working in poor conditions for up to 16 hours a day for only 13 cents an hour. This social experiment shocked shoppers, who assumed they'd approached the vending machine only to leave with a bargain, and instead learned a new, disturbing truth.

After the film ended, shoppers were prompted with the question of whether or not they wished to finish their transaction or donate the money to those working in these poor conditions.

Having recorded shoppers reactions to the film, the pop up shop experiment concludes on a positive note. It is important to realize that when people know, people care. It's time we brought attention to the work put into the clothing we buy, where the production takes place, and the conditions these workers are dealing with.

We may want our fashion for low price, but not if the cost is something far greater.

Image: Youtube