FASHION - Its Impacts On Our Society. The Good And The Bad

Fashion

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, body or furniture. Fashion is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style in which a person dresses. It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers. Because the more technical term costume is regularly linked to the term "fashion", the use of the former has been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while "fashion" generally means clothing, including the study of it. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous.

Fashion Trends’ Impact on Society

Defining trends nowadays is not an easy task. Trends are in essence very complex mechanisms that mirror changes in the economic and political landscapes.

Fashion itself is a reflection of social, economic, political and cultural changes. It expresses modernity, symbolising the spirit of the times.

In the last thirty years the luxury industry has been completely focused on profitability, and quality has become a secondary objective for the luxury tycoons. The production of the finest merchandise is no longer their main objective. The focus has shifted from what the product is to what the product represents. To achieve this, big luxury corporations have intensively promoted the heritage of a brand, hiring a young designer to give it a modern edge and splashing the logo on everything, from handbags to bikinis. The product itself is not in the spotlight anymore: it is the brand that speaks.

Using a promising young designer’s talent and enthusiasm to “refresh” a legendary brand is a clever marketing tool. Far from supporting new ideas, it is part of a considered strategy for boosting sales and expanding the X, Y or Z Luxury Empire. A key example of this is Balenciaga, whose former creative director Nicolas Ghesquière left the brand this year, claiming he was “being sucked dry”. He has stated, “they wanted to steal my identity while trying to homogenise things. It just wasn’t fulfilling anymore. It all became so dehumanised. Everything became an asset for the brand, trying to make it ever more corporate – it was all about branding.”

Speaking to The Business of Fashion, Ghesquière said that he was often told his style is “so Balenciaga now, it’s no longer Nicolas Ghesquière, it’s Balenciaga’s style.” With this in mind, it is hard not to question whether today’s trends really are a natural evolution of fashion, or just the rules of big luxury brands, trying to increase their profit and presence. Many so-called trends are just old pieces, minimally reinterpreted in order to have more commercial appeal.

In this context it’s essential to mention that ‘the trend’ is not what it used to be. Many savvy consumers now follow their own fashion rules, inspired by what they see on the fashion-animated streets, the internet, and in the live-streamed fashion shows that are becoming a staple channel for fashion lovers.

Interestingly, Robert Burke, a consultant for luxury brands and previous fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, amplifies this point: “As little as a decade ago, we would gather at the Ritz in Paris to come up with trend stories, which would then be translated into shop windows and advertising. Forty or fifty of us held the keys to that secret information”. Now, anyone with a curiosity for fashion and access to the internet and television can draw his/her own conclusions. “The trend story is passé,” Mr. Burke told The New York Times.

Nonetheless, trends are still analysed and followed by many consumers and manufacturers, who use them as a way of establishing an order in the chaotic world of fashion. Trend forecasting companies use advanced technologies and professional experts to predict what will sell in the future, and fast fashion brands are using the huge number of trends in demand at any one moment to make and sell more clothes.

By utilising information and communication technologies, and through their efficient, flexible production and distribution systems, fast fashion brands are able to respond to changing trends quicker than ever before. This quick turnover of trends puts money in the brand’s pocket, but doesn’t benefit the consumer - who really needs a new wardrobe three times a week, paying a low price for low quality products, produced at a price ten times lower than the actual selling price?

These fast fashion brands, known for bringing democracy to the once elite world of fashion, have created a following of consumers who practice impulsive shopping, being blinded by the thrill of possessing something new as often as they can. They choose quantity over quality, without asking too many questions about the origin of the clothes they buy.

While fast fashion retailers masterfully imitate catwalk trends in their designs, providing cheaper versions of high-end trends in their stores at the speed of light, it seems that luxury retailers have learned from fast fashion companies too. Luxury retailers, feeling the threat of fast fashion giants, have started adopting similar strategies, trying to provide merchandise faster and in bigger quantities by providing secondary lines, immediately available to purchase.

In this chaotic landscape, there is an obvious need for identity and innovation, to shift the focus to where it should be - on quality and individuality. And where better to find uniqueness and innovation than in the fresh and free voices of young emerging designers?

Without being influenced and limited by rules set by big corporations, emerging fashion designers such as Arjan B, Damien Ravn, Matija Cop and 2014 Hyères finalist Marit Ilison to name only a few, are speaking about a different type of trend. This is a type of trend that customers are happy to embrace - not because everybody else does, but because it makes them look and feel distinctive. Through their innovative designs, emerging designers create the feeling that you buy a piece with meaning and personality, rather than a garment produced in a third world country which gained value only when a logo was splashed on it.

Many retailers and specialists acknowledge that the appetite for niche labels has started to grow, to the detriment of brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Giorgio Armani. Now more than ever, we as consumers need to inform ourselves better about how fast fashion retailers produce their merchandise, focusing on issues such as sustainability and ethics. For these reasons, young designers are becoming more valued by both consumers and investors, and the innovation they represent, is - hopefully - not just a passing trend.

Positives effects of fashion

We can argue whether or not the fashion industry has more of a positive or negative effect on people of today, regardless we can agree that the fashion industry has grown to become very popular and influential. It seems as if everyone is trying to pursue a career in this field. Here are 10 positives of the fashion industry.

1. New designs- designers are able to create new designs for those people who have a love for fashion. It is an enjoyment they feel when seeing a new trend get started because fashion is unpredictable.

2. Discovering new talents- It is always a refreshing to see a new and creative designer come into the spotlight. Fashion is a very competitive industry and at times trends are duplicated. So it is nice to see an up and coming designer bring something new and different to the table. 3. Inspiration- Fashion inspires others to be creative and to want to build a career from it. Fashion motivates others to further their knowledge by attending fashion schools and turning dreams into a reality. There is an inspiration in fashion to influence you to be different.

4. Freedom of expression- Fashion is one of the ultimate way to express yourself. One of the first impression people have of you is from your appearance. But one of the great aspects of fashion is that you are free to be whoever you want to be with your choice of fashion. With fashion you have that ability to mix and match wardrobes according to your mood, attitude and feeling.       5. Connected- The world is huge, filled with diversity and culture. Fashion is like one language that everyone can understand. It connects people internationally because fashion travels from city to the next.

 6. Attraction- People stays stylish and fashionable to attract the opposite sex to get noticed by someone they like. With the help of fashion you can look the part and get acknowledge.

7. Popularity- Fashion is one of the most popular items to purchase and one of the most popular topics spoken about on television. With their popularity they can influence many people.

8. Trends- Fashion is endless! Trends comes from ideas, designers and the streets, there is always some new trend in development that can potentially become a classic like the little black dress (LBD).

9. Opportunities- Fashion is not only dressing up and making clothes, you can build many careers from a fashion degree. The fashion industry opens numerous of doors for people whether you are interested in being in front of the camera, behind the camera or styling and making the garment. The possibilities are truly endless.

10. Discrimination is not evident- The world of fashion is so diverse, discrimination is not evident. The way you dress is what people view you as.

Negative Aspects of Fashion

Though importance of fashion cannot be neglected in today society it has certain drawbacks too. Moral Values: Fashion does not preach ethics. Every new fashion or trend is promoted and advertised in such a manner that people (especially teens) cannot avoid it. They don’t bother whether it is moral or immoral. Economical: Fashion is often associated with promoting capitalism. Fashion is least rational; people buy new clothes when old are still wearable. They discard old clothes just because they are no longer fashionable. Fads of Fashion: Most of the fashion trends are very short-living. They come and go within few months. These are called fads of fashion. The true fashion consists of style, but people who have little awareness of fashion follow fads rather than making their own style. Harmful to Health: Certain fashion trends are harmful to health. Fashion has made teenagers extremists. What could be more shocking than a few teenagers getting strange tattoos and piercing body parts (especially the tongue or the forehead)! That pin in the tongue has to hurt. They follow such fashion blindly.

Though importance of fashion cannot be neglected in today's society it has certain drawbacks too.

Moral Values: Fashion does not preach ethics. Every new fashion or trend is promoted and advertised in such a manner that people (especially teens) cannot avoid it. They don’t bother whether it is moral or immoral.

1. Economical: Fashion is often associated with promoting capitalism. Fashion is least rational; people buy new clothes when old are still wearable. They discard old clothes just because they are no longer fashionable.

2. Fads of Fashion: Most of the fashion trends are very short-living. They come and go within few months. These are called fads of fashion. The true fashion consists of style, but people who have little awareness of fashion follow fads rather than making their own style.

3. Harmful to Health: Certain fashion trends are harmful to health. Fashion has made teenagers extremists. What could be more shocking than a few teenagers getting strange tattoos and piercing body parts (especially the tongue or the forehead)! That pin in the tongue has to hurt. They follow such fashion blindly. Gilda Radner talking about current fashion said that “I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch.”

4. Rebellious Attitude of Youth: Fashion has made certain teens rebellious. They are so much attracted by current fashion that they go to any length just to own that trend style or fashion. Stealing, robbing, and use of other ill means to become fashionable is not uncommon among youth today.

Non-Conforming: Fashion craze makes people non-confirmist. Just to prove them different and unique, they adopt any style.

5. Fashion is Outward: Albert Einstein always wore the most old and worn-out clothes. Once he said that “If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shabby furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shabby philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it.” Clothes are also the wrapper of our inner self. They can project us in a negative or positive manner. Sometimes people interpret others in a wrong way because of their outward appearance.

6. Fashion Victims: The terms "fashionista" or "fashion victim" refers to someone who slavishly follows the current fashions. Many young girls and boys follow certain fashion in the same manner without thinking whether it looks good with them or not.

7. Fashion Changes: Fashion, by definition, changes constantly. The changes may proceed more rapidly than in most other fields of human activity (language, thought, etc). For some, modern fast-paced changes in fashion embody many of the negative aspects of capitalism: it results in waste and encourages people qua consumers to buy things unnecessarily. Mignon McLaughlin, in The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960 commented that, Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.”