Fashion + Community
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that as humans, we not only value, but need community. How we find, access and participate in communities has been challenged by the events of 2020 – including the pandemic, and global-reach of the Black Lives Matter movement. The fashion industry has historically offered a form of escapism, through innovation of aesthetic and storytelling depicted in the tangible outcome of clothing. However, the fashion industry too has been put under a spotlight this year. Its systems and practices have been called into question. An industry nearly all of us engage with in some form or another, is both a form of expression amidst the restriction’s lockdown has imposed on so many of us. But it simultaneously is riddled with issues of systemic racism and imbalances that are depleting our world’s ecosystems. Fashion in and as a community has had changing narratives, from subculture belonging in the late 1900s, through to the thriving communities around the world that have been built on fashion and textile production, to the digital communication we access for style, shopping tips and inspiration in the form of the social media influencers. As we reflect on 2020, a new narrative is taking shape for Fashion + Community. The question is, what will it entail?
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York Fashion Week: A Week for Community
York Fashion Week debuted in 2018 as a way to showcase the creative talents of York’s community, as well as inviting in fashion from all over the UK. It spans the length of the city, taking over venues big and small, coordinating workshops, runway shows and activities for both residents and visitors of York. Having been postponed in 2020, previous years have featured bridal events, live mannequin shop window displays and talks from top fashion designers, as well as famous high street brands. It is encapsulated as ‘eight days to celebrate creative designers, elaborate fashions, thriving high street brands and exciting independent brands and businesses… a dynamic range of events…
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Sustainable fashion: The community you want to be a part of
2020 has been a chaotic year; politics has become so polarised, the world has gone into lockdown, and our climate is descending into madness. But in reality, this could be our future if we don’t act now. 2020 was the year to save our planet and to hold the big industries accountable. 2020 was the year to redeem ourselves, but the pandemic has diverted our gaze to the immediate threats we’re facing. It’s time to make our consumption sustainable. Climate crisis Environmental activists have been flooding the media with statements trying to draw the world’s attention to our planet’s cry for help. We are rapidly depleting our resources and most…
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Self Expression and Belonging in the Digital Age
A look at how social media has facilitated new digital fashion communities Community and fashion have become closely linked. For many, fashion, and the clothes we wear are a way of outwardly expressing personalities and interests. From this, subcultures and self-made communities within the fashion industry formed and continue to flourish. What are fashion subcultures? Subcultures in fashion generally refer to groups, or communities, of people who dress a specific way, unique to the subculture. Subcultures can often be easily identified, as the clothes worn by people within the subgroup, often emulate a specific style. There are a multitude of subcultures within fashion. A few well-known examples of these within…
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We are blind to our own thinking and behaviour: A short story of a young black woman
Margarita is a 24-year-old black woman living in the United Kingdom. She is originally from Greece with a strong heritage of Nigerian culture through her parents. Margarita moved into the United Kingdom couple of years ago to study midwifery, which has been her dream occupation since childhood. She chose to move and study abroad because she wanted to gain new experiences, broaden her horizons, and she knew the midwifery education in the United Kingdom is of a high standard. “Oh you’ve got an accent!” When Margarita’s studies at university began, she was surprised to learn she was the only non-British student on her course. The other students seemed curious of…
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Are Communities Within Fashion Thriving or is it Ruining the Meaning of Community?
Everywhere you look there is a community of fashion whether it’s a fashion brands community, an influencer creating a community or an app, you will never be alone in this industry. This is the beauty of fashion, you can have your own individual style but be apart of something bigger. Most of it you will find online, especially during the weird times of COVID however, Social media has been a life-saver of communication and has kept fashion thriving. Fashion communities can evolve from certain styles, ethical communities and their fashion or following a campaign such as the ‘Black Lives Matters’. Missguided have their own community of Missguided babes, anyone and…
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What Does It Mean To Be Part of a Fashion Community?
Being part of a fashion community means something different to everyone. Age, gender, and passions are only the start for participants. Fashion is a powerful visual tool. For some, fashion is a creative outlet and a form of self-expression. For others, communities are a network for meeting like-minded people. Most recently, social causes have become a prominent link to fashion communities. Right now, they hold more power than just being somebody’s call for inspiration. So, why do we participate in fashion communities? Fashion and Subcultures Fashion has become a vehicle of empowerment and as history tells us, it is a powerful one. For instance, the 1920s became a defining moment…
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Support Local: Fashion, Compassion and Community
As we are well into the second lockdown in the UK, it is more important than ever to feel a part of and support the fashion community. And what better way to do this than to support your local and independent fashion businesses! Essentially, you’re unessential Throughout this year, so many workers have been told that their businesses are non-essential. But what the government fail to recognise is that for many, keeping their business alive and profitable is essential for their livelihoods. It is said that it takes two to three years for a new business to become profitable, and for new businesses in lockdown, I will do the math…
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How fashion can unite and divide communities
Fashion can unite and divide communities. It has the ability to shape and identify communities. The iconography it creates within some communities can have connotations which cannot be removed. Communities have a tendency to be intensely insular sometimes to their detriment. Thus, fashion used to identify groups can not only unite the community wearing the items but isolate them from the communities not wearing them. Portraying fashions usage as an instrument to unite and divide communities. Its employment as a political component or social agent to unite people against or in favour of a cause is fascinating. The use of an everyday element such as clothing to express opinions is what…
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Fad Fashion: How Things That Matter Became a Trend in 2020
2020 has been an interesting year; the Australian bushfires, the Coronavirus pandemic, Black Lives Matter rallies, Trump’s impeachment. So many things have happened and so often we have jumped on the bandwagon but how long do we stay on for the ride? Like fashion, politics is a trend, it is fused with a mix of passion and poison. But when a trend dies back, we often adjust our wardrobe for the newest styles. It is the same with our actions and opinions and it is the same in the fashion industry when newsworthy topics come to light. This action you ask? The action of fad fashion. With everything that has…
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Finding Belonging Through the Clothes we Wear:
A sense of belonging is a basic human need, as it improves motivation, mental health and overall happiness. Belonging can be found in many different places. Whether it be through shared experiences or interests, but can we find this sensation through the clothes we wear? With the average UK person spending £526.50 on clothes a year there is no doubt we love to update our wardrobes. Could buying new clothes in general bring us together through bonding over similar styles and trends? Do we gravitate towards people with a similar style to us? Or do we compete with others to be the most fashionable and influential? What can our choice…
