What would happen if the world stopped shopping?

It’s no secret that the Western world has an overconsumption problem that’s destroying the planet. And fast fashion is one of the worst offenders, with more than 100 billion items of clothing sold each year. Many of these garments are made in Bangladeshi factories, where workers earn less than $150 a month. But more than a third of the country's manufacturing jobs are in the apparel industry, which means that curbing our reliance on fast fashion would leave many people out of work.   In a new book, author J.B. MacKinnon asked a manufacturing CEO in Bangladesh what would happen if we bought fewer clothes. “You know, it wouldn’t be so bad,” he said. He told MacKinnon that a price increase of just two cents a garment would allow them to pay workers more or to produce better clothing. It’s pocket change for Western consumers, but could start to make a real difference in people’s lives and would be better for the environment. Read the excerpt from MacKinnon’s book, The Day the World Stops Shopping, here. We're off on Monday for Memorial Day, but we'll see you back here Tuesday.  — Co.Design Editors   What would happen if the world stopped shopping? Fast fashion is destructive and exploitative—and yet millions of people rely on it for work. In a new book, J.B. MacKinnon explores these complexities.   READ MORE   These locations may look eerily familiar, but none actually exist This AI project re-creates the streets of Italy based on millions of photos and a few choice words.   READ MORE   See the stark beauty of the Soviet Union’s abandoned company towns A new photography book captures former “monotowns” in Russia—cities that were built around one industry in the snowy tundra.   READ MORE   Gap-branded sheets and pillows are coming soon to Walmart Gap wants to tap Walmart’s 220 million weekly customers.   READ MORE

A gorgeous look at 4,000 years of architectural drawings   Phaidon’s tome encapsulates human history through the drawings of its architects, whether they scratched their designs in clay or sent them via WhatsApp.   READ MORE

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