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Myth-busting sustainable fashion
Whoever said to me, ‘don’t use bags made from real leather, instead invest in bags that are made from vegan leather’, did not do their research. The leather used by the fashion industry comes as a by-product of the meat industry and to be fair, vegan leather is not always ‘environmentally friendly’. Most vegan leather products in the industry are manufactured using synthetic fibers like polyurethane and PVC . These are not biodegradable as their manufacturing process releases a number of toxic chemicals that cause harm to the environment. Cases that involve the use of exotic skins however, are clearly unethical. These are a number of issues that we can…
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From trousers to mini skirts: a feminist revolution in fashion
In the early part of the 20th century, the strangest thing happened. A woman called Luisa Capetillo was arrested and tried in court for wearing a pair of trousers in public. While this sounds ridiculous, the construct of society at the time was very restrictive. It set expectations for the way women groomed and dressed themselves. A Silent Revolution For decades, fashion has been connected to the rising empowerment of women. During the 1800s women began to resist being choked up in corsets, stiff petticoats and ground-dragging skirts. This resistance has continued. Powerful women brought about a revolution through clothing as a form of silent protest. Some notable designers in…
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A Decade of the Rainbow Runway
The LGBTQ+ community has had many iconic moments in fashion. One of the first and most wildly celebrated was Yves Saint Laurent’s famous tailored tuxedo with white satin stripe, worn with a white ruffled shirt. 1954’s ‘Le Smoking’ jacket changed women’s clothing forever. This androgynous look marked a shift in attitude towards gender differentiation. For a long time, the fashion industry has been greatly influenced by the styles and trends adopted by the LGBTQ+ community. However, recognition for their efforts has mostly gone unnoticed. Fashion has played an important part by becoming more than just a sartorial medium for the queer community. The industry has witnessed the emergence of some…
