Social, Cultural and Political Issues in Fashion

A Fashionable Good-Bye

2005-11-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank you guys for your thoughts and input on my blog. It was interesting to learn different views on the topics I wrote about. I will continue to write on my blog about the areas of fashion I am passionate about. I know the assignment is over, but it would always be nice to continue to receive comments and suggestions in future about something you would like me to write about.

From what I have written about, you can see there are many aspects of fashion. It is not just what you wear, it can be who you are, where you are from, what your political views are, what your economic status is, etc.

If you ask me what my personal views of fashion are…well, where do I begin? Fashion to me is not all about being materialistic and about wearing high-end designers, and being trendy. I on other hand cherish the true art behind the making of the clothing creations. For example, the sari, which is a thousands of year old creation, is amazing. It can be made of intricate pure gold and silver threads, with hours and hours hand embroidery work.

Fashion is beautiful history; it is amazing to see what the ancient rulers have worn during their reign, the heavy gowns and priceless rubies. Or what about the art and messages that have been created by designers, it is not always about clothes, it is about what inspires people to think a certain way such as what makes social civility so important.

Finally, fashion is free to be whatever you want it to be, if you feel like looking like a queen, then so be it! If you feel like being simply au’naturel in organic cottons then wear it, do what you feel is right and most importantly wear what you think is right.

Cheap Chic

2005-11-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

The trend for couture designers to appeal to the masses is becoming more popular. Stores like target have made is affordable for “normal people” to buy clothing from Massimo, Isaac Mizrahi, and Cynthia Rowley. Trends for cheap couture clothing are being seen everywhere. The store H&M in particular has become very popular over the recent year for offering runway-inspired clothing to the masses at affordable prices. H&M has also teamed up with famous designers such as Carl Lagerfeld of Chanel & Fendi to design clothing for their stores.

What is taking the masses by storm is the H&M and Stella McCartney collaboration. Their new Christmas/holiday collection was launched this month and has become a major hit. In California people were lining up overnight to get first dibs on the collection. "It's all about Stella," one shopper told KRON 4's Dean Kendrick talking about designer Stella McCartney. "Her clothes are fabulous. Her stuff is a little bit more vintage oriented and unique. That's always a plus when you find fashion that's unique."

In London Stella’s clothing line is sold out and people are going crazy. There are so popular that people are selling the clothes on EBAY for approximately four times the amount they originally sold for…so long for cheap chic.

“The limited edition T-shirts are now going for £59 - four times the original £14.99 price tag. H&M's silk wrap dress is going for £102 - nearly twice as much as the £59 it cost in store, but still a fraction of the cost of original Stella McCartney designs.” ”Stella's trademark skinny jeans are being auctioned for £99 - two-and-a-half times the High Street price of £39.99 while a metal belt was marked up from £19.99 to £35.” ”Other items up for grabs on the internet auction site include McCartney's take on the noirish trenchcoat selling at £122 up from £79.99 and a tuxedo jacket that H&M sold up as of £59.99 to £85.”

References:

http://www.lse.co.uk
http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=4146175&nav=5D7l

Hollywood goes into new Ventures

2005-11-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

I love Jennifer Lopez in Selena and when she came out with her first CD, I bought it- I thought her songs had a catchy beat. When she came out with her fashion clothing line, to tell you the truth I never bought anything from it, but I thought some of her stuff was cute. It seems these days Hollywood actors and superstars are always looking to broaden their horizons. Whether it is Lindsey Lohan coming out with an album or Gwen Steffani coming out with her L.A.M.B collection, one thing is for sure and that is being famous does help when you want to go into new ventures.

Here are just some of the many recent fashion ventures Hollywood has gotten into:
Beyonce Knowles has just launched her new fashion line called House of Dereon last week. The line includes ready-to-wear, casual sportswear and denim, as well as furs, handbags and footwear. For a small preview, log on to http://www.houseofdereon.com/

Gwen Stefani came out with a collection called L.A.M.B, which is named after her album love, angel, music, baby. Her clothing has made her one of the best dressed and it is even wore by other celebrities. Her fun and eclectic style has made her a true fashion icon. For more information on where to get her clothing, log on to: http://www.l-a-m-b.com/

Jennifer Lopez clothing line Sweetface has grossed over $130 million in 2004 and is expected to do even better when she debuts her high-end line. She has perfumes, shoes, lingerie, swimwear, and watches too. For more info, log on to http://www.shopjlo.com/

Its Couture, Baby!

2005-11-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Is that little baby wearing Burberry? Well if you didn’t know it, you will know now, high-end designers are coming out with clothing lines for the totally couture baby. Can you imagine a little baby wearing a cashmere sweater by Marc Jacobs?! What will we come up with next? Apparently, Marc Jacobs dishing in on the growing market for “Baby Couture”, it is estimated that upscale baby products will be a $45billion a year industry.

Along with Marc Jacobs, who is testing his cashmere baby sweater line this Christmas, Kate Spade is relaunching her baby collection of strollers, dishes, and cashmere too. J Crew as well is planning in 2006 a line called Crewcuts for two to eight year olds. Can you imagine- there will probably be Coco-Chanel talcum powder for babies and “blinged” out baby bottles that will probably cost more than my car. Who knows, maybe toys will never be toys anymore-Disney might come up with a couture Mickey Mouse dressed up in Betsey Johnson…the possibilities are endless.

The following is a list of some “Baby Couture” items I found:

Burberry Infant Denim Dress: $176

Burberry Infant Crawler with Toy: $153
Burberry Stroller: $625
Juicy Couture Velour Baby Bag: $275
David Yurman Peridot Cable Bracelet: $250

All I can say is…WOW! Those are clothes are so cute, but I don’t know if I can ever see myself spending so much on baby clothes…I guess if you got so much to spend the possibilities are just endless at what you can buy. If there is a demand for it, designers will create it, and people will keep buying up all this madness.
http://www.fortune.com/fortune

Unholy Fashion

2005-11-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

Religious fashion has been in the mainstream for a long time. The most common way of displaying one’s religion is by wearing their sign or representation of their belief as a necklace. Of course along the way even the styles of wearing religious necklaces have evolved. With the influence of hip-hop culture the cross necklace has seem to be “blinged-up” (diamonds/rhinestones) and enlarged quiet a bit with crosses and other representations being 6 inches tall or even bigger.

Just quiet recently the trend in fashion was that it is “cool” to be religious. Many of you have probably seen on campus the t-shirt “Jesus is my Homeboy” or “Got Jesus”. Other religious t-shirts that have reached mainstream is “Everyone Loves a Jewish Girl”, “OM (AUM)”, and pictures of Buddha, and other Hindu gods as well.

Fashion is a great way to express your religious or spiritual beliefs as long as it is respectful of others and does not insult others’ beliefs. Especially when it comes to religion it is a very sensitive issue and even subtle behaviors can offend others. However, there are many people and companies that do offend other religions, and it is important to be aware, so in the future these mistakes do not occur again.

The following is a list of products that represent “Unholy Fashion”:

American Eagle came out with a pair of flip-flops with the picture of the Hindu god Ganesh on the sole. The American Hindu’s against defamation did protest against the company and got the product off the shelf, however shortly after that (even after protests) they put the same Hindu god Ganesh on a t-shirt saying “New Delhi Circus, Get Nuts” with a inverted OM sign on it.

Abercrombie and Fitch came out with the shirt “Get Your Buddha on the Floor”. People did protest against the shirt to get it out of the store. However, sadly in the USA that shirt was in high demand by customers.

Saks Fifth Avenue supplied shoes from a famous Italian designer that put a picture of Buddha on the insole of a pair of heels and pair of women’s flats.

Minelli, a French company but the Hindu god Krishna on a pair of women’s shoes. (Left)

Roberto Cavalli designed a bikini/underwear range with the main theme of Hindu gods on it, which are being sold at big stores such as Harrods. However, when people protested against the clothing the “management of the store Harrods was unresponsive and insensitive”.

“Jesus Saves. Buddha does Incremental Backups.” Found on syswear.com

“Jesus Hates Pussies” Found on http://www.simplythebike.com/

I found an image of Jesus on a pair of flip-flops.

I was appalled and some of the stuff I found. I think it is important to be respectful of all religions and cultures. What do you guys think about some of the stuff I found? Did you come across any of these “Unholy” fashion designs? Did you do anything? I personally have not bought anything from American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, or Saks Fifth Avenue since I heard about what they did.

*Refrences for pictures and Info:

www.hinduhumanrights.org

journals.aol.com

Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer or Politician?

2005-10-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

British designer Vivienne Westwood is one of the most famous fashion gurus of the Industry. Her eclectic and funky style of fashion has made her one of the most sought after people in the industry. However, as designers become established within the industry they tend to become more daring and experiment with ideas that at many times seem unconventional. Also, many of them such as Vivienne try to communicate through their designs in indirect ways such as symbols or wearing certain styles or by communicating directly.

Vivienne Westwood for the Spring/Summer 2006 fashion week in Paris communicated directly her political views of the British government, designing slogan T-shirts expressing her views. Slogans such as: "I am not a terrorist, please don't arrest me" and “Liberty, throw away the key” were displayed throughout the show.

The designer has recently joined the campaign against the British government’s anti-terror laws. In light of the London bombings and the fear of another 9/11 the British government has come up with an anti-terror act. This act gives the police the power to with hold suspects 90 days in jail without charge. The question that arises is that can we give such powers to the police; we all know that they are after all just humans. Would they always use their discretion? Would they abuse their powers? On the other hand, terrorists are known to bend and abuse the laws. If stringent measures are not put in place, how could we put a stop on terror? What do you guys think? Where do you stand on this?

Fashion Ploopers (Political Bloopers) – Slogans Galore

2005-10-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

I think twins are so cute, especially when they are like two years old and their parents dress them alike. However, a couple of 50 odd year olds, umm… not really twins; call them friends of political convenience; sharing a tie and talking about, well what else… the “War on Terror”. Not that I have anything against the war, and I do understand that there are dress codes, but come on, can’t we have some more variety.

Anyways, I decided to look up some nice slogan T-shirts for our famous political, business and Hollywood figures, and while I was at that why not pick some for the infamous ones. Here’s what I got:

Osama Bin Laden:
President Bush:
“You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.”

President Musharraf:
“I took an IQ test and the results were negative.”

Courtney Love:
“Rehab... Is for Quitters”

Nicole Kidman:
“My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.”

Bill Gates:
“FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. It comes bundled with the software.”

Joan Rivers:
“Wrinkled.... Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up”

Salman Khan: (a “Bollywood actor”)
“Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them.”

Al Reynolds (married to Star Jones):
“Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.”

Paris Hilton:
“My Dog... Can Lick Anyone”

Tyra Banks:
“Hey, I am still in line to become America’s next top idiot”

Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Ritchie (in their new skinny look):
“The Stick (sixth) Sense”

Whether you like it or not, I take credit for the last 2 slogans. You guys have more, write in. I got the t-shirt slogans and pictures from these websites: http://www.boreme.com/ and http://www.cafepress.com/

Fur or Fury

2005-09-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Don’t we all wish we could live in society that is more giving and caring about the world? Well, I know I do…I feel we live in such a beautiful place with such natural beauties that we take for granted. For example, roses and flowers are such beautiful plants, but then we cut them off from their natural surroundings so we can enjoy their presence conveniently inside our home. How about all those trees we cut and all other natural resources we consume without giving it a second thought? These resources not going to be around forever they will run out one day, but it seems as though we are consuming at a rate where the supply is infinite.

Even animals deserve to live in an environment that is respectful of their needs and by abusing the natural resources it is also taking a toll on the animals. Many animals are killed today because we eat them, we hunt them, we keep them as pets, and because we wear them as a fashion statement. Don’t animals deserve the right to live in their natural environment unharmed? Keeping them as our pets for enjoyment and using their skin for clothes is animal cruelty. Furs in particular have caused havoc in the fashion industry because designers use them as symbols of luxury and extravagance.

What do you think about killing animals and using their furs in clothing? I feel it is completely cruel to kill something for pure pleasure. It’s not like we are using fur for survival, if the poor animals are not harming you, why kill them? There are plenty of things that can be used for clothes such as luxurious cottons that are 500-thread count.

Marketing Ideas

2005-09-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you enjoyed the bit on fashion I wrote about. In response to Nguyen's comment I would also love to learn about fashion in Vietnam. Now, here is more about the company I work for, they are a manufacturer of clothing of all sorts (cotton, polyester, linens, blends, etc.), more specifically, 40's & 50's poplin, 60's cambric, voiles and rubia. The possibility is endless, they can manufacture and create any kind of designs on garments/shirts/uniforms and other finished products such as table cloths, etc. with in-house fabric manufacturing.

The current distribution setup consists of the company supplying to other middle men who then finally sell their products to big retailers, wholesalers, etc. in USA and Europe. What I am trying to do is to eliminate the middle man in India, and reach directly to buyers in USA and Europe. The goal is to pass on the savings to the final consumers.

I am inviting people to suggest ideas on marketing in the B2B sector, also ideas on how to attract VCs are welcome. This company is over two decades old and has an excellent reputation. The main goal is to create awareness of this company in the US and to establish long-term business relations.

Indian Influences On Fashion

2005-09-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Fashion is an important aspect of all cultures. The world is getting smaller and more diverse. Behind each style is a meaning and history, what you could call a “masala” (mixture) of cultures. Understanding it is the key to recognizing the true beauty of each clothing creation.I am sure many of you are familiar with the fashion look this summer, which was bohemian. Actually, to be politically correct many of those styles are influenced by ancient Indian clothes that have been around for over thousands of years. For example, tunics are ancient Indian clothing called kurtas that are worn by men and women and come in various styles and lengths as well. Also, the long tiered "peasant" skirts are actually called “ghaghras” that are worn by Indian women of all ages throughout the country. These are just a few of the trends, but the following is a list of just a few more fashions that are originally from India and their meanings:

This picture is of Gwen Stefani and an Indian woman; they are both displaying the beauty mark called the “bindi”. It signifies the central point of the base of creation and acts as a resemblance of marriage in its traditional red color.

This picture is of Madonna wearing the traditional Indian temporary tattoo called mehendi. It is usually worn on the hands and feet of the woman and is particularly worn on the wedding day. Another neat little fact is that the mehendi mixture itself can be worn as a hair mask, and then rinsed out to give the hair natural red highlights.

As you can see, Jennifer Lopez’s couture green dress closely resembles the draping of a sari. Did you know that the sari dates back to 3000 B.C?! Before tailoring was even created, the sari created an illusion of form-fitting clothing to accentuate certain areas of a woman’s figure. In India the idea of beauty was to have a small waist and large hips and bust. The sari was created and wrapped in such a way that it exposes the waist and accentuates the waist and the bust with the pleated bottom of the fabric so it can reflect the ideal shape to any figure.

The paisley design has become a classic design in our clothing. However, this design did originate in India, originating in India long back. The design was usually found on Indian shawls made of silk and cotton. They became popular during the 19th century continued British invasion of India; as soldiers would send shawls back home.

I am going to elaborate more on these influences on fashion later. These cultural exchanges in fashion go both ways, with western fashion influencing all parts of the globe. For example, most sports in the world today have players wearing western clothing. But, all cultures are not taking it very well. Did any of you hear about the upcoming tennis player Sania Mirza? Well, the story goes like this…this girl happened to reach the fourth round of some major tennis tournament (in a country where tennis is not a popular sport), but that’s not what caused all the uproar. She actually had a “fatwa” (a legal pronouncement in Islam) issued against her for wearing a skirt while playing tennis. I was appalled when I heard this, how unfair!! What do you guys think about this? For the complete story click on this link:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

References:
1. Adam, Sunil. May 01, 2003. Trampling on Hindu Sentiments - Footwear with Ganesha Images. India-west <http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=66b10da4b2bb6bcdf22324495852dc1f>
2. Anand Jon. [On-line]. 2002. Anand Jon Ellemans, Inc. http://www.anandjon.com/
3. History and significance of a Bindi. [On-line]. 2003. http://www.pardesifashions.com/
4. History of a Sari. [On-line]. 2003. http://puja.com/sari/hstry/hstry.htm
5. Journal of Indian Philosophy. “Maitreya‘s Jewelled World: Some Remarks on Gems and Visions in Buddhist Texts” 26 (4): 347-371, August 1998 Copyright © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
6. Om kara mantras. [On-line]. 2003. http://www.vydic.org/pages/slok_framset.htmPuri, Sunita. “'Ethnic fashion' obscures cultural identity.” [On-line]. 2001.
7. The Yale Herald, http://www.yaleherald.com/

Welcome!

2005-09-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my blog! I would first like to introduce myself. My name is Reena and I am a senior(pheww!). I have two majors, one in fashion and the second in marketing. I have always had a passion for fashion, and as I learn more about this subject, I understand the true importance of it. Fashion is not just limted to being materialistic, it goes on to be much beyond that.

Fashion to me is a nonverbal communication in the society. Since it is impossible to truely know every single individual personally, we tend to make many connections at first by what they wear. By wearing certain clothes people may understand who the person is, what background they are from, or what type of music they like. For example, one of the past trends last couple of seasons were t-shirt slogans like: "Everyone Loves Jewish Girl", or "Italian Stallion". If a person were to wear either one of the shirts, people might logically guess that the person is Italian or Jewish. Ofcourse, there could be an instance where the people wearing those shirts are not Jewish or Italian, but what each shirt does have in common is that they make strong statements to society.

Now, a little bit more about my myself... I am now working with a highly reputable manufacturer in the textile industry. They produce all sorts of high-quality textiles (100% cottons, blends, polyesters, linens, etc) and other finished products such as men's and women's garments. I discovered them in India while I was on vacation. I have always been interested in designing clothes and they provided me with an internship to design some clothing in their women's line. It was a great experience and I am truely grateful for the opportunity they have given me. However, now I am part of their marketing team and I am working on a overseas project with the company. They are now trying to establish a distribution network in the US and if this becomes succesful I may have a great future with this company. I am learning a lot, understanding the details involved in achieving this task of setting up a network here and developing the right contacts. I am willing to try hard and will be here for the long haul...so wish me luck!

Note* The picture above is of a Myanmar woman in traditional clothing, it is an original context found on the following website: www.exotissimo.com/.../ intro/present-useful.htm