The longer life cycle of fashion

I believe in Joseph Schumpeter’s philosophy of ‘Creative Destruction’ but what does change, trends, fashion and even innovation mean for sustainability? It takes a lot of money to develop a new car for example. Here in China, if it’s worked for the last thirty years, why change it?

For example, the VW Santana has been the staple vehicle of choice for taxis. For as long as I’ve watched Chinese TV, I’ve known what a VW Santana looks like. In Hong Kong, they are iconic red with a white roof. Here in Shanghai, they are either green or yellow. The Santana has been around for thirty years and they are still getting pumped out in Shanghai and JiLin.

Although fashion is important in a metropolis like Shanghai, worldly goods seem to have a much longer life. I saw calculators sold at the ‘Modern Electronics Store’ that looked like they were from the 1970s. But as old and dusty and second hand they were, there certainly is a market for them. Has the extreme wealth gap here in China (poverty line at 85 yuan $10US per annum, no kidding), made it so that consumer goods have a longer viable marketable life?

In the US, it would be hard to find brand new clothes that are three or four years out of fashion. Not here – in the mish mash, you will find GAP style khakis and sweaters from the 1990s. If it’s still functional, someone will want whatever it is at the right price. More importantly, someone will want to sell it. I haven’t found anything equivalent to a flea market or second-hand store yet in China.