Netherlands The annual event just ended last month King's DayThe King's Day celebrations sparked a wave of promotions in the local apparel retail market featuring limited-edition orange collections. Brands including Zara, H&M, and Primark were among those participating. Fast Fashion Brands and other businesses have launched orange-themed festive apparel in advance to boost sales during the holiday season. However, this type of holiday marketing has also raised concerns about overconsumption.
King's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, celebrated annually on April 27th, to commemorate the birthday of the current King Willem-Alexander. On this day, celebrations, music parties, and open-air markets are held throughout the country. Because orange is the symbolic color of the Dutch royal family, people often wear orange clothing and accessories, turning the city into a sea of orange.
Regarding this kind of festive consumption phenomenon, some experts have pointed out that when clothing is designed as a product for short-term use, it may increase society's acceptance of "disposable clothing" and drive the fashion industry toward so-called "ultrafast fashion." They also warn that if product lines are created only for a single holiday, it will increase the environmental burden in the long run.
Experts further point out that the fast fashion industry has evolved from updating every season to releasing new products every few weeks, with some online platforms even launching a large number of new products every day. Driven by the "attention economy," brands need to constantly create new topics and trends to maintain consumer attention, resulting in a rapidly rotating trend.
Other psychologists have stated that younger people are more easily influenced by trends because following trends can bring a sense of identity and belonging, and the constant pursuit of new trends can also become a potential source of stress.
Some studies have shown that heightened emotions during major celebrations such as King's Day can further boost purchasing intentions and strengthen short-term consumer behavior.
According to annual statistics from the international think tank Global Footprint Network, the rate at which human resources are being consumed continues to rise and has now exceeded the Earth's natural regeneration capacity.
Taking the increasingly earlier "Earth Overshoot Day" as an example, in the 1970s, Earth Overshoot Day could still fall in December of the year; however, in the 21st century, it has moved significantly earlier, to early August. This means that humanity has exhausted the Earth's annual resource deficit in just seven months, and is using the remaining five months to pre-emptively consume resources meant for the next generation. Therefore, experts are calling for a serious attention to the systemic problems caused by overconsumption and for leaving a healthier environment for future generations.
