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Can Circular Fashion Help YOU Become More Sustainable This Lockdown?
The facts The UK is currently in a national lockdown. Pyjamas have almost become a work uniform for those stuck at home under government guidelines. Recently, Boris Johnson set out his plan to ease the nation out of lockdown restrictions. Following the Prime Minister’s announcement, reports have shown that fashion companies have received significant sales boosts of up to 75% following the news. Many are readying themselves for the ‘new normal.’ To re-enter the world again, people are wanting a new wardrobe. Yet, clothes go in and out of style. We know this. The clothes we purchase for our potential summer of freedom we may not even want next year.…
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How Fashion Communities Helped During Lockdown
Fashion isn’t just one singular style, it’s made up of endless communities that have their own unique trends, and designs. These communities are important for so many people as it gives them a sense of belonging. Being part of a community combats loneliness by introducing people with similar styles, and interests. This is vital now more than ever. In 2020 the pandemic left us all stuck in the house, and some of us were even in lockdown alone. Online communities could be the source of comfort for a lot of people who were in this position. Two apps with online communities who have embraced the different cultures, and styles is…
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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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COVID-19: Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Fashion
On the 23rd of March, Boris Johnson ordered a nationwide lockdown due to the growing rate of coronavirus cases in the UK. This lockdown demanded that for the foreseeable future, any non-essential businesses were to be closed to the public, and any non-essential workers now needed to work from home. While supermarkets have continued to serve the public and are struggling to keep up with panic buying demand, other businesses such as those in the fashion industry are struggling to stay afloat in the new climate. The pandemic has led to an estimated 40% drop in average market capitalization from the beginning of January to the end of March, and…
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Sustainability out the Window? Corona is the new Trend
How coronavirus is pushing sustainability to the side Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 back in January 2020, sustainability was becoming a major talking point among fashion retailers, but now Coronavirus has taken over every aspect of our lives. Consumers were becoming hungry for information from their favourite brands in relation to how garments were being created in the fast paced environment. But has COVID-19 caused consumers to forget about sustainability? Post-pandemic The fashion world prior to the outbreak was ready for a change, with big brands focusing on how they can incorporate more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into their production and supply chain processes. This has come as…
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Mainstream Media: the Global Crisis and Fashion
It has been two months since Covid-19 became classed as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. Since then, nearly everything in mainstream media has had the common thread of being associated with the global crisis; and if I am to be truly honest, most of the information has been negative. However, how can it not be? The world is currently facing a situation that can be compared to the Spanish Flu, which happened a century ago. We still are unsure of how it happened, as well as how long we’re going to be living this “new normal” that we’ve had to adopt. For over a month, we have been…
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Coronavirus: affecting us and our fashion industry
On January 11th, the Chinese media reported their first death from coronavirus. By February 27th, the UK had also reported deaths, linked to the newly named, COVID-19. On 23rd March, our government announced a lockdown. Over the last couple of months, the media has had a lot to say on the virus, but how justified is their reaction? Are some coronavirus headlines exaggerated? This is a worrying and, quite frankly, terrifying time for the majority of the world’s population, and the media haven’t necessarily made it easier. Some headlines can come across as strongly worded or sometimes even exaggerated. For example, this one from the Telegraph states that “Coronavirus puts…
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How the global pandemic will affect the fashion industry
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill, with numerous countries in lockdown to slow the spread of the disease. While it is difficult to escape the news and panic surrounding this, businesses like the fashion industry can provide some escapism from the new reality. However, this current situation highlights how insignificant the latest trends can be. This is having a huge effect on the industry as people are turning to news articles rather than fashion blogs. Many companies have been forced to close for safety reasons and economic loss. With everyone staying indoors as advised by the government, retail therapy is out of the question…
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COVID-19: the impact on the fashion world
COVID-19 has hit the world population hard and has knocked the economy drastically. The mainstream media is trying to provide the most relevant and recent information, confirming that the UK’s total cases are rising steadily each day. Although we are used to internet trolls and are wary of online scams, we undoubtedly have to trust the severity of the pandemic and understand the government’s decisions for lockdowns and the immediate closure of nonessential businesses. But just how impacted will the fashion industry be? Global impact We are witnessing a domino effect with the virus, not only by spreading it, but with travel restrictions and the shutdown of several countries across…
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Coronavirus spreads as face mask owns two identities
As the coronavirus and lockdowns have spread around the world, more and more articles, videos and tweets discussing the virus have also gradually captured people’s eyeballs. If you ask me what the virus initially reminds me of, I’ll shout out: the mask! When history looks back at the 2020 trend, those white or blue rectangles that cover the mouths and noses, turning everyone into a muzzled animal, will be what we see. Now, pictures of people wearing face masks appear in almost every news story about the virus, whether on the front page or on social media. If there is a symbol of the current anxiety and misinformation generated by…
