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Does the Fashion Industry Have an Ageism Problem?
The discussions surrounding diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry are now commonplace. Yet these discussions tend to rarely extended to include the lack of age varied representation, particularly the older generation. Ageing is a process of life, so why is it that this process, through the older generation, less represented than the younger counterparts? With the lack of representation through advertising and targeting clothing brands, there could be a gap in the market. Fashion can be about self-expression and inclusivity. Fashion cannot be fully diversified whilst a demographic of customers are not seeing themselves represented and reflected within the industry. Is fashion catered towards young people? There is a…
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Fashion, Disability and Barbie: From Damaging to Diverse
A generation of underrepresentation? In a world of Instagram and photoshop, the lines between online and offline reality are becoming blurred; why can’t we see something from the real world for once? Fashion and disability is something that we don’t discuss enough, and Barbie are beginning to catch on… Disability and finding accessible fashion are ongoing issues, never mind the underrepresentation that comes along with it for disabled persons. Representation is the key word here. And believe it or not, Barbie has a big part to play regarding this matter. Barbie was once a part of these unachievable beauty standards we are constantly faced with, depicting only tall and slim…
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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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Fashion and Feminism’s Love Affair and the Truth behind their connection
If you’re a forward-thinking individual, then you would never question whether a feminist is able to wear a cute dress whilst taking to the streets to advocate for gender equality. Fashion and feminism’s love affair runs deep and strong. But there has been a contentious debate of feminism and fashion being two separate entities. So, is it possible to be a self-defined-feminist and a have a passion for fashion at the same time? What is Feminism? To understand the conversation around feminism and fashion, we have to look at the definition of feminism for context. Feminism is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Many institutions…
