is fast-fashion finally dying?

I have a love/hate relationship with the fast-fashion trend, which has been growing lately with no end in sight. On the one hand, cheap disposable clothes allow the average consumer to keep up with fleeting styles, while on the other hand, upcoming fashion designers (like me) feel like we have no chance trying to compete with the prices. It costs me more to just buy the fabric than a finished item at retail price!!! But now, it looks like there’s another problem with fast-fashion: it is hurting the environment as well.
The recent NY Times article “Can Polyester Save the World?” expands on clothing’s effects on the environment and may be documenting a new trend: eco-consciousness for clothing.

To cut back the use of carbons and make fashion truly sustainable, shoppers will have “to own less, to have less stuff,” Dr. Allwood said. “And that is a very hard sell.”
And so Marks & Spencer is thinking about whether its customers will be willing to change their buying habits, to pay more for less-fashionable but “sustainable” garments. After all, consumers have shown a willingness to pay more for clothes not made in sweatshops, and some are unwilling to buy diamonds because of forced labor in African mines.

I agree that it will be very difficult to change consumer buying habits, especially when it comes to clothing, but perhaps this is the beginning of a new wave in fashion. As more reports come out detailing how clothing manufacture & maintenance degrade the environment, and as more retailers take action, more and more customers will begin(hopefully) to educate themselves and act on the information.