In the third week of the fashion course that I am taking, they posed a discussion question. That question is the title of this blog post. I do believe that fashion can be a sign of society’s deep concerns. While it may not be seen in most fashion brands, slowly but surely it is creeping up on the fashion world. These changes are not only aesthetically seen, but involve changes in cycle of the garments life.
In a garments life. Usually when it’s made new materials are used to make it. This not only involves the fabric, but maybe the dyes and chemicals and what not. That is changing however. Aforementioned, some clothing is now made with recycled material from old clothing. This is a way that production is changing. Clothing manufactures now buy less new fabric to produce their items. Also some clothing like jeans that use a lot of water and different chemicals to get the desired washed are now being produced using less water and less chemicals. “Using new technology called ozone, helps extract the loose indigo and recreate the denim look without all the harsh chemicals”, according to Marie Claire.
Moreover, the deep concern of fashion can be also seen where the garments are produced and by whom. While a lot of fashion brands send their production overseas to countries in Asia because of their cheap production costs, some fashion designers are putting this to a stop. One designer doing this is Carla Fernandez. She is a designer based out of Mexico.
She works with various artisans from across Mexico for her collections; ranging from embroidery to leather work, she keeps the production local and pays all the artisans that help her a proper pay and works with them a lot and even lists which artisans made what and what part of the countries they are from. This cuts the mistreatment of workers who get paid very low wages in other countries and makes it better for the worker. It also stops the pollution that would be created if she manufactured in Asia or any other oversea part and have it shipped to México.
Aesthetically, it can be seen with the material used to produce the garments. Using organic cotton for its jackets to shirts made out of recycled materials. The type of fabric is changing for something more sustainable and more ethical. Using less reals and more fauxs (furs, leathers, feathers, etc.) Also more people are getting into thrifting and are just not buying new clothing, make the demand for new clothes less. Since the clothing is being reworn and have new life, it saves it from going to the landfill. I, am a great enthusiast for thrift shopping lol!
I believe that fashion is more aware of the world, than the world thinks. Most think of the fashion world as a very vain place, and while it can be; it also has a side that is in tune with the world. People manifest themselves through fashion. Now, even big fashion houses are bringing awareness to these issues. For example, Versace declared that it will no longer use real fur. This is a big step, as it is one of the top luxury brands. Hopefully, more follow suit with there example. And may more designers be like Carla Fernandez and help it’s local artisans. Do you think fashion can be a sign of society’s deep concerns ? Let me know in the comments. 😕
J’s Journal 