As the festive season encourages consumers to splash out and treat themselves, there's both good and bad news in the fashion industry.
Fast-fashion firsts
Sorry to be the Christmas grinch, but at this time of the year, the issue of sustainability in fashion rears its ugly head more than ever. With the gift-giving and clearance-sale season coming one after the other, this is when fashion brands delight in extra sales, while some consumers feel pangs of shameful decadence and wonder if there aren't more options to help them be more responsible at such times of rampant consumption.