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The internet is mourning Forever 21

RIP to one fast fashion behemoth in favor of another

Christianna Silva

on March 18, 2025

Forever 21 is considering multiple options to turn around its business, which could include a second bankruptcy filing, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Forever 21 not so Forever ): Credit: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Forever 21? More like Never 21, am I right, fellas?

According to CNBC, the fast-fashion company filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in six years and plans to close all its U.S. stores. People online are devastated. It's the end of an era, and Forever 21 — and the internet — are blaming other fast-fashion retailers like Shein and Temu.

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In a court filing reported by CNBC, the company said Shein and Temu "materially and negatively impacted" Forever 21.

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"Certain non-U.S. online retailers that compete with the Debtors, such as Temu and Shein, have taken advantage of this exemption and, therefore, have been able to pass significant savings onto consumers," Stephen Coulombe, the operating company’s co-chief restructuring officer, wrote, according to CNBC. "Consequently, retailers that must pay duties and tariffs to purchase product for their stores and warehouses in the United States, such as the Company, have been undercut."

Of course, despite Forever 21 blaming Shein and Temu, it is also fast fashion. All of these companies exploit labor, have disastrous effects on the climate, and encourage overconsumption. According to Business Insider, the average person bought 60 percent more clothing in 2014 than they did in 2000, but they kept the pieces half as long.

Greenpop reported that about 80 billion pieces of clothing are bought every year, a 400 percent increase from two decades ago. However, according to Human Rights Pulse, the vast majority of those pieces, around 85 percent, end up in landfills, leading to mass human rights violations.

Christianna Silva

Senior Culture Reporter

Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.

Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.