I think Covid has had such a huge impact on “fast homeware” with everyone stuck at home staring at the same four walls all day. It was interesting to see how fast interior trends would go viral and then how quickly another trend would replace it a few months later (the foam mirror and cow walls spring to mind). Really insightful video!
Not only were we bored during Covid because we couldn't get out of the house. We were also staring at our phones, so we saw the same fashion, interior design etc on TikTok and Instagram a million times. I have read somewhere that some are saying the early 2010 Tumblr fashion is coming back, because people are already sick of the Y2K trends that boomed in the beginning of the pandemic, as we have seen them too often on social media. Being bored is not always bad, but severe boredom like we experienced it at times during the pandemic will often lead to a number of extreme reactions. Overconsumption is one of them.
This is literally the reason I love custom content and the Sims. You can just experience all these trends without spending any money on them (except for buying the Sims of course). If I had to furnish a real flat I would be really overwhelmed trying to look for furniture that would be relatively timeless.
OH MY GOD YES!!! I feel even more free from the physical constraints of my house/location, I can experiment with colors, styles and everything without spending anything on it
I know a few people who get their fix of arranging and re-arranging their apartment or house every few weeks through the Sims. Definitely more cost effective because even if you just have the base game, I got it for free some years ago but you often get it for only 5 bucks on PC too, you can download all kinds of stuff via custom content and go ham on decorations. Easier than doing that to your own space too, if only painting walls was as easy as clicking on them.
While Ikea is certainly "cheap" homeware, and has its pricepoint in common with fast homeware, I think there is quite a big philosophical difference, with a focus on affordable neutral/timeless basics in stead of an extremely fast seasonal cycle with extremely distinctive temporary aesthetics.
I agree, I mean obviously it's a business that wants you to buy their products but many things from there last a very long time. They don't seem to be made poorly and start to break after a while so that you buy new ones in the way that some cheap home products are. I feel like they've always been big on showing how you can customise things too by adding different inserts to bookcases rather than replacing them altogether when you get bored with them
While I don't think IKEA's philosophy is necessarily the same as fast fashion philosophy, their lower priced items definitely encourage customers to consume in a less durable way, because replacing something no longer comes with a financial disincentive. However it is clear that IKEA's business strategy is not build up around (increasingly short) trend cycles. Quite the opposite actually: they build their brand around time trusted pieces, such as the Billy, the Kallax or Pax. But this does open up an interesting debate: what are the consequences when you pare affordability with desirability?
This. Many items in the Ikea catalogue have stayed the same for decades, if not only changed slightly. Right, it's timeless, and also accessible and appealing to a wide range of people. Their philosophy does not align with fast fashion trend cycles, at least not in theory.
@@camillelemmens1745 it is an interesting thought. Of course every company wants to maximise the desirability of their product, so that's a given. Then the logical conclusion of saying Cheap+Desirable=Unethical is that any cheap product is unethical, which is a questionable conclusion imo
@@eddiestok True - imo there is no easy one-line conclusion. But it is a starting point for more in depth debate. The idea of affordability is to make certain products available to people with lower incomes than they are initially/traditionally intended for. IKEA's goal was to make design (as opposed to just furniture) - which was for upper & upper middle class people - accessible for working and lower middle class folks. But: what do you do when upper middle class people migrate to IKEA because they can now increase the quantity of their consumption and have to think less about that consumption. Especially when those tendencies are at the same time also encouraged in other parts of society. Because the truth is: overconsumption of cheap products and fast anything is not a problem of poor people - it is one of the middle classes. So how do we consume ethically, even though our financial situation doesn't force us to?
My husband and I were talking about this a few weeks ago. We spent the night at his nearly 90 year old grandma’s house. She has lived in the same small farmhouse for the past 50+ years. While she has updated some things in her home (appliances, kitchen cabinets, and etc). everything else is well maintained but old dated. Same weird ruffle curtains and blinds, same bedding, same old furniture, and same knick knacks that have sat in the same spot for decades. I wouldn’t describe my husband grandma as a minimalist by any means. Appearances have brought validation forever and in her home is not uncommon for people her age. They didn’t grow up inundated nearly 24/7 with ads and the endless comparison wasn’t at the fingertips. His grandma doesn’t feel anything but pride on her old granny home.
thriftshops are my fav for home decor. If you want that pastal scandi aesthetic you can buy secondhand vases in cool form and just paint them, that is what alot of people do here (scandinavia) the thrift market is pretty big here, for clothes and homeware. Teak furniture is kind of taking over, and you can only get it secondhand
As someone who worked in a home goods store for four years (into the pandemic), I think that the biggest (early) contributor to this is the rise of short-term rentals such as Airbnb. These rental apartments needed to achieve a homely, yet luxurious feel that is slightly reminiscent of a hotel All of this while being as inexpensive as possible and easily replaceable as it becomes damaged. I can't tell you the amount of times customers would come in looking for a 'hotel' bedding set, a hotel mattress, hotel pillows, etc. Before the pandemic, people wanted their spaces to emulate the height of luxury because they spent less time there. Now, I agree: when the pandemic hit, people began changing their aesthetics more frequently. There was a rise in redecorating 'projects' as people want their homes to resemble their identity. The flaw in this, is that designs imply a cultivated finished product-- a curated experience-- whereas identities are changeable, and often changing. I enjoyed this video, thanks!
This makes more sense. Like the missing puzzle piece. All these extra HomeGoods makes sense for empty houses of vacationers going in and out at a near constant churn, using up the homegoods like impersonal disposables, not their own to take care of.
To be honest, I adore a sense of luxury and sumptuosity in my home because it is supposed to reflect who you are , however, I can't fathom the idea of squandering my money on overpriced stuff so the best solution is to buy a fast fashion homeware for a good price so as to satisfy our needs . But if we want to look at the problem from a different perspective, we will realize that the rate overconsumption and carbon footprints are just skyrocketing as a result of purchasing and the boasting on these objects. It is such a complicated topic that contains many aspects '!
As a south-american living in France, I have felt the need to buy a lot of fast-fashion and fast homeware. Because is the only thing I can afford in Europe and it allows me to look better in the eye of everybody (friends, possible employers, prefectures, banks, certain social circles, etc) Althought I haven't, it has really made me question how when I was in south America I didn't feel the need of doing so. We come to Europe to fullfill economic needs we can't solve in our homelands, but at the same time those needs are higher here. It's a never ending raise.
This is so relatable.. as someone who came from nepal to United States , I didn’t feel this way back home but here it’s like you said , the need to validate my space
It's such a shame that fast homeware is a thing now, because you can still change your home every season sustainably. The mother of a friend of mine from childhood just has 4 boxes in her attic, in it are things she likes and that remind her of the seasons. A new cloth for the piano, another plaid for the couch, a different painting for on the wall, different pillow cases, etc. And when the seasons change she packs things in one box, and unpacks another, cycling through them every year. After all, she likes them and hasn't seen them for months on end anyway, so it will always feel fresh, but she also likes seeing those items again after such a long time!
Also, Target and Walmart falls into that category too. Target is the holy grail for moms who want a break from their children. Going through aisles and aisles of cheap products picking up all kinds of things they don’t need. Fast homeware thrives because of our overconsumption. We buy so many things to fill our homes with, then complain about needing more space.
I agree, its the new fast fashion, just to point out that zara home started way back, in 2003 and was the first online retail business of inditex. The stores opened in México around 2013, so it's been around for a while
I like a rather minimalist but still cozy style for home decor. It should definetly help you to feel comfortable and to calm down after a stressful day. If you have less stuff being around you don‘t get distracted as much.
Here in Europe HM and Zara had their "home" line for way longer than 2020/21. So it's deff not something new, plus you can find really good quality items for an affordable price. - Linen bedding that doesn't cost a kidney. Had mine for more than 6y and it still looks great
I’m doing my bit by not shopping in the extreme amounts I used to. Buying many more clothes than I needed made me forget what I have. Now I just want to overspend on Books.
What I’m getting is that French Royalty was the precursor to Reality TV except it was LIVE? That’s mind blowing yet not surprising. We’re a voyeuristic bunch.
Thank you, Alice. I've noticed this, too. Lots of people are VERY quick to change their entire living space in a short amount of time. They don't grow attached to their things, they just grow tired of them.
I'd like if you could collaborate with creators from the global south. The reason why I say this is bc I've seen lot's of people struggling with their homes, for not having the basic, not only to express themselves, but to function in homework and homeschool. So I feel like your perspective would be more complete understand our reality and presenting it as also explored by this phenomenon. Awesome video 👏
I think fast homeware has been overlooked for ages. I remember coming across Zoella in like 2013 and being baffled by decorating your house by season, it just felt like so much stuff. And the old items never reappeared but there was a new haul every season
Thank you for this insightful video Alice, from a subscriber from India. Slightly different from what you've talked about here - In my country, I see the massive rise of "influencers", who I feel are advocating for a culture of consumption, and the effects of that is very evident in peoples' growing obsession and expenses on skincare, makeup, clothes etc, at a scale not seen a few years back. would love to see a video doing a breakdown of influencer culture and the cult of skincare + makeup, if possible. thank you, and really appreciate your accessible and thought-provoking content always 😊
This is so true, I'm an indian teen and been on the internet since 2015 , I literally watched all these influencers take over social media. It's impossible to avoid them
This trend you mentioned along with the fast home decor trend is something I really wish wouldn't take over India. We shouldn't promote/emulate these negative trends from the West. Afterall our culture believes in being content with what we have. Let's learn the positives like punctuality, civic sense, discipline instead from the West and spread the good from our culture.
In Europe makeup content and consumption has been on a decline since its peak around 2016-2018. However skincare is definetely booming, especially during lockdown it was the it topic.
This concept is super interesting because I have always viewed the home as a place to fill with things that make you happy, like yes there are some outdated things that occasionally need replaced (when we first moved in to our current house it had a blue toilet and bathtub circa 1980) but there is a lot of stuff in my house that are things like antique books that I've inherited and art my friends and family made or I thought was cool, most of my kitchen décor is the shelf of tea mugs that are fun. I appreciate the desire to fit into trends and project a certain lifestyle, but I've always felt lived in feeling places make me more comfortable and at ease.
i can't put into words how amazing you are as a creator! as a sociology major, i think the way you explain these authors word's and concepts in a way that is so intelligible is admirable. also, your book recommendations are amazing and SO spot on. i did not know about The Lonely Crowd, but it is already on my to read list thanks to you hahahah
I hate that these Les strips ar ebasiclaly meant to be one use only, bc the sticky but will just get ruined. I have a strip that I've carefully unstuck and put up in my new place, but if I used them as intended I would have bought like 3 already in the last couple years
Watching this made me wonder how much does aesthetics play a role on our expenses in this case to what great lengths people go to purchase these commodities in name of essentials just to be aesthetically pleased....i won't lie i was one of them 😬😬😅😅
So glad I’m not alone in my concern about this trend! Honestly furniture and home items in general have been getting cheaper and cheaper and aren’t built to last anymore… the pandemic and some of these “flipping” trends that destroy old pieces only made it worse. Hardwood furniture has downsides but it really can last a century or more if it’s not so trendy or destroyed so it isn’t feasible to refurbish. Even softwood lasts a while and when it gets old can be more easily up cycled, and metal while not suitable for everything also has fantastic durability when it is well made and glass is one of the few truly recyclable materials out there. Honestly one of the things I miss about where I used to live was that there were so many different used furniture outlets- from local chains to ones run by habitat for humanity. I have yet to see that outside of northern New England and it really makes me sad. I feel like I have to buy new and tbh that’s also way more stressful and not as fun.
Acceleration is based on a paradigm of endless resources. We're way past that, as we're now seeing the extent of the damage our consumption and obsession for growth causes. I think the degrowth movement, with all its limits, is aiming at the right point: we do need to consume less, and to produce less and more consciously. This is true in fashion, in our homeware, in the way we feed and the way we socialize. Yes, the production is in hands of the owners and that will need to change eventually if we're ever to have meaningful change. And yes, there are a lot of things that need our attention and our involvement. Fortunately, degrowth on a personal level costs next to nothing and can be done in small steps. Interesting topic and essay :) Thanks for putting it out.
I have bought quite a few home goods over the last few years and most I'm sure fall under the fast home good category, but I am not changing them out all the time. I have 4 main rooms and spaces that I am working on, they each have a theme: goth&galaxy bedroom, pastel paradise for my art/craft/console gameroom, vaporwave&cyberpunk for my gaming corner of the computer room (which was a dining room for the last ppl who lived here before us) and psychedelic hippie/cottage core/fairy garden living room. Those themes sound crazy but I make it work lol, however those themes don't change ever, when I'm bored of one theme I move to a new spot in my house and kinda make that my new home base for a week or two. I only ever decorate for Halloween and Christmas, each of those 4 spots has one storage tub for each holiday except for the living room has two Christmas boxes because thats where the tree goes. That's it, I approached it as I had a vision for each spot and only bought things that I couldn't live without that matched the themes. I have had them like this for almost 5 years, my sister who still lives at home and has the run of the basement (bedroom, living space, bathroom, kitchenette/laundry) has done the same thing, she says the goal is to make it look instagramable when it's in order, despite not having an Instagram and it never being in order because of work, school and (this one goes for both of us) Adhd lol. As far as fast fashion goes I do buy some (I assume Killstar probably counts) but I am not to entirely sure where buying things like sweaters and hoodies from artists falls. But again I'm building gothic/punk, pastel, earthy hippie, cyberpunk sections of my wardrobe but I'm not chucking them out after a season, right now I'm wearing a sweater I got from killstar like 8 years ago. I choose pieces I love and don't want to ever get rid of them, I was shocked about the amount of textiles that ppl on average throw away. I hardly ever get rid of clothes but then again I'm only buying a handful of pieces a year, all my clothes fit in the equivalent of 1 large closet. (Half in the bedroom, half in the craft/art room with a bin on a shelf for the other two spots with things like cardigans, fuzzy socks, and arm warmers). I am disabled and just about never leave my property, we only have one car my husband uses to go to work anyway. We probably won't ever be moving again, our daughter is about to enter high school (her room in Nightmare before Christmas, fnaf, and my little pony themed lol) So I figured I would just get the rooms done and that would be it for having to spend money on decor and I can start on turning the barn into a pottery studio and get a garden going.
See and this is why it’s not a problem that can be solved merely by individual choices. If you had more and easier access to items that would last a while but still had themes (think like old fashion houses that each had a niche) also good number of thrift options (I know a place that has over three furniture and home specific thrift shops within 30 minutes of each other and boy did that make finding “the right thing” easier) or sweaters that would last three decades instead of just one, you’d probably go for it. And realistically most of those items wouldn’t be that much more expensive (except probably the sweater if it was new). The amount of time and energy (or money in the case of ethical brands,) it takes these days to shop sustainably is a big part of the problem.
Ah, so that would explain why I have been given so much nearly new homeware of late... I am one of those people who has a strong aversion to buying anything new, and, aside from charity stores, online listings, and car boot sales, most of my stuff is either repaired, repurposed, or given to me, as various friends know what I am like, and frequently offer me things they're throwing out. I guess I could be a pretty good indicator of which sectors of consumerism are currently in overdrive, according to what I've managed to clutter my flat up with this month 🙂
Consumerism will ruin us, as if it's not already done that. Consumerism is everywhere but for some reason people seem to think the problem is only within the fashion industry. IT'S EVERYWHERE. I remember being so frustrated when people wanted to replace hugeeeee shein hauls with equally hugeeee thrift hauls. Yeah, it's second hand, it's cheaper but do you reallly need all those 40 trifted clothes? Every month? The main problem is over-consumption. I have the same problem with the booktube community and those giants hauls every month. Are we promoting reading or just buying books that hopefully one day we'll read.
I’m from Sweden where IKEA started and still has its headquarters, also my partner works there. The idea behind IKEA is not fast fashion furniture but that working class people could afford good and durable furniture. It’s still true today. Ok, the more well off people might use it like they use Shein or H&M fashion, for a quick fix to throw away after a month, but that’s not what Ikea intended.
Really good points! And new look on things. I buy almost exclusively second hand and vintage. I don't want my space to look like every one else's, I want have personality in my home
This video is so so good and so timely for me. I just had a big move, and as I’ve been organizing this space, I started thinking about places like The Container Store and what an insane waste it is. You buy all of these plastic boxes or special hangers to retrofit organization for your home (that will probably only work for that home), and then you throw it away after a few years. It reminded me so much of fast fashion. Thank you for making this 💕
Great to see Deleuze and Guattari here! Just something to have in mind: So, that’s not exactly what accelerationism is (as explained around the minute 9:19). The so-called “Urstaat“ (or war machine) has to come from the outside, not the inside, and it presents itself in the form of art or science (as Deleuze wished for). So, accelerating the capitalist process doesn’t actually mean to buy more stuff or to motivate pro-capitalist politics. It is rather to deterritorialize this monetized “flows” through art and science that cannot be actually axiomatized/ monetized by capitalism. D&G explain it near the end of anti oedipus and expanded it more in Mille Plateaux
Congrats on your book! As a fellow TH-camr, this made me think about how this issue is so rooted in TH-camr "trends" of creating visual-materialist "content" that's just perpetuating the consciousness/culture of capitalism (needing external things to feel internal substance/contentedness)... but usually content creator's spin on the concept is that they are "inspiring" people to "create the life they want" (or the like) - but it's just a mask for really superficial, materialist, and toxic ways of relating to our sense of connection/control/expression in our lives...
Naturally, all those with beatles posters on their walls and scented candles on their desks have reached a higher plane of existence, such that the need for redecoration is minimal. More seriously though, great video. I have found it unusual how fast fashion brands have expanded into the homeware space as of late. It seems as if they have intruded upon an area where there should be beauty and longevity in the possessions we own to create our own narratives. The stories that will be created by them throughout my life are more precious than the throwaway culture these companies want to promote.
Oh I do like the idea of a newsletter! But on the subject of home decor trends, the thought of them stresses me out immensely. I much prefer to have my mix of sentimental and useful objects and rearrange them to accommodate my current interests - and sometimes, something has to go. The William Morris quote „Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful“ has worked quite well for me as a guideline. Also, I have to confess, minimalist rooms make me feel uncomfortable and I am guilty of having purposefully left cookie crumbs in minimalist spaces to stain their steril perfection.
I don't think minimalism has to necessarily be sterile BUT sterile spaces are certainly uncomfortable because I think they're inherently unnatural, not human? They lack signs of life which I find far more appealing than Pins on Pinterest
Finally you approached this topic, I've been struggling to decorate my room with so many options, so far I'm only keeping necessary furniture with no accessories. Thanks for your review Alice.
I saw the title of this video and thought FINALLY. As someone whose loved home decor and making my space comfy and "aesthetic" since I was like 10, I'm flabbergasted by this trend. I've spent my life thus far learning how to repurpose everything I have to create entirely new aesthetics, upcycle things to make them anew, or if I really wanted new things I would donate to thrift stores and buy almost everything "new" to me secondhand. I hope we continue to enjoy beautifying our spaces because they truly deserve it, but I hope we do so more sustainably.
I do hope that our fast paced society slows down in the sense of productivity, consumerism, life gernerally, really. Because the whole thing is not healthy for our minds. Something that came to my mind during your video is the question about "freedom" as in: how much does our way to live impact our impression of freedom and vice versa. "The freedom to change super fast, regardless of our impact on the envirement or the "bigger picture" as in climate change or how a lifestyle can be damaging to the planet". (Yes, I am aware, that big corporations play the main factor in this, but just go along with that little "mind experient") And while we agree as a colletcive (mostly anyways) that fast fashion is bad, we turn to other means to satisfy the little happiness we get out of consumerism, because really: how is our current social structer (as in capitalism) any benificial to us as humans? It is no secret, that purchase of products make us momantarily happy, but that fulfillness does not last long, so we buy again and again and again and feed into the destructive industry that is slowly but surely desroying our planet. It's sad, in a way, but i also don't see us changing from that mindset of purchase = happiness = consumerism = fucked up planet
I think this is a trend coming back into circulation. I live in the Nordics and most of the women I've met who are over 80 yo regularly change curtains, table cloths, pillows, etc. for different occasion. A few of my neighbours have whole attic full of decor items for every season. A lot of it is handmade by themselves, based on pictures in imported magazines, but the availability to shop for everything you need now has made that easier.
Yes! so excited for this and, while I‘m still in the process of watching, I wonder if you‘ll touch on these (imo) insane ‚organising‘ videos in which people take food that already comes wrapped in plastic, unwrap it, only to then put it in other plastic, so it‘s aesthetic ✨ and satisfying ✨ (also related to ‚that girl‘)
I always wondered about this. Then concluded it was but a first world problem. Glad someone else thinks it's absurd. Also we have a limiting plastic ban here in Kenya and our neighbours Rwanda have an even stricter one. Perhaps why I think it crazy. While we're trying to reduce plastics others are increasing them.
@@lisamedla You are absolutely right and it is so interesting hearing about those bans - I had no idea and am no curious to read up! I live in Switzerland and.. am trying to stop myself from ranting because we will pat ourselves on the back for the smallest things and it makes me want to scream. Definitely a first world problem, but considering the fact that we‘re the ones producing a disproportionate amount of waste and emissions, maybe - just maybe - first world‘s the problem :‘)
I've always thought fast homeware was insane. I can't remember the past time I bought homeward goods. I'm glad people are starting to talk about the waste and effects.
This has been a thing in Scotland for a long time. I've always thought it was because it's so cold outside and very dark for a lot of winter. People (mostly women) like to play with their interiors. We had The More Store and What Everyone Wants and PoundStretcher shops full of cheap homewear tat in the 90s. It's just online now.
For me, I have 4 scented candles. 1 for each season. Everytime it changes I change the candle and light it. It's smell let's me experience that season in my room while keeping it the same
Zara Home and H&M Home have been around for much longer than 2021/2022. And Primark and Urban Outfitters have also been selling homeware for years prior.
My favourite type of celebrities are those who were in the lap of luxury but say they live ‘normal lives’. Cute, very cute. (I’m saying this while being aware that there are exceptions)
"fast homeware" is not new and many low income families used to rely on fast homeware because of its cheapness. this is why it was also difficult for these families to accommodate to sustainable homeware.
there are only a few channels on TH-cam I really look forward to, and go watch as soon as I can, whenever a new video is up, and yours is on that list (for that validation bit at the end). thanks for the always great content.
Well once again I've learned something. I didn't know this was a THING. I remember being shocked when after about a week of lockdown I started hearing that people were binge shopping online,for a start where were they getting the money to do that (furlough). I've never been into acquiring stuff just for the sake of it but I have got a nice,well appointed home but once you've got what you need you can STOP. Can't you? In the 1970s I remember consumerism was a big thing. I think it was carried over from the 1960s when to consumerism for EVERYONE really started. I mean not just for moneyed people. Things like Hire Purchase meant people like my neighbours could obtain posh high end furniture,white goods for the kitchen,a car,and even go on a package holiday to Spain. Now maybe once this ball was set in motion it had to be kept rolling,so in the latter 1970s and into the 80s new tech was constantly coming out and obsoleting the tech you'd not long ago bought. I remember news of an amazing new device by which you could record tv shows so you need never miss your favourites. It was called a "video recorder" and (Sir) Paul MacCartney had one they cost that much. About three years later my sister and her husband had one as did everyone and then everyone found out that life's just too short to watch all those tv shows you recorded anyway. And now of course no one buys CDs,or DVDs,or vinyl records or actual THINGS because we can stream it all for "free".
You know when you have the feeling of something happening but you don't know what to call it? This video definitely enlightening me into even being aware of "Fast Homeware". From Homesense to homegoods, to CB2 and Wayfair, Ive been fooled by fast homeware and received terrible furnitures :(
Hi, I don't know if you are talking about ZARA HOME when you mention Zara in the minute 2:55, you stated that it created its home line in 2021, but I am afraid that is not correct. Zara Home exists since 2003, maybe just for the domestic market, but it's been more than 15 years (almost 20) since ZARA HOME first opened its doors. Other than that, very interesting video, it truly reflects a new problem that has worsened since COVID's outbreak. I do have hoarding tendencies (special with homeware stuff) and this kind of videos help me reflect on my current behavior.
Not only owning a specific things brings validation but also being able to talk about them. I often find myself unable to join conversations which revolve around specific homeware or clothes brand because I don’t know the assortment as well as others.
The last time I got together with my family (who are hyper consumerists and I find very very difficult to relate to. I try not to patronize and criticize their shopping choices, because I know that will not persuade them to change their mind, so I mostly just keep my mouth shut, which I know does not help either). Anyways, my sister was showing me all the things she bought this year from Amazon & the Dollar Store & Walmart, and she was bragging about how she was able to give her whole house a makeover for cheap. I was trying to just change the subject, but because she basically hasn't left her house at all during the pandemic, it's the only thing she has to talk about - stuff she bought. I find it so sad.
I think it’s also important to speak about how that translates to brick and mortar stores. When looking at france I can point to the place where our Auchan is and in the past two years three new shops have entered the show. Action, Gifi and whatever the other is named. They also indulge in fast homeware and extend the market to older generations as well. It’s not like fast fashion, an industry mainly based online, it has physical stores that anyone in our society can access easily. Our Action is consistently crowded
I’m a new subscriber, and I just pressed play, but I HAD to comment immediately bc I just got home from Target and had this thought while I was there!!
I like how your room background also changed half way through the video and we saw you in a new hairstyle and make-up. It really painted a picture of how we can share our identites through the spaces that we decorate. Almost like another persona came through.
I feel that fast homeware is arguably worse because the inevitable disposal of the homeware goes into the trash instead of thrift stores, and the materials and chemicals being disposed are more harmful to the environment than textiles
Salut Alice et merci pour cette super vidéo ! c'est un excellent sujet que tu aborde là, je n'avais pas poussé la réflexion aussi loin... ici en France depuis quelques années on est envahi de magasins Action je ne sais pas si tu connais. Chaque fois, je vois les gens sortir de là, les paniers remplis de bêtises de déco cheap, d'objets en plastique, de gadgets en tout genre et je ne peux pas m'empêcher de penser que c'est triste.
The questions of accelerationism and what should we do reminded me of something that happened a few years ago in Greece, where I live: Some farmers had become frustrated with their financial difficulties, with a particularly excessive percentage of profits going into the hands of middlepeople in their field, while consumers couldn't afford to buy groceries. So they tried to organize events selling directly to people. Turns out the local communist party did not like this at all and condemned this "potato movement" arguing that it misdirects the public and producers away from dealing with monopolies etc. Maybe you should not eat if that makes it more difficult to the intelligencia to expose capitalism. Later they condemned a workers' initiative to take control of a factory that belonged to their bankrupt employer with similar arguments: they try to beautify capitalism. The gall of it was a bit glaring since they themselves ran businesses in an unadulterated validation of the capitalist model, applying all available anti-worker regulations to the letter "in order to support the party", until they went bankrupt. This is kind of relative to my view of unnuanced criticism towards fast fashion, and in my circles I've seen that people of similar economic/social background tend to feel similarly. It already seems incredibly disingenuous to see "slightly premium" companies like Levis make anti-fast-fashion campaigns when there's nothing - other than price, obviously a very poor indicator - to suggest that their products are more ethically produced than those of the usual suspects. But the main thing for me is this: what am I supposed to wear in a country with a decidedly European cost of living, but where half the people make less than 600 euros and rent or electricity costs well beyond that? To me, when I buy eg a denim jacket from Zara, it's not intended to be worn as "fast fashion". I intend to keep in a good condition and wear it as long as l possibly can. Sure, I know the arguments against it. Do people presenting them realize it is absolutely impossible for me to dress in 70-dollar t-shirts? Similarly, to a poor person, minimalism is all about having the income needed to build a great house with well-designed, unseen storage spaces, as well as being able to buy top-quality appliances etc doing everything you need so you're not cluttered by multiple, poor quality stuff that you have to replace again and again. To me minimalism boils down to having the economic privilege to enjoy a clean, uncluttered lifestyle and brag about it to others. But yeah, it's more "ethical" on the face of it, if we are allowed to criticize more those who are exploited as participants to global exploitation than those who benefit from it all. Keep up with the great content.
I agree. When I buy fast fashion clothes I buy it with the intention of wearing it for at least the next 5 years if not longer. Not everyone can afford to throw clothes out all the time.
I love all your content. Your thoughts are very aligned with my own observations and perceptions. Your delivery is informative and entertaining. As a side note, you are strikingly beautiful.
this has actually been on my mind a bit. i watch more daily vlogs related to topics like anime, kpop, manga etc but i see a lot of the same trends come to popularity in the same manner. often it leads to me seeing creators having similar things and also an abundance of things. while it's not a bad thing and to each their own, it's a bit...strange? like it's cool to see similarities in what people like but i wonder how much of it comes from a more mindful mindset. it's fine to want things, but are we wanting something for ourselves, or to fit in with a community or a certain identity etc? i especially see it in room makeovers and desk makeovers within this area, as you eventually begin to see some of the same things that are popular appear in multiple creators' videos. it's all very interesting to think about. such a lovely and interesting video. thank you alice
Great video! I highly recommend anyone who found the bit about the spectacle to read not only that book but a biography of it's author, "Guy Debord," by Anselm Jappe. Although Jappe's thinking has recently taken a turn for the worse, this book is incredible. "The spectacle is thus not a pure and simple adjunct to the world, as propaganda broadcast via the communications media might be said to be. Rather, it is the entirety of social activity that is appropriated by the spectacle for its own ends. From city planning to political parties of every tendency, from art to science, from everyday life to human passions and desires, everywhere we find reality replaced by images. In the process, images end up becoming real, and reality ends up transformed into images." "The problem lies not, however, in the 'image' or 'representation' as such, as so many twentieth-century philosophies argue, but rather in the society that needs such images. It is true that the spectacle makes particular use of sight... but the problem resides in the independence achieved by representations that, having escaped the control of human beings, proceed to address them in a monologue that eliminates all possible dialogue from human life. Such representations, though born of social practice, behave as independent beings."
I think zara home has been around way longer! Thinking almost ten years? Definitely see them as the first fast fashion brand to have a homeware branch. Love ur videos btw 💕
Merci Alice! This video (actually all your videos) are very insightful... You sound like a fellow Sociology major! LOL! I wonder if you (unless you already have you can link it) provide us a list of books you have read ... I've yet to read Marx but I must!
I had a bit of hard time understanding what is the video about or what point are you making. It seemed more like a stream of thoughts. But definitely interesting points worth thinking about
I think the ideology of self-reinvention that you mentioned in the last part of your video can also be taken into account to classify the problem of fast homeware as one that is deeply rooted in neo-liberalism. I was thinking about Richard Sennett's 'The Flexible Man'; Sennett argues that the flexibilization of work that has been going on since the 1970s (think specialized demand-based production instead of fordist assembly line production) has had its impacts on the way we (the workers, that is) perceive ourselves as individuals: We have to be ready to adapt at short notice, the job once deemed safe for life is now not even safe for a few years, you might be forced to move to a new place or specialize in a new field altogether, etc. This movement has been internalized as the ideology of self-reinvention; we have been sold this ideology as solely a good thing (not that there are no advantages, but...) The more flexible the economy becomes the more flexible the people have to become. If we assume that commodity-shaped property plays a role in the formation of our identities (we perceive ourselves as lacking humans that can 'buy' the wholenesss of their identity in form of commodities) then fast fashion and fast homeware are the adequate kinds of commodities for people whose identity changes (and is forced to change) ever so quickly and many times throughout a lifetime.
Amazing and illuminating content! Thank you Alice! Excited to read your book! In a free market, consumer is king; in a capitalist market, the too big to fail capitalists are king. Business school is all about stopping the free market from working, i.e., to stop commodity hell--> how competition should eliminate profit by lowering prices. Put this way, the too big to fail capitalists form a type of fascia organizing a hierarchy of rights with the right to profit tops. This means that capitalism is a species of fascism. You only get your rights when you have $$$$. If we would just let the so-called too big to fail fail, perhaps we could be free. Perhaps the environment would recover. Hope
I’m finding this increasingly true in the book world also , overconsumption of books kind of takes the same form as this in the way that it’s used to express an identity and also maybe an easier one to justify to yourself too since we’re always taught that reading is inherently good even when we are seeing huuuuuge book hauls on TH-cam and online constantly
@@victoriangm7774 exactly as the other person said buying books is more the problem, and reading also doesn’t make you an inherently better person it’s just another form of media consumption at the end of the day
Thats what turned me off watching eventually. They would haul books and i would be excited to see what they thought but it would never be read and was buried under more and more books that they would never touch again
Head to www.squarespace.com/alicecappelle to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain and use the code ALICECAPPELLE !
Thanks for the link ; au faite ton livre, il sera dispos sur Amazon ?
it's about the renter's economy meaning nobody feels they own a space
so they use decor to feel safe
I think Covid has had such a huge impact on “fast homeware” with everyone stuck at home staring at the same four walls all day. It was interesting to see how fast interior trends would go viral and then how quickly another trend would replace it a few months later (the foam mirror and cow walls spring to mind). Really insightful video!
I wouldn't just blame covid for that.
Very quickly after lockdown started I started getting into interior decorating
Not only were we bored during Covid because we couldn't get out of the house. We were also staring at our phones, so we saw the same fashion, interior design etc on TikTok and Instagram a million times. I have read somewhere that some are saying the early 2010 Tumblr fashion is coming back, because people are already sick of the Y2K trends that boomed in the beginning of the pandemic, as we have seen them too often on social media. Being bored is not always bad, but severe boredom like we experienced it at times during the pandemic will often lead to a number of extreme reactions. Overconsumption is one of them.
the what and the what ??? foam mirror? wtf did I miss???
wtf is a cow wall????
Fake books on bookshelves need to be analysed on a video on its own.
ahaha so true!
Lol and books by the foot, purchased according to color of the spine.
I cringed... Is this actually a thing? 😅
@@madiziehr absolutely I know people that have done it 🥴
@@BeautyObsessive that's crazy! What a world we live in
This is literally the reason I love custom content and the Sims. You can just experience all these trends without spending any money on them (except for buying the Sims of course). If I had to furnish a real flat I would be really overwhelmed trying to look for furniture that would be relatively timeless.
Ahah I hadn’t seen it that way but true !
OH MY GOD YES!!! I feel even more free from the physical constraints of my house/location, I can experiment with colors, styles and everything without spending anything on it
100% agree!
you literally have to buy the furniture in the sims
I know a few people who get their fix of arranging and re-arranging their apartment or house every few weeks through the Sims. Definitely more cost effective because even if you just have the base game, I got it for free some years ago but you often get it for only 5 bucks on PC too, you can download all kinds of stuff via custom content and go ham on decorations. Easier than doing that to your own space too, if only painting walls was as easy as clicking on them.
While Ikea is certainly "cheap" homeware, and has its pricepoint in common with fast homeware, I think there is quite a big philosophical difference, with a focus on affordable neutral/timeless basics in stead of an extremely fast seasonal cycle with extremely distinctive temporary aesthetics.
I agree, I mean obviously it's a business that wants you to buy their products but many things from there last a very long time. They don't seem to be made poorly and start to break after a while so that you buy new ones in the way that some cheap home products are. I feel like they've always been big on showing how you can customise things too by adding different inserts to bookcases rather than replacing them altogether when you get bored with them
While I don't think IKEA's philosophy is necessarily the same as fast fashion philosophy, their lower priced items definitely encourage customers to consume in a less durable way, because replacing something no longer comes with a financial disincentive. However it is clear that IKEA's business strategy is not build up around (increasingly short) trend cycles. Quite the opposite actually: they build their brand around time trusted pieces, such as the Billy, the Kallax or Pax.
But this does open up an interesting debate: what are the consequences when you pare affordability with desirability?
This. Many items in the Ikea catalogue have stayed the same for decades, if not only changed slightly. Right, it's timeless, and also accessible and appealing to a wide range of people. Their philosophy does not align with fast fashion trend cycles, at least not in theory.
@@camillelemmens1745 it is an interesting thought. Of course every company wants to maximise the desirability of their product, so that's a given. Then the logical conclusion of saying Cheap+Desirable=Unethical is that any cheap product is unethical, which is a questionable conclusion imo
@@eddiestok True - imo there is no easy one-line conclusion. But it is a starting point for more in depth debate. The idea of affordability is to make certain products available to people with lower incomes than they are initially/traditionally intended for. IKEA's goal was to make design (as opposed to just furniture) - which was for upper & upper middle class people - accessible for working and lower middle class folks. But: what do you do when upper middle class people migrate to IKEA because they can now increase the quantity of their consumption and have to think less about that consumption. Especially when those tendencies are at the same time also encouraged in other parts of society.
Because the truth is: overconsumption of cheap products and fast anything is not a problem of poor people - it is one of the middle classes.
So how do we consume ethically, even though our financial situation doesn't force us to?
My husband and I were talking about this a few weeks ago. We spent the night at his nearly 90 year old grandma’s house. She has lived in the same small farmhouse for the past 50+ years. While she has updated some things in her home (appliances, kitchen cabinets, and etc). everything else is well maintained but old dated. Same weird ruffle curtains and blinds, same bedding, same old furniture, and same knick knacks that have sat in the same spot for decades.
I wouldn’t describe my husband grandma as a minimalist by any means. Appearances have brought validation forever and in her home is not uncommon for people her age. They didn’t grow up inundated nearly 24/7 with ads and the endless comparison wasn’t at the fingertips. His grandma doesn’t feel anything but pride on her old granny home.
Important perspective!!
Wholesome
It’s like the next phase of planned obsolescence
thriftshops are my fav for home decor. If you want that pastal scandi aesthetic you can buy secondhand vases in cool form and just paint them, that is what alot of people do here (scandinavia) the thrift market is pretty big here, for clothes and homeware. Teak furniture is kind of taking over, and you can only get it secondhand
I grew up with Danish teak furniture passed down from my great-grandpa to my dad and mom. It's soooo nice.
As someone who worked in a home goods store for four years (into the pandemic), I think that the biggest (early) contributor to this is the rise of short-term rentals such as Airbnb. These rental apartments needed to achieve a homely, yet luxurious feel that is slightly reminiscent of a hotel All of this while being as inexpensive as possible and easily replaceable as it becomes damaged. I can't tell you the amount of times customers would come in looking for a 'hotel' bedding set, a hotel mattress, hotel pillows, etc. Before the pandemic, people wanted their spaces to emulate the height of luxury because they spent less time there.
Now, I agree: when the pandemic hit, people began changing their aesthetics more frequently. There was a rise in redecorating 'projects' as people want their homes to resemble their identity. The flaw in this, is that designs imply a cultivated finished product-- a curated experience-- whereas identities are changeable, and often changing.
I enjoyed this video, thanks!
incredible comment!!
Ooh your concluding point is so astute!
This makes more sense. Like the missing puzzle piece. All these extra HomeGoods makes sense for empty houses of vacationers going in and out at a near constant churn, using up the homegoods like impersonal disposables, not their own to take care of.
To be honest, I adore a sense of luxury and sumptuosity in my home because it is supposed to reflect who you are , however, I can't fathom the idea of squandering my money on overpriced stuff so the best solution is to buy a fast fashion homeware for a good price so as to satisfy our needs . But if we want to look at the problem from a different perspective, we will realize that the rate overconsumption and carbon footprints are just skyrocketing as a result of purchasing and the boasting on these objects. It is such a complicated topic that contains many aspects '!
As a south-american living in France, I have felt the need to buy a lot of fast-fashion and fast homeware. Because is the only thing I can afford in Europe and it allows me to look better in the eye of everybody (friends, possible employers, prefectures, banks, certain social circles, etc)
Althought I haven't, it has really made me question how when I was in south America I didn't feel the need of doing so. We come to Europe to fullfill economic needs we can't solve in our homelands, but at the same time those needs are higher here. It's a never ending raise.
Why so true 🥲
This is so relatable.. as someone who came from nepal to United States , I didn’t feel this way back home but here it’s like you said , the need to validate my space
It's such a shame that fast homeware is a thing now, because you can still change your home every season sustainably. The mother of a friend of mine from childhood just has 4 boxes in her attic, in it are things she likes and that remind her of the seasons. A new cloth for the piano, another plaid for the couch, a different painting for on the wall, different pillow cases, etc. And when the seasons change she packs things in one box, and unpacks another, cycling through them every year. After all, she likes them and hasn't seen them for months on end anyway, so it will always feel fresh, but she also likes seeing those items again after such a long time!
Also, Target and Walmart falls into that category too. Target is the holy grail for moms who want a break from their children. Going through aisles and aisles of cheap products picking up all kinds of things they don’t need. Fast homeware thrives because of our overconsumption. We buy so many things to fill our homes with, then complain about needing more space.
I agree, its the new fast fashion, just to point out that zara home started way back, in 2003 and was the first online retail business of inditex. The stores opened in México around 2013, so it's been around for a while
Yesss was going to point this out. It's been around for ages
h&m home has been around for years too, since 2009!
H&M home as well, I have bedsheets and vases from there that I bought 10 years ago.
I wanted to say the same
Yeah. I was going to say this as well, as I remember Zara Home being around for much longer since stores were around in the city I grew up
I like a rather minimalist but still cozy style for home decor. It should definetly help you to feel comfortable and to calm down after a stressful day. If you have less stuff being around you don‘t get distracted as much.
Here in Europe HM and Zara had their "home" line for way longer than 2020/21. So it's deff not something new, plus you can find really good quality items for an affordable price. - Linen bedding that doesn't cost a kidney. Had mine for more than 6y and it still looks great
Same with primark, I’ve got a primark desk organiser from probably 2017ish
I’m doing my bit by not shopping in the extreme amounts I used to. Buying many more clothes than I needed made me forget what I have. Now I just want to overspend on Books.
What I’m getting is that French Royalty was the precursor to Reality TV except it was LIVE? That’s mind blowing yet not surprising. We’re a voyeuristic bunch.
Thank you, Alice. I've noticed this, too. Lots of people are VERY quick to change their entire living space in a short amount of time. They don't grow attached to their things, they just grow tired of them.
I'd like if you could collaborate with creators from the global south. The reason why I say this is bc I've seen lot's of people struggling with their homes, for not having the basic, not only to express themselves, but to function in homework and homeschool. So I feel like your perspective would be more complete understand our reality and presenting it as also explored by this phenomenon. Awesome video 👏
I think fast homeware has been overlooked for ages. I remember coming across Zoella in like 2013 and being baffled by decorating your house by season, it just felt like so much stuff. And the old items never reappeared but there was a new haul every season
Thank you for this insightful video Alice, from a subscriber from India. Slightly different from what you've talked about here - In my country, I see the massive rise of "influencers", who I feel are advocating for a culture of consumption, and the effects of that is very evident in peoples' growing obsession and expenses on skincare, makeup, clothes etc, at a scale not seen a few years back. would love to see a video doing a breakdown of influencer culture and the cult of skincare + makeup, if possible. thank you, and really appreciate your accessible and thought-provoking content always 😊
Sadly ditto for Bangladesh too!
This is so true, I'm an indian teen and been on the internet since 2015 , I literally watched all these influencers take over social media. It's impossible to avoid them
Not to mention, all the skincare hype increased so much over the pandemic, honestly feels like everyone became an expert in these 2 years
This trend you mentioned along with the fast home decor trend is something I really wish wouldn't take over India. We shouldn't promote/emulate these negative trends from the West.
Afterall our culture believes in being content with what we have. Let's learn the positives like punctuality, civic sense, discipline instead from the West and spread the good from our culture.
In Europe makeup content and consumption has been on a decline since its peak around 2016-2018. However skincare is definetely booming, especially during lockdown it was the it topic.
This concept is super interesting because I have always viewed the home as a place to fill with things that make you happy, like yes there are some outdated things that occasionally need replaced (when we first moved in to our current house it had a blue toilet and bathtub circa 1980) but there is a lot of stuff in my house that are things like antique books that I've inherited and art my friends and family made or I thought was cool, most of my kitchen décor is the shelf of tea mugs that are fun. I appreciate the desire to fit into trends and project a certain lifestyle, but I've always felt lived in feeling places make me more comfortable and at ease.
i can't put into words how amazing you are as a creator! as a sociology major, i think the way you explain these authors word's and concepts in a way that is so intelligible is admirable. also, your book recommendations are amazing and SO spot on. i did not know about The Lonely Crowd, but it is already on my to read list thanks to you hahahah
I hate that these Les strips ar ebasiclaly meant to be one use only, bc the sticky but will just get ruined. I have a strip that I've carefully unstuck and put up in my new place, but if I used them as intended I would have bought like 3 already in the last couple years
Watching this made me wonder how much does aesthetics play a role on our expenses in this case to what great lengths people go to purchase these commodities in name of essentials just to be aesthetically pleased....i won't lie i was one of them 😬😬😅😅
So glad I’m not alone in my concern about this trend! Honestly furniture and home items in general have been getting cheaper and cheaper and aren’t built to last anymore… the pandemic and some of these “flipping” trends that destroy old pieces only made it worse. Hardwood furniture has downsides but it really can last a century or more if it’s not so trendy or destroyed so it isn’t feasible to refurbish. Even softwood lasts a while and when it gets old can be more easily up cycled, and metal while not suitable for everything also has fantastic durability when it is well made and glass is one of the few truly recyclable materials out there.
Honestly one of the things I miss about where I used to live was that there were so many different used furniture outlets- from local chains to ones run by habitat for humanity. I have yet to see that outside of northern New England and it really makes me sad. I feel like I have to buy new and tbh that’s also way more stressful and not as fun.
Acceleration is based on a paradigm of endless resources. We're way past that, as we're now seeing the extent of the damage our consumption and obsession for growth causes. I think the degrowth movement, with all its limits, is aiming at the right point: we do need to consume less, and to produce less and more consciously. This is true in fashion, in our homeware, in the way we feed and the way we socialize.
Yes, the production is in hands of the owners and that will need to change eventually if we're ever to have meaningful change. And yes, there are a lot of things that need our attention and our involvement. Fortunately, degrowth on a personal level costs next to nothing and can be done in small steps.
Interesting topic and essay :) Thanks for putting it out.
I have bought quite a few home goods over the last few years and most I'm sure fall under the fast home good category, but I am not changing them out all the time. I have 4 main rooms and spaces that I am working on, they each have a theme: goth&galaxy bedroom, pastel paradise for my art/craft/console gameroom, vaporwave&cyberpunk for my gaming corner of the computer room (which was a dining room for the last ppl who lived here before us) and psychedelic hippie/cottage core/fairy garden living room. Those themes sound crazy but I make it work lol, however those themes don't change ever, when I'm bored of one theme I move to a new spot in my house and kinda make that my new home base for a week or two. I only ever decorate for Halloween and Christmas, each of those 4 spots has one storage tub for each holiday except for the living room has two Christmas boxes because thats where the tree goes. That's it, I approached it as I had a vision for each spot and only bought things that I couldn't live without that matched the themes. I have had them like this for almost 5 years, my sister who still lives at home and has the run of the basement (bedroom, living space, bathroom, kitchenette/laundry) has done the same thing, she says the goal is to make it look instagramable when it's in order, despite not having an Instagram and it never being in order because of work, school and (this one goes for both of us) Adhd lol.
As far as fast fashion goes I do buy some (I assume Killstar probably counts) but I am not to entirely sure where buying things like sweaters and hoodies from artists falls. But again I'm building gothic/punk, pastel, earthy hippie, cyberpunk sections of my wardrobe but I'm not chucking them out after a season, right now I'm wearing a sweater I got from killstar like 8 years ago. I choose pieces I love and don't want to ever get rid of them, I was shocked about the amount of textiles that ppl on average throw away. I hardly ever get rid of clothes but then again I'm only buying a handful of pieces a year, all my clothes fit in the equivalent of 1 large closet. (Half in the bedroom, half in the craft/art room with a bin on a shelf for the other two spots with things like cardigans, fuzzy socks, and arm warmers).
I am disabled and just about never leave my property, we only have one car my husband uses to go to work anyway. We probably won't ever be moving again, our daughter is about to enter high school (her room in Nightmare before Christmas, fnaf, and my little pony themed lol) So I figured I would just get the rooms done and that would be it for having to spend money on decor and I can start on turning the barn into a pottery studio and get a garden going.
See and this is why it’s not a problem that can be solved merely by individual choices. If you had more and easier access to items that would last a while but still had themes (think like old fashion houses that each had a niche) also good number of thrift options (I know a place that has over three furniture and home specific thrift shops within 30 minutes of each other and boy did that make finding “the right thing” easier) or sweaters that would last three decades instead of just one, you’d probably go for it. And realistically most of those items wouldn’t be that much more expensive (except probably the sweater if it was new).
The amount of time and energy (or money in the case of ethical brands,) it takes these days to shop sustainably is a big part of the problem.
Ah, so that would explain why I have been given so much nearly new homeware of late... I am one of those people who has a strong aversion to buying anything new, and, aside from charity stores, online listings, and car boot sales, most of my stuff is either repaired, repurposed, or given to me, as various friends know what I am like, and frequently offer me things they're throwing out. I guess I could be a pretty good indicator of which sectors of consumerism are currently in overdrive, according to what I've managed to clutter my flat up with this month 🙂
Consumerism will ruin us, as if it's not already done that.
Consumerism is everywhere but for some reason people seem to think the problem is only within the fashion industry. IT'S EVERYWHERE.
I remember being so frustrated when people wanted to replace hugeeeee shein hauls with equally hugeeee thrift hauls. Yeah, it's second hand, it's cheaper but do you reallly need all those 40 trifted clothes? Every month?
The main problem is over-consumption.
I have the same problem with the booktube community and those giants hauls every month. Are we promoting reading or just buying books that hopefully one day we'll read.
I’m from Sweden where IKEA started and still has its headquarters, also my partner works there. The idea behind IKEA is not fast fashion furniture but that working class people could afford good and durable furniture. It’s still true today. Ok, the more well off people might use it like they use Shein or H&M fashion, for a quick fix to throw away after a month, but that’s not what Ikea intended.
Really good points! And new look on things. I buy almost exclusively second hand and vintage. I don't want my space to look like every one else's, I want have personality in my home
This video is so so good and so timely for me. I just had a big move, and as I’ve been organizing this space, I started thinking about places like The Container Store and what an insane waste it is. You buy all of these plastic boxes or special hangers to retrofit organization for your home (that will probably only work for that home), and then you throw it away after a few years. It reminded me so much of fast fashion. Thank you for making this 💕
Great to see Deleuze and Guattari here! Just something to have in mind: So, that’s not exactly what accelerationism is (as explained around the minute 9:19). The so-called “Urstaat“ (or war machine) has to come from the outside, not the inside, and it presents itself in the form of art or science (as Deleuze wished for). So, accelerating the capitalist process doesn’t actually mean to buy more stuff or to motivate pro-capitalist politics. It is rather to deterritorialize this monetized “flows” through art and science that cannot be actually axiomatized/ monetized by capitalism. D&G explain it near the end of anti oedipus and expanded it more in Mille Plateaux
Congrats on your book! As a fellow TH-camr, this made me think about how this issue is so rooted in TH-camr "trends" of creating visual-materialist "content" that's just perpetuating the consciousness/culture of capitalism (needing external things to feel internal substance/contentedness)... but usually content creator's spin on the concept is that they are "inspiring" people to "create the life they want" (or the like) - but it's just a mask for really superficial, materialist, and toxic ways of relating to our sense of connection/control/expression in our lives...
Naturally, all those with beatles posters on their walls and scented candles on their desks have reached a higher plane of existence, such that the need for redecoration is minimal.
More seriously though, great video. I have found it unusual how fast fashion brands have expanded into the homeware space as of late. It seems as if they have intruded upon an area where there should be beauty and longevity in the possessions we own to create our own narratives. The stories that will be created by them throughout my life are more precious than the throwaway culture these companies want to promote.
Exactly - I love my home to be personal and when things in it remind me of places, people and experiences
Oh I do like the idea of a newsletter! But on the subject of home decor trends, the thought of them stresses me out immensely. I much prefer to have my mix of sentimental and useful objects and rearrange them to accommodate my current interests - and sometimes, something has to go. The William Morris quote „Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful“ has worked quite well for me as a guideline. Also, I have to confess, minimalist rooms make me feel uncomfortable and I am guilty of having purposefully left cookie crumbs in minimalist spaces to stain their steril perfection.
I don't think minimalism has to necessarily be sterile BUT sterile spaces are certainly uncomfortable because I think they're inherently unnatural, not human? They lack signs of life which I find far more appealing than Pins on Pinterest
Finally you approached this topic, I've been struggling to decorate my room with so many options, so far I'm only keeping necessary furniture with no accessories. Thanks for your review Alice.
I saw the title of this video and thought FINALLY. As someone whose loved home decor and making my space comfy and "aesthetic" since I was like 10, I'm flabbergasted by this trend. I've spent my life thus far learning how to repurpose everything I have to create entirely new aesthetics, upcycle things to make them anew, or if I really wanted new things I would donate to thrift stores and buy almost everything "new" to me secondhand. I hope we continue to enjoy beautifying our spaces because they truly deserve it, but I hope we do so more sustainably.
I do hope that our fast paced society slows down in the sense of productivity, consumerism, life gernerally, really. Because the whole thing is not healthy for our minds.
Something that came to my mind during your video is the question about "freedom" as in: how much does our way to live impact our impression of freedom and vice versa. "The freedom to change super fast, regardless of our impact on the envirement or the "bigger picture" as in climate change or how a lifestyle can be damaging to the planet". (Yes, I am aware, that big corporations play the main factor in this, but just go along with that little "mind experient")
And while we agree as a colletcive (mostly anyways) that fast fashion is bad, we turn to other means to satisfy the little happiness we get out of consumerism, because really: how is our current social structer (as in capitalism) any benificial to us as humans? It is no secret, that purchase of products make us momantarily happy, but that fulfillness does not last long, so we buy again and again and again and feed into the destructive industry that is slowly but surely desroying our planet.
It's sad, in a way, but i also don't see us changing from that mindset of purchase = happiness = consumerism = fucked up planet
H&M has had a home range for years now, at least in the UK:)
Congratulations on the announcement of your new book! So excited 👏🏽
I think this is a trend coming back into circulation. I live in the Nordics and most of the women I've met who are over 80 yo regularly change curtains, table cloths, pillows, etc. for different occasion. A few of my neighbours have whole attic full of decor items for every season. A lot of it is handmade by themselves, based on pictures in imported magazines, but the availability to shop for everything you need now has made that easier.
Yes! so excited for this and, while I‘m still in the process of watching, I wonder if you‘ll touch on these (imo) insane ‚organising‘ videos in which people take food that already comes wrapped in plastic, unwrap it, only to then put it in other plastic, so it‘s aesthetic ✨ and satisfying ✨ (also related to ‚that girl‘)
I always wondered about this. Then concluded it was but a first world problem. Glad someone else thinks it's absurd.
Also we have a limiting plastic ban here in Kenya and our neighbours Rwanda have an even stricter one. Perhaps why I think it crazy. While we're trying to reduce plastics others are increasing them.
@@lisamedla You are absolutely right and it is so interesting hearing about those bans - I had no idea and am no curious to read up! I live in Switzerland and.. am trying to stop myself from ranting because we will pat ourselves on the back for the smallest things and it makes me want to scream.
Definitely a first world problem, but considering the fact that we‘re the ones producing a disproportionate amount of waste and emissions, maybe - just maybe - first world‘s the problem :‘)
Zara home was actually created over 10 years ago in Spain
I've always thought fast homeware was insane. I can't remember the past time I bought homeward goods. I'm glad people are starting to talk about the waste and effects.
This has been a thing in Scotland for a long time. I've always thought it was because it's so cold outside and very dark for a lot of winter. People (mostly women) like to play with their interiors. We had The More Store and What Everyone Wants and PoundStretcher shops full of cheap homewear tat in the 90s. It's just online now.
For me, I have 4 scented candles. 1 for each season. Everytime it changes I change the candle and light it. It's smell let's me experience that season in my room while keeping it the same
Zara Home and H&M Home have been around for much longer than 2021/2022. And Primark and Urban Outfitters have also been selling homeware for years prior.
My favourite type of celebrities are those who were in the lap of luxury but say they live ‘normal lives’. Cute, very cute. (I’m saying this while being aware that there are exceptions)
I dunno what's worse, the ones who just blatantly lie or the ones who really believe this.
"fast homeware" is not new and many low income families used to rely on fast homeware because of its cheapness. this is why it was also difficult for these families to accommodate to sustainable homeware.
Thank you!
there are only a few channels on TH-cam I really look forward to, and go watch as soon as I can, whenever a new video is up, and yours is on that list (for that validation bit at the end). thanks for the always great content.
Shout out to Alice for incorporating the fundamental teachings of Marx into a trend reaction video. she's a rad gal intellectual
Well once again I've learned something. I didn't know this was a THING. I remember being shocked when after about a week of lockdown I started hearing that people were binge shopping online,for a start where were they getting the money to do that (furlough). I've never been into acquiring stuff just for the sake of it but I have got a nice,well appointed home but once you've got what you need you can STOP. Can't you? In the 1970s I remember consumerism was a big thing. I think it was carried over from the 1960s when to consumerism for EVERYONE really started. I mean not just for moneyed people. Things like Hire Purchase meant people like my neighbours could obtain posh high end furniture,white goods for the kitchen,a car,and even go on a package holiday to Spain. Now maybe once this ball was set in motion it had to be kept rolling,so in the latter 1970s and into the 80s new tech was constantly coming out and obsoleting the tech you'd not long ago bought. I remember news of an amazing new device by which you could record tv shows so you need never miss your favourites. It was called a "video recorder" and (Sir) Paul MacCartney had one they cost that much. About three years later my sister and her husband had one as did everyone and then everyone found out that life's just too short to watch all those tv shows you recorded anyway. And now of course no one buys CDs,or DVDs,or vinyl records or actual THINGS because we can stream it all for "free".
Love your perspectives. These are dark days for consumer discretionary spending so, not the best timing for accelerationism.
You know when you have the feeling of something happening but you don't know what to call it? This video definitely enlightening me into even being aware of "Fast Homeware". From Homesense to homegoods, to CB2 and Wayfair, Ive been fooled by fast homeware and received terrible furnitures :(
Hi, I don't know if you are talking about ZARA HOME when you mention Zara in the minute 2:55, you stated that it created its home line in 2021, but I am afraid that is not correct. Zara Home exists since 2003, maybe just for the domestic market, but it's been more than 15 years (almost 20) since ZARA HOME first opened its doors.
Other than that, very interesting video, it truly reflects a new problem that has worsened since COVID's outbreak. I do have hoarding tendencies (special with homeware stuff) and this kind of videos help me reflect on my current behavior.
Honestly I love Ikea. People just have to understand that things are not disposable and you don't just buy things you don't need and don't love.
Excited for the book 📚
Not only owning a specific things brings validation but also being able to talk about them. I often find myself unable to join conversations which revolve around specific homeware or clothes brand because I don’t know the assortment as well as others.
The last time I got together with my family (who are hyper consumerists and I find very very difficult to relate to. I try not to patronize and criticize their shopping choices, because I know that will not persuade them to change their mind, so I mostly just keep my mouth shut, which I know does not help either). Anyways, my sister was showing me all the things she bought this year from Amazon & the Dollar Store & Walmart, and she was bragging about how she was able to give her whole house a makeover for cheap. I was trying to just change the subject, but because she basically hasn't left her house at all during the pandemic, it's the only thing she has to talk about - stuff she bought. I find it so sad.
I think it’s also important to speak about how that translates to brick and mortar stores. When looking at france I can point to the place where our Auchan is and in the past two years three new shops have entered the show. Action, Gifi and whatever the other is named. They also indulge in fast homeware and extend the market to older generations as well. It’s not like fast fashion, an industry mainly based online, it has physical stores that anyone in our society can access easily. Our Action is consistently crowded
you have one of the most pleasant voices i have ever heard
I’m a new subscriber, and I just pressed play, but I HAD to comment immediately bc I just got home from Target and had this thought while I was there!!
Zara, H&M and Primark have had homeware for like a good decade now, just thought to mention that.
Zara home since 2003 & H&M 2009.
I like how your room background also changed half way through the video and we saw you in a new hairstyle and make-up. It really painted a picture of how we can share our identites through the spaces that we decorate. Almost like another persona came through.
Happy you noticed it ✨
I feel that fast homeware is arguably worse because the inevitable disposal of the homeware goes into the trash instead of thrift stores, and the materials and chemicals being disposed are more harmful to the environment than textiles
I don’t think so, most thrift shops and charity shops have such items (at least where I love)
Salut Alice et merci pour cette super vidéo ! c'est un excellent sujet que tu aborde là, je n'avais pas poussé la réflexion aussi loin... ici en France depuis quelques années on est envahi de magasins Action je ne sais pas si tu connais. Chaque fois, je vois les gens sortir de là, les paniers remplis de bêtises de déco cheap, d'objets en plastique, de gadgets en tout genre et je ne peux pas m'empêcher de penser que c'est triste.
The questions of accelerationism and what should we do reminded me of something that happened a few years ago in Greece, where I live: Some farmers had become frustrated with their financial difficulties, with a particularly excessive percentage of profits going into the hands of middlepeople in their field, while consumers couldn't afford to buy groceries. So they tried to organize events selling directly to people. Turns out the local communist party did not like this at all and condemned this "potato movement" arguing that it misdirects the public and producers away from dealing with monopolies etc. Maybe you should not eat if that makes it more difficult to the intelligencia to expose capitalism. Later they condemned a workers' initiative to take control of a factory that belonged to their bankrupt employer with similar arguments: they try to beautify capitalism. The gall of it was a bit glaring since they themselves ran businesses in an unadulterated validation of the capitalist model, applying all available anti-worker regulations to the letter "in order to support the party", until they went bankrupt. This is kind of relative to my view of unnuanced criticism towards fast fashion, and in my circles I've seen that people of similar economic/social background tend to feel similarly. It already seems incredibly disingenuous to see "slightly premium" companies like Levis make anti-fast-fashion campaigns when there's nothing - other than price, obviously a very poor indicator - to suggest that their products are more ethically produced than those of the usual suspects. But the main thing for me is this: what am I supposed to wear in a country with a decidedly European cost of living, but where half the people make less than 600 euros and rent or electricity costs well beyond that? To me, when I buy eg a denim jacket from Zara, it's not intended to be worn as "fast fashion". I intend to keep in a good condition and wear it as long as l possibly can. Sure, I know the arguments against it. Do people presenting them realize it is absolutely impossible for me to dress in 70-dollar t-shirts? Similarly, to a poor person, minimalism is all about having the income needed to build a great house with well-designed, unseen storage spaces, as well as being able to buy top-quality appliances etc doing everything you need so you're not cluttered by multiple, poor quality stuff that you have to replace again and again. To me minimalism boils down to having the economic privilege to enjoy a clean, uncluttered lifestyle and brag about it to others. But yeah, it's more "ethical" on the face of it, if we are allowed to criticize more those who are exploited as participants to global exploitation than those who benefit from it all.
Keep up with the great content.
I agree. When I buy fast fashion clothes I buy it with the intention of wearing it for at least the next 5 years if not longer. Not everyone can afford to throw clothes out all the time.
Genuinely curious. What about squarespace and youtube. What’s the co2 footprint on databases? How much energy is the internet taking?
I love all your content. Your thoughts are very aligned with my own observations and perceptions. Your delivery is informative and entertaining. As a side note, you are strikingly beautiful.
I had no idea these companies were also making homeware- that terrifies me
Just a question, did Karl Marx predicted the acceleration FOR 1948, or IN 1948? He died in 1883
this has actually been on my mind a bit. i watch more daily vlogs related to topics like anime, kpop, manga etc but i see a lot of the same trends come to popularity in the same manner. often it leads to me seeing creators having similar things and also an abundance of things. while it's not a bad thing and to each their own, it's a bit...strange? like it's cool to see similarities in what people like but i wonder how much of it comes from a more mindful mindset. it's fine to want things, but are we wanting something for ourselves, or to fit in with a community or a certain identity etc? i especially see it in room makeovers and desk makeovers within this area, as you eventually begin to see some of the same things that are popular appear in multiple creators' videos. it's all very interesting to think about. such a lovely and interesting video. thank you alice
Great video! I highly recommend anyone who found the bit about the spectacle to read not only that book but a biography of it's author, "Guy Debord," by Anselm Jappe. Although Jappe's thinking has recently taken a turn for the worse, this book is incredible.
"The spectacle is thus not a pure and simple adjunct to the world, as propaganda broadcast via the communications media might be said to be. Rather, it is the entirety of social activity that is appropriated by the spectacle for its own ends. From city planning to political parties of every tendency, from art to science, from everyday life to human passions and desires, everywhere we find reality replaced by images. In the process, images end up becoming real, and reality ends up transformed into images."
"The problem lies not, however, in the 'image' or 'representation' as such, as so many twentieth-century philosophies argue, but rather in the society that needs such images. It is true that the spectacle makes particular use of sight... but the problem resides in the independence achieved by representations that, having escaped the control of human beings, proceed to address them in a monologue that eliminates all possible dialogue from human life. Such representations, though born of social practice, behave as independent beings."
amazing video , loved the lighting coming to the end. it looked cinematic.
I think zara home has been around way longer! Thinking almost ten years? Definitely see them as the first fast fashion brand to have a homeware branch. Love ur videos btw 💕
Yep! Zara home was launched in 2003, which is crazy! But definitely has a lot more momentum now more than ever
great one ! wish you would expand more on guy debord et la société du spectacle, possibly on an other vid ? congrats on the book too
yes! it's already planned 👀
I'd love a full video on accelerationism, it's been part of my reflection for years now and I still don't know what to think about it really...
Was re-reading Kapital recently so that quote was fresh in my mind.
Merci Alice! This video (actually all your videos) are very insightful... You sound like a fellow Sociology major! LOL! I wonder if you (unless you already have you can link it) provide us a list of books you have read ... I've yet to read Marx but I must!
I did not expect references to those books, I will look into those. Thank you so much.
Primark has has homeware for years
How can I support your work and join your community on discord and your book club if I can't access Patreon? It doesn't work in Egypt 😔
i really enjoy your videos cause you bring an interesting perspective on things i never would have thought about in the first place
I had a bit of hard time understanding what is the video about or what point are you making. It seemed more like a stream of thoughts. But definitely interesting points worth thinking about
I think the ideology of self-reinvention that you mentioned in the last part of your video can also be taken into account to classify the problem of fast homeware as one that is deeply rooted in neo-liberalism. I was thinking about Richard Sennett's 'The Flexible Man'; Sennett argues that the flexibilization of work that has been going on since the 1970s (think specialized demand-based production instead of fordist assembly line production) has had its impacts on the way we (the workers, that is) perceive ourselves as individuals: We have to be ready to adapt at short notice, the job once deemed safe for life is now not even safe for a few years, you might be forced to move to a new place or specialize in a new field altogether, etc. This movement has been internalized as the ideology of self-reinvention; we have been sold this ideology as solely a good thing (not that there are no advantages, but...) The more flexible the economy becomes the more flexible the people have to become.
If we assume that commodity-shaped property plays a role in the formation of our identities (we perceive ourselves as lacking humans that can 'buy' the wholenesss of their identity in form of commodities) then fast fashion and fast homeware are the adequate kinds of commodities for people whose identity changes (and is forced to change) ever so quickly and many times throughout a lifetime.
i really like the 'if it's not done already '🤨
Amazing and illuminating content! Thank you Alice! Excited to read your book! In a free market, consumer is king; in a capitalist market, the too big to fail capitalists are king. Business school is all about stopping the free market from working, i.e., to stop commodity hell--> how competition should eliminate profit by lowering prices. Put this way, the too big to fail capitalists form a type of fascia organizing a hierarchy of rights with the right to profit tops. This means that capitalism is a species of fascism. You only get your rights when you have $$$$. If we would just let the so-called too big to fail fail, perhaps we could be free. Perhaps the environment would recover. Hope
I’m finding this increasingly true in the book world also , overconsumption of books kind of takes the same form as this in the way that it’s used to express an identity and also maybe an easier one to justify to yourself too since we’re always taught that reading is inherently good even when we are seeing huuuuuge book hauls on TH-cam and online constantly
Yes! I feel like this goes under the radar, in general.
Except reading is good, actually. If more people are getting into reading more, good, I don't care if it's a "trend".
@@victoriangm7774 i do feel like the trend is more to own books than to read, the trend is 'overconsumption' rather than reading.
@@victoriangm7774 exactly as the other person said buying books is more the problem, and reading also doesn’t make you an inherently better person it’s just another form of media consumption at the end of the day
Thats what turned me off watching eventually. They would haul books and i would be excited to see what they thought but it would never be read and was buried under more and more books that they would never touch again
If you tried ‘Fast Homeware’ in India, you’d be broke in a year because we have so many festivals and observances lol
Home is where the fastfashion is 🌸
In my country H&M home has existed for many years already
Sorry about the completely off topic comment, but how do you style your bangs, they are so beautiful. :))))
Not on the subject, but I really like how you zoom yourself a little sometimes
amazing video as always 🦋💗
Great video as always!! I feel more conscious after listening to you
Great video and info, Alice and Jude! 👍
reading "Less is More" currently, such an interesting read about degrowth.
everytime I open a video of yours I’m like LETS GOOOO GIRL! slay
Congratulations on the book!
ayo was having a convo about this too !!
cheap homeware products suck !!
Zara Homw has existed in Spain for years now..., thank you for this video.
In Germany as well, I have door knobs from there that are almost 10 years old