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‘Diversity is not a trend.’
The conversation surrounding diversity in the fashion industry is finally been discussed and echoed. Fashion brands, magazines, and designers are now aware of the responsibilities they have to represent a breadth of culture and identities. In an age where a denial to represent or acknowledge certain groups of people can result in viral outrage, brands have adapted in order to remain relevant. Focusing on fashion brands, high street shops such as River Island, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger are a few brands that have made moves to cater to people beyond the mainstream. Now high-end fashion brands are finally catching on with Gucci’s newest face representing a group that has…
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White-Washing and Cultural Pick-Pocketing: Token Diversity and Why it’s a Problem
Why is token diversity so problematic? Does it hold a mirror up to the whitewashed walls of high fashion? Or does it actually reveal the failing mechanics behind an industry dominated for too long by white noise, marred by our inability to confront the issues of underrepresentation? In November 2019, Elle Germany faced backlash after its ‘Back to Black’ issue featured a white model on the cover. Complete with the tagline “Models of colour were never in demand as they are now”, the magazine had made a clear misjudgement. By implying that models of colour are somehow a trend, Naomi Campbell called it “highly insulting” in her address to the…
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Brexit's Seamless War on Fashion Industry Could Change How We Shop
In recent years, the fashion industry has been battling with UK politics to have their voice and concerns heard. Flashback to 2016, the fashion industry was vocally not in favour of Britain leaving the European Union. Maybe they could see the potential future risks of Brexit’s seamless war on fashion. The whole of the country was divided in opinion about whether Britain should leave the EU or not. During political campaigns, pro-Remain designers such as Vivienne Westwood were strong in their views that Brexit would damage the UK Fashion industry. In fact, 90 percent of British designers told the British Fashion Council that they were proud remainers. They raised concerns…
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A case for vegan fast fashion?
Without a doubt, the rise of vegan fashion is huge. Major brands, such as Gucci, Versace and Chanel, have pledged to no longer use real fur. This contributed to the drop-in sales of women’s fur by 41% in the UK alone, in 2018. Personally, I have never owned real fur, or real leather products. Aside from how expensive they are, I was always fully aware that they were made from animals and that to me never felt right. In terms of faux fur and leather, of course I think these are much better, and ethical, than killing animals. However, as I’ve began to research into the industry further, I’ve realised…
