Can Fast Fashion Help You Outrun Climate Change? Black Public Media Says, ‘Think Again’

You might feel great in that cute Shein outfit, but here’s a question for you: Can fast fashion help you escape the hurricanes or environmental crises that are increasingly fueled by the very same industry’s impact on climate change? According to a press release from Black Public Media (BPM), a Harlem-based nonprofit focused on elevating Black voices through media, the Chinese fast fashion giant Shein, along with other brands like H&M, Zara, Temu, and Forever 21, contributes to overconsumption that’s filling landfills with discarded clothes, while also pumping enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Microplastics from these clothes are making their way into our oceans and even our drinking water.

Photo byPhoto by cottonbro studio

Recognizing this, BPM, a Harlem-based nonprofit focused on elevating Black voices through media, has teamed up with Paramount+ to tackle fast fashion’s impact on climate change. The result? A new social media campaign, BE HEARD: #ShopLikeNana, which encourages people to rethink their buying habits and explore more sustainable ways of dressing — by shopping their grandmother’s closet, their own wardrobe, or local thrift stores.

The Campaign
Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sophia Clark (they/them) from Big Couch Entertainment, the campaign brings attention to the destructive environmental costs of fast fashion, which is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and pollutes the oceans with microplastics. If things continue as they are, the fashion industry could account for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Comedian Katrina Davis (Comedy Central, America’s Got Talent) plays a satirical late-night host in a series of original campaign videos, diving into the ways fast fashion harms the environment and encouraging people to embrace a more sustainable approach to style.

Making Climate Change Personal for Black Communities
BPM’s BE HEARD series is designed to address pressing issues for Black audiences, and this year’s focus couldn’t be more timely. As communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, campaigns like #ShopLikeNana encourage Millennials and Gen Z to engage in the fight against climate change. The goal is to raise awareness about how fast fashion’s environmental impact disproportionately affects communities of color — and to inspire fashion consumers to make more thoughtful, sustainable choices.

Sean A. Watkins, owner of Agency of Joy, a consulting and cultural media firm, is the face of the campaign, which also features posts from influencers who celebrate the joys of intergenerational style. Watkins kicks off the campaign by urging us all to dig into our relatives’ wardrobes and rethink the allure of buying new clothes.

Tying In With Climate Week NYC
The launch of #ShopLikeNana is perfectly timed to align with Climate Week NYC, the largest annual climate event, which takes place September 22-29 in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly. Climate Week offers a powerful platform to highlight the growing threat of fast fashion and the small but meaningful steps we can take to address it, like shopping secondhand or upcycling clothes.

The Future of Sustainable Fashion
Beyond original content, BPM will continue the #ShopLikeNana initiative with influencer contributions and educational resources to help fashion lovers reduce their environmental footprint. The message is simple: fast fashion isn’t just about looking good today — it’s about what kind of world we’re leaving behind tomorrow.