Fast Fashion: Understanding Consumer Behavior to Create a More Sustainable & Ethical Clothing Industry

Wednesday, April 10, 6:00PM, Brookens Auditorium

UIS Earth Week Keynote Lecture
Fast fashion poses major social and environmental challenges, including
poor labor conditions, the overuse of resources, and the generation of waste
to create throw-away clothing. Dr. Gupta, the 2023 UIS University Scholar,
will draw on her research to explain why some consumers are drawn to fast
fashion and how the industry encourages overconsumption. Some
consumers approach clothing acquisition from a style orientation, choosing
distinctive clothing tailored to their sense of self. Others display a fashion
orientation, driven by speed, change, artificial newness, obsolescence, and
disposable trends. Her talk will lead us to reflect on our own behaviors and
how we can make more responsible choices. Her research suggests that
fixing the problem of fast fashion will require the collective effort of
different actors, especially government, in creating a fashion system that is
more sustainable for the environment, consumers, and society.
Shipra Gupta is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of
Illinois Springfield. She holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of
Nebraska. Dr. Gupta’s work focuses on 1) understanding the psychological
behavior of consumers in a retail setting, 2) examining issues of
sustainability, specifically in the fashion industry and 3) examining the role of
gender in constructing identity. Her research has been published in top-tier
journals and has also been cited in reports and influential media outlets. For
her work, Dr. Gupta has won numerous awards, grants, and recognitions.
Her recent recognitions include 2023 University Scholar award, which is
considered the University of Illinois System's highest faculty honor,
recognizing outstanding teaching and scholarship. She also received a 2020-
2021 University of Illinois Public Voices Fellowship.
Co-sponsored by the UIS Sustainability Committee & World Affairs Council of
Central Illinois