The war in the Middle East is affecting not only geopolitics and security, but also one of the fastest-growing segments of the fashion industry. Cancelled flights, restricted transport routes, and rising oil prices are beginning to transform the functioning of fast fashion, which relies on speed, low costs, and the constant movement of goods.
Beyond its devastating humanitarian impacts, the conflict between Iran and Israel has another, less visible dimension. It is beginning to alter the course of industries that, until recently, seemed almost untouchable. One of these is fashion—specifically its fastest-moving and highest-volume segment, fast fashion, which is fundamentally dependent on a constant flow of goods, low-cost logistics, and precisely timed deliveries.
Moreover, cities that were long perceived as relatively sheltered hubs of global trade are now facing problems. Dubai, whose airport is among the largest and most important in the region, is now becoming a symbol of how quickly a seemingly distant conflict can ripple through the entire supply chain. Once air traffic stops, it’s not just tourism or business travel that begins to collapse. The logistics of goods—which are supposed to arrive in European stores on a precise schedule—also grind to a halt.
Cancelled flights slow down fast fashion deliveries
The most noticeable impact so far is on air freight. Cancelled flights over the Middle East not only disrupt the movement of people but also the shipments of fast fashion flowing from manufacturing countries in South Asia onward to Europe. As a result, goods remain in manufacturing hubs or at airports, and the entire model—built on speed and turnover—suddenly collides with a reality it hadn’t fully anticipated.
This is where the vulnerability of a system that has long relied on maximum efficiency and minimal reserves becomes apparent. As soon as one key route is disrupted, the entire mechanism begins to lose momentum. And in the case of fast fashion, this is no minor detail. Speed of delivery is one of the fundamental pillars of the entire business model. According to data cited by Reuters, Inditex, the owner of brands such as Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, and Oysho, had an extensive network of suppliers in South Asia in 2023. Specifically, 150 in Bangladesh, 122 in India, and 69 in Pakistan. So as soon as movement between this manufacturing hub and Europe becomes complicated, the impact is not marginal but structural.
Alternative routes exist, but they aren’t cheap
Manufacturers are already trying to find alternative solutions, but even those aren’t without complications. One manager at a Bangladeshi manufacturing company explained in an interview with Reuters that, following the restrictions on operations in Dubai, the firm is looking for other ways to get goods to Europe. The problem is that everything is now more expensive—not just the flights themselves. Alternative logistics routes are also an issue.
Some brands are therefore shifting to sea transport. However, this option does not provide real relief either. On the contrary. The situation is further complicated by Iran’s location near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime routes in the world. Any threat or restriction in this area immediately increases shipping costs and makes the entire process—from dispatch to final delivery—more expensive. What has long allowed fast fashion to operate with almost no visible resistance is predictability. Manufacturing far from the target market paid off only because transportation was relatively cheap, smooth, and fast. As soon as these conditions are disrupted, the entire model begins to become noticeably more expensive.
Rising oil prices will impact the entire sector
The second major problem is oil. The Strait of Hormuz is not only crucial for the transport of goods but also for global oil supplies. One-fifth of the global supply passes through this route, which is precisely why tensions in the region have quickly translated into prices. According to the daily Sole 24 Ore, oil reached its annual high this year, rising 23.38 percent to $119.50 per barrel. This movement, however, does not merely mean higher fuel prices. In the fashion industry, it has much broader consequences. More expensive transportation means more expensive logistics. More expensive energy drives up production costs. And more expensive oil ultimately increases the price of materials that are directly dependent on the petrochemical industry.
Fast fashion is particularly vulnerable to this type of shock. It operates on thin margins, massive volumes, and materials that are cheap precisely because their production relies on the existing model of globalized manufacturing.
The biggest pressure may still be ahead
Brian Baskin, who has also worked in the oil industry in the past, noted in an interview with BoF that the immediate problem today is primarily limited travel to the wealthiest cities in the Middle East and an overall slowdown in consumer spending. But what lies ahead may be even more significant. According to him, the fashion sector’s supply chain itself will be hit the hardest.
It is precisely the supply chain that may face the greatest pressure in the coming months. Shipping costs will rise due to port restrictions and oil prices. On top of that, synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester will become more expensive. These are, after all, the materials on which fast fashion largely relies. Suddenly, it’s not just about delayed packages or more complicated logistics. The very foundations of cheap and fast fashion, as we’ve known it in recent years, are beginning to shake.
The crisis reopens the question of what fashion should look like going forward
Interestingly, it is precisely in this situation that the solutions long discussed in the fashion industry—but which often remained mere declarations rather than actual systemic changes—are once again emerging as the most logical. Baskin cites the use of natural fibers, production closer to the end customer, and greater integration of renewable energy sources into production as the most sensible path forward.
In other words, the conflict once again reveals how fragile a model built on cheap synthetics, distant production, and logistics that must run without a single hitch really is. Fast fashion has long been perceived as an almost unstoppable mechanism. The current situation, however, shows that even this can very quickly find itself in a state of uncertainty. While the war in the Middle East did not create the weaknesses of fast fashion, it laid them bare very sharply. It showed just how much this sector depends on cheap energy, stable supply chains, and a global system that seems self-evident only until it begins to fall apart.
