MILAN — When the TikTok account @trendswithtate posted a video commenting on a Massimo Dutti shearling coat that was retailing at $2,000 on the brand’s website, comments and likes soared, reaching almost 50,000 interactions.

“I honestly would have never expected my video to blow up,” Tate Morrison, the creator behind the account, told WWD. Commenters on the video were either pointing out that they would never buy a coat that costs so much from a fast-fashion brand, or praising Massimo Dutti for its bold move.

The gap between ultra fast fashion and fast fashion has become more evident than ever, and as brands like Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti and &Other Stories try to elevate their image, they’re elevating prices as well.

The term “ultra fast fashion” was first used during the pandemic, and describes brands such as Chinese online retailer Shein, which produces enormous amounts of clothing in a short period span. Each day, Shein introduces almost 6,000 designs to the website, and the business can take as little as three days for a clothing item to be planned, produced and marketed, according to a McKinsey & Co. report.

But while ultra-fast-fashion retailers are selling items that cost as little as $10, some more “traditional” fast-fashion brands are attempting to move upmarket,…