Introducing fashion and society...
The weekly segment of my blog that discusses all things fashion but in relation to society, ranging from the business of fashion to fashion politics, movements, how fashion can develop both individuals and countries, fashion news, the finances underlying fashion - literally whenever fashion has an impact on society, I will be discussing it here.
I’m keen to leverage my finance/economics background and interest for fashion with some of the issues affecting people from all walks of life. I’m a strong believer that fashion and style have substance to them, they are not solely limited to the style and colour of shoes, so introducing my weekly segment discussing 2 or 3 issues of how fashion relates to the wider issues in society
The weekly segment of my blog that discusses all things fashion but in relation to society, ranging from the business of fashion to fashion politics, movements, how fashion can develop both individuals and countries, fashion news, the finances underlying fashion - literally whenever fashion has an impact on society, I will be discussing it here.
I’m keen to leverage my finance/economics background and interest for fashion with some of the issues affecting people from all walks of life. I’m a strong believer that fashion and style have substance to them, they are not solely limited to the style and colour of shoes, so introducing my weekly segment discussing 2 or 3 issues of how fashion relates to the wider issues in society
So, let’s kick it off with ASOS Made in Kenya & Burberry.
ASOS Made in Kenya is something that has been around for a long
time and came to my attention when I was researching for my post discovering the ASOS eco edit. First introduced in 2009 in partnership
with social enterprise SOKO, the ASOS Made in Kenya collection disrupts a typically
white, middle class stomping ground and introduces the aspects of culture and economic development to mainstream fashion. Fashion is a difficult industry to break into, before you even start to bring aspects
of race, class or identity into the mix. Fashion, as a creative industry must
attract those of varying demographics and cultures as diversity fuels
creativity. And the ASOS Made in Kenya collection does just this.
So, what does it mean for the fashion communities and people
within the second largest growing region in the world?
With a lot
of the textile industry in the continent of Africa being overshadowed by the
cheap labour and sweatshops of South East Asia. One amazing example that I
still am in awe of is the story of the Kenyan Stitching Academy. Set up in conjunction with ASOS and SOKO, the
KSA offers a two-month course to help locals develop and improve their skills
in clothing manufacturing, eventually allowing them to start their own
businesses and become experts within the textile field. I have done my fair
share of ranting that some high-street retailers take advantage of workers in
the global South, however with the ASOS Made in Kenya collection, you know
that the clothes we are purchasing are benefiting generations of
individuals around the world, showing how fashion is a great device to understand
and learn more about the various cultures around the world.


With creative input and direction from 2ManySiblings,
Julie Adenuga
and Leomie
Anderson, a modern take on traditional African prints, bold colours and
with the range currently being on sale, there’s no other reason to check it
out!
Burning Burberry
When you think of Burberry what comes to mind?
For me there
are two things;
- The hard work the fashion house has done to maintain their brand name from the masses of fake goods and mass consumerism that had the potential to completely tarnish the reputation of the brand.
- Cara Delevinge (the most recent campaign she fronted for the fashion house was stunning)
So many fashion brands have had to quickly adapt to the
changing preferences and attitudes of younger buyers. We want more than just a
designer item - we want meaning, we care about the environment, sustainability
and responsibilities of the fashion industry. We’re also changing the way we
buy designer items and more specifically with the fall of traditional
marketing, we’ve completely changed how our purchasing
patterns in deciding what to buy in the first place. Given all the points
of what the modern-day consumer is looking for in a brand, I think Burberry
were crazy for millions burning branded goods. MILLIONS.
Actually, to correct myself – I don’t think what they did
was crazy (there are well rational reasons behind it), I think how they went about it and the timings of everything were just unfortunate.
We know the fashion industry has been one industry to be catapulted into
the spotlight on the issue of sustainability. In fashion terms, sustainability
covers how to ensure fashion and design cares for both people and planet.
Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood are two designers that come to mind in
terms of how their clothes are ethically produced and have openly spoken about the
failings of the fashion industry, and trends such as upcycling (well Viv at
least). Fashion cycles are very frequent
and when the new season is in, we will happily ditch what we wore two weeks ago
because ‘that’s so last season darling'. Burberry are well advanced in terms of
their sourcing and supply chains being sustainable and the modern-day aspiration
for quite a lot of other designer brands, so why burn hundreds and thousands of
excess stock, and then claim this was done using a sustainable method??
Burberry have fully reasserted their position in the fashion
market. The early 2000s where the brand was infamously recognized for its check
print being on absolutely everything and being worn by absolute everyone (both
real and fake), heavily devalued the reputation of Burberry back in the day. But like the
consumer, the strategies of brands have to evolve in order to remain relevant. The
burning of stock worth millions at market value, passes on a loud and clear
message that Burberry (even Burberry that had no clear chance of being sold at its full recommended retail price) is unattainable and completely out of reach for
the everyday consumer. I mean, it’s not like we needed reminded that fashion
can drill down into further societal issues!
Until next time
Mx
Social Icons