Political Movements in Fashion Can fashion have a political conscience? The question is a recurring one, and the answers are all too often clichéd. Examples of the industry’s insensitivity and lack of sympathy (or knowledge) towards social and political realities surface regularly in the media, and stories about blackface editorials and articles praising the “beauty” and “philanthropy” of the wives of Middle East dictators make the movie Zoolander look like a realistic take on the fashion world. However (and contrary to popular belief) fashion is just as often used as a social commentary. When, in 1906, Paul Poiret freed women from the corset, the couturier was immediately hailed as a pioneer of the Women’s Liberation Movement. From Mainbocher to Yohji Yamamoto, designers have used their collections as outlets for socio-political commentary, and today’s talents are no exception. Through a surprisingly understated show, Rick Owens made an obscure comment on dominance and submission, on authority and its rejection.
Stella McCartney: Change Agent LONDON, United Kingdom — In a nondescript building tucked away on a quiet street in West London, Stella McCartney and her team are comparing the properties of a real leather shoe to the various non-leather swatches being considered for her brand’s Winter 2015 shoe collection. McCartney is wearing a cream blouse, open at the neck, with faded blue jeans and non-leather boots. Pinned up against the wall are boards labeled: “Heels,” “Mules,” and “Cutouts.” A large white table is scattered with moulds, lasts and uppers – as well as scissors, ID cards, empty glasses and a partially-eaten package of organic dark chocolate. Women of differing ages, ethnicities and body types come in and out of the room with a constant flow of new ideas and creative references while McCartney acts as a kind of real-time editor, deciding what colours, materials and shapes feel right for the upcoming season. Stella's Sustainability Commitments | Source: BoF At this point, McCartney turns to me, a fly on the wall.
Topless protestors in New York and other countries for 'free the nipple' campaign Around 300 bare-chested demonstrators paraded in Manhattan following recent bids to get semi-nude models in Times Square bannedOther protests took place around the United States and in other countriesThe campaigners want women to be given the same rights as men when it comes to being topless in publicRachel Jessee from NYC's GoTopless group said: 'Freeing nipples and bodies frees minds as well, restoring self-image and self-esteem' By Dailymail.com Reporter Published: 22:30 GMT, 23 August 2015 | Updated: 00:41 GMT, 24 August 2015 Bare-chested protesters took to the streets of 60 cities around the world on Sunday as part of a campaign to 'free the nipple'. One of the biggest events for GoTopless Day was a semi-naked parade through New York City - where officials are debating whether topless tip-seekers should be allowed in Times Square. 'Our goal is for equal gender topless rights to be enforced worldwide, freeing women's nipples,' she said. Scroll down for video Bra-vo! Loaded: 0% Progress: 0%
5 New Solutions For The Fashion Industry's Sustainability Problem | Co.Exist | ideas + impact It's the holy grail for the fashion industry: Can manufacturers seamlessly close the loop on fabric, so an old T-shirt or dress headed for the landfill can be turned into something new? The world now buys more clothing than ever before in history; the average American throws out 68 garments in a single year. A new €1 million competition asked for new ideas to help the industry become more circular. "Fashionista or not, clothes are a necessity, and one of the biggest challenges facing today's fashion industry is how to create fashion for a growing world population while protecting our planet," says Erik Bang, project manager for the Global Change Award, sponsored by H&M Conscious Foundation, the nonprofit created by the Swedish fast fashion giant. Waste—and the unsustainability of the supply chain—is a problem endemic to the entire apparel industry, but especially interesting in the context of fast fashion. Here are the five finalists in the competition, which is now open for public vote.
Fashion, politics, and feminism: The women's magazines for a new generation "Women working at Douglas Aircraft" by Alfred T. Palmer (United States Library of Congress) In July, a Vice crew visited Umoja, a Kenyan village where no men are allowed. They were there to document the Samburu women who built Umoja to escape the strict patriarchal ways of their tribe, which include female genital mutilation as a marriage rite. It was to be one of the first pieces produced for Broadly, a new women’s vertical from Vice that might best be described as macho-feminist. “Do you want to find a husband?” The girl shakes her head no. “Me neither,” says the correspondent, and they high five. Broadly was announced in early 2015 and launched in August, joining several recent media sites for millennial women that are making some interesting moves. Earlier women’s sites like Jezebel, xoJane, and Bustle share a model inspired by the pre-2010 blogosphere: lots of confessional “It happened to me” posts, celebrity gossip, and personal takes on social issues.
The Rise of Sustainable Fibers in the Fashion Industry Listen to the generations before us, and our elders will tell us how instead of a walk-in closet full of clothes, they had a tiny crevice in their room, or a wardrobe, where they stored a few garments: One nice coat, maybe a handful of shirts, and a couple of pairs of trousers were the norm for men, for example. Clothes were not always washed, but often brushed to keep clean, and shoes were polished daily. Fast forward to today, and fast fashion is all the rage. It is common to have several colors of the same shirt or pants, and many consumers do not think twice about discarding a garment — not to Goodwill or charity, but literally into the trash can — after a few wears. Finally, the fashion industry realizes we cannot continue this trend in a world where the rising population will have to devote more land to food — or even energy. We cannot continue to grow cotton like mad, nor can we endlessly spin fossil fuels into polyester or other synthetic fabrics. Cotton Hemp Bamboo Synthetics
The Politics of Fashion | Leigh McAlea This blog is part of a month-long focus around sustainable fashion across HuffPost UK Style and Lifestyle. Here we aim to champion some of the emerging names in fashion and shine a light on the truth about the impact our appetite for fast fashion has around the world. Despite raised awareness of conditions in the industry through devastating events like the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, consumer desire for fast fashion - currently around £44billion pounds worth in the UK annually - trumps ethics. At the site of the Rana Plaza collapse where Rubi holds a photograph of her children who died in the factory disaster ©Leigh McAlea Why is this? At TRAID, we facilitate change through clothes reuse, education and by funding global projects to improve and change conditions in the garment industry. One of TRAID’s charity shops, in Dalston, London, our alternative to the high street. See the makers: farmers, machinists, embroiders, packers ©Leigh McAlea
Five designers revolutionising sustainable fashion The boundless information made available by the internet has resulted in a new generation of inquisitive consumers, no longer content to buy into brands without first doing their research. As discussions surrounding sustainability continue, the fashion industry has begun to consider its own eco footprint and source sustainable alternatives to man-made fabrics. Designers such as Vivienne Westwood have been vocal activists in the past – in the last two months alone Westwood released a fashion film detailing corporate exploitation of natural resources as well as attending and speaking at the recent Parley for the Oceans summit. As our friends at AnOthermag.com have pointed out – green is the new black. However, Westwood is no longer alone in her consideration of the world we live in – even large brands such as Prada have pledged complete transparency with regards to environmental policy. AURIA are the London-based swimwear brand creating futuristic styles from recycled fabric.
I Didn't Wear Makeup To New York Fashion Week & This Is What Happened | Bustle Twice a year, sartorial enthusiasts, celebrities, celebrity-seekers, and the press join together on the streets of Manhattan for New York Fashion Week. Despite living in NYC throughout college and again as a now-working-20-something, and despite the fact that my clothes addiction is worse than my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup addiction, I've never really been into it. NYFW has always seemed like a couture-focused, beauty standard-enforcing, elitist bubble of designers, models, and guests whose outfits cost the equivalent of six months rent in Bushwick or aspiring designers, models, and guests lingering outside runway locations in their most OTT outfits waiting to get street styled. It certainly never felt like a place you could go sans makeup or done-up hair to, unless you fancy yourself a glutton for punishment. Personally, I rarely leave the house without makeup on. The thing about Fashion Week, however, is that most people will usually ignore you. Images: Marie Southard Ospina