Fashion In The Next 5 Or So Years

[ignitioned32]

A lot of topics recently have been leading to all this talk of fashion's future.

Some topics:
*indie designers loosing their business (i.e Jean-Paul Knott)
*H&M-type shops copying high-end fashion
*Fashion's 'New Generation'
*'death of couture'
*Elbaz-type designers as the 'future-type' of designer and EGO is 80's.

So what do you think will fashion be like in the next 5 or so years?

 

[Scott]

My question would be,will it be ever-so homogenized than it is now?

Personally,I see fashion continuing in the same way as it has been despite the setbacks. Maybe even getting back to where it was a few years ago.

In my dreams,what I would like to see is an end to this celeb obsession & mass hysteria over trends;a focus on beautiful clothes and individual style....now there's a concept that hasn't quite caught on yet Oh and we can so do without the copycats too. Maybe,maybe not but it would sure make fashion more pleasurable and maybe less percievably superficial and arrogant.

 

[banana]

I'd like to see fashion become more socially conscious. I'd like to see clothing produced under fair working conditions and with environmental considerations in mind. I'd like to see fashion that represents people's personalities rather than their pocketbooks.

Will that happen in my lifetime or let alone in 5 years... I do not know.

 

[Marlee]

Those are wonderful ideas banana, I completely agree with you.

 

[softgrey]

i predict that the gap and it's like will take over the world...

i think you'll see that mass production is the only way to keep prices down...so as a result you will have more of the same...and less individuality than ever...

i think more companies will go out of business and many large egos will be deflated...

until the global economic climate improves...i really don't know that we can hope for more...

and if all the fighting and bombing...etc...continues...things will only get worse...


*shakes head*...

this is what i think will happen...not my idea of utopia...we already have a thread on that topic...

 

[TheSoCalledPrep]

I pray for the end of knockoff logo bags.

 

[Spacemiu]

I agree with scott and bannana

i also agree with softgrey about corpret ake over, very very very sad

 

[Love4Armani]

i also hope for the end of those knockoffs. but that wont happen....

 

[brian]

Originally posted by Scott@May 27th, 2004 - 9:42 am
My question would be,will it be ever-so homogenized than it is now?

Personally,I see fashion continuing in the same way as it has been despite the setbacks. Maybe even getting back to where it was a few years ago.

In my dreams,what I would like to see is an end to this celeb obsession & mass hysteria over trends;a focus on beautiful clothes and individual style....now there's a concept that hasn't quite caught on yet Oh and we can so do without the copycats too. Maybe,maybe not but it would sure make fashion more pleasurable and maybe less percievably superficial and arrogant.

oh, i totally agree with you!
i hope so!

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by banana@May 27th, 2004 - 6:03 pm
I'd like to see fashion become more socially conscious. I'd like to see clothing produced under fair working conditions and with environmental considerations in mind. I'd like to see fashion that represents people's personalities rather than their pocketbooks.

Will that happen in my lifetime or let alone in 5 years... I do not know.

i agree with most that was posted already and mainly with the socially consious turn that banana pointed out.
as for 'individualism' it IS a HUGE trend already, been 'breeding' since the past two seasons and i think it will stay as a major trend for the years to come.

i'd like to see more power to indie designers (which is already there) more 'alternative' marketing & production ideas bringing in a much needed freshness and finally more ORIGINALITY and CRAFTMANSHIP please.

 

[ignitioned32]

Originally posted by Lena+May 28th, 2004 - 1:40 am--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Lena @ May 28th, 2004 - 1:40 am)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-banana@May 27th, 2004 - 6:03 pm
I'd like to see fashion become more socially conscious. I'd like to see clothing produced under fair working conditions and with environmental considerations in mind. I'd like to see fashion that represents people's personalities rather than their pocketbooks.

Will that happen in my lifetime or let alone in 5 years... I do not know.

i agree with most that was posted already and mainly with the socially consious turn that banana pointed out.
as for 'individualism' it IS a HUGE trend already, been 'breeding' since the past two seasons and i think it will stay as a major trend for the years to come.

i'd like to see more power to indie designers (which is already there) more 'alternative' marketing & production ideas bringing in a much needed freshness and finally more ORIGINALITY and CRAFTMANSHIP please. [/b][/quote]
Ditto.

 

[runner]

to fill the gap in the market between Savile Rows sartorial traditions and the luxury fashion industry, where fashion brands pretend to have great quality by adding gimmicky details such as a working cuff on a cheap suit.

Spencer Hart


this is what I hope for fashion now to do.
and I think some will in the near future.

 

[ignitioned32]

I predict that, in the future, fashion will be more focused on craft and originality. As Alber Elbaz is leading the way. Even Hollywood celebrities have focused interest in Lanvin. To quote Scott, Designers in P-Â-P are focusing more on craft.

With groups like the CFDA not recognizing talents like Tess and Rzepski and corporate takeovers, I really think indie designers will suffer over the next years. Though there's hope.

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by ignitioned32@May 29th, 2004 - 10:35 am
I predict that, in the future, fashion will be more focused on craft and originality. As Alber Elbaz is leading the way. Even Hollywood celebrities have focused interest in Lanvin. To quote Scott, Designers in P-Â-P are focusing more on craft.

With groups like the CFDA not recognizing talents like Tess and Rzepski and corporate takeovers, I really think indie designers will suffer over the next years. Though there's hope.

i absolutely agree, though i strongly believe that the few indie designers that will preveil the crisis will certainly get the recognition they deserve

 

[As You Like It]

Well, I hope like hell that fashion goes into a phase of things being more about craft, quality, and originality, but frankly, I don't see it happening.

I'm constantly being approached about commission work. People say things like "Wow, those are cute pants! Could you make a pair for me?" and I tell them, sure thing, it's going to take about $15 in materials and probably about 7 hours labor." At this point, they're like, "$15 that's not bad at all," but then it hits them that that labor is going to be $70, so they're looking at an $85 pair of pants, and they cut and run. "I could get pants for cheaper at Old Navy. I could get three pair and a shirt for that amount of money$"

So I'm like, "yeah, fine, screw you--go, go and buy cheapass, boring, sh*tty, dittohead clothes."

Most people want more for their money in quantity, not quality.

The only time anyone wants to pay me anything like a fair amount for my work is when I am making wedding dresses or other formal wear. Nobody wants to pay much for daywear or mending/alterations.

 

[softgrey]

i think that ...for the most part ...the general public has no idea how long it takes to make a garment...i think many people on this forum don't even realize it..that's where the bulk of the cost comes in...you're so right as you like it...the big conglomerates jack it up even further by factoring in advertising costs...

unlike cosmetics...which are all manufactured by machine...so they cost very little to make because there is very little labour...there...you pay mostly for packaging and advertising,...
as you like it...you know how it is....it;s not that your pants aren't cute...but most people really can't afford $70 for a pair of pants...that may be shocking to a someone who is young and has very few expenses...but if you've got two kids (or more) and you;ve got to pay for their clothes and their activities...piano lessons., camp.., soccer team... swimming lessons...etc..dentist...eyeglasses...music...toys...rent, food,a car..insurance...these things are priorities and add up very very quickly...

that;s why i think gap is going to take over the world...even if they improve work conditions for their contractors...they can make such huge orders that it still costs them very little to make a garment and the savings is passed on to the consumer...the bigger the order you place at the factory...the more you can negotiate the price down...this is part of why it costs independant designers so much to make a garment...they place small orders and therefore don't get a good deal from the manufacturers...the result is often a product that is priced too high to be practical...

and if craft is the focus...then doesn't that mean more hand work...so more time...so even higher prices?...i don't see how that's going to work...

 

[banana]

It might be impossible to go back to the mom and pop store days but maybe we can work with companies like the GAP to find something in between. At the very least let some of these factories in Asia start their own unions and give them some control over their salaries and working conditions. We need to find some sort of middle ground that would allow the exported labour to benefit poorer nations while still keeping production costs low.

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

It should begin to notice a wider market with the former Soviet states continuing their transition back to individual consumption, and another huge population to supply in China, with their living standard increasing and level of poverty decreasing. This could change things..

If the 'individual' thing, takes off (or keeps on where it's already in flight), the masses may begin to choose the quality over the quantity, no need to have plenty if no-one has what you do have. Believe it when we see it I say, the people and the industry are following a formula.

 

[As You Like It]

Originally posted by softgrey@May 29th, 2004 - 9:35 am

as you like it...you know how it is....it;s not that your pants aren't cute...but most people really can't afford $70 for a pair of pants

No, these are people who will happily go out and blow $200+ on cheap, shoddy clothes on the weekend. It is not like they don't have money to spend, they just want LOTS of stuff, not a few good pieces

I can understand not having a lot of money. Hell, I am consistently nail-bitingly broke, with little, if any money for extras like meals out, movies, CDs, new clothes, accessories, ect. I have to be VERY careful how I spend what discretionary money I do have--to buy things I will get a lot of use out of, and to get good value for my money. I can appreciate the value of a bargain. Nonetheless, I can't help but be frustrated when people happily blow $$$$ on loads and loads of cheap tat, but balk like mules over spending a fraction of the cost of high-end pret-a-porter for a custom made garment.

Basically, I am tired of getting dozens of nibbles but no bites. End of rant!

 

[banana]

I know what you mean. People don't love their clothes anymore. They want the "it" look NOW and when the season is over they ditch everything and buy a whole new wardrobe. That's there is so much cheap merchandise everywhere and companies can afford to guess what the next trend is going to be and mass produce it like crazy. If the product doesn't sell, no biggie, they will do better later on something else and bring their profits up again.

It's like those jelly bags. They're everywhere now and not everyone is going to buy one. I wonder what they will do with all the leftovers once the summer is over. Probably put them in a warehouse somewhere. Most of them are made out of PVC too. That's a wack load of plastic.