Liberal Role In Fashion Industry? Consumerism

[Spacemiu]

I don't really have much to add

But I do find it a hard balance between producing creative items and trying to sell them, I whant to keep consumerism down but i also whant to sell things and creat new things

 

[faust]

I would like to see the original poster's response to see if our answers were satisfactory or not. It is an intresting topic.

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by faust@Sep 10 2004, 08:34 PM
BTW, I would like to nominate Lena's post for post of the year.

[snapback]362385[/snapback]​

my my..

could it be that we scared off the original poster

 

[kit]

Perhaps this might be relevant to the discussion

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/sto...1302616,00.html

KIT

 

[softgrey]

bump...does anyone have anything to add to this topic?...

 

[Ella]

This exact topic is why I find it difficult to talk to my friends about fashion, I too see fashion as a form of art, my friends see fashion as something of interest to vain people who are mainly concerned with outer appearance. I, on the other hand, love studying how fashion has changed and evolved and also how different designers have changed and evolved. Fashion is such a huge part of culture which is why I don't understand why people don't view it as such. Also, just the word fashion seems to have negative connotations attached to it such as the already mentioned mindless consumerism and following trends like sheep. Clothes have always been status symbols:

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."
Mark Twain

But even so, never has there been such crazy consumer behaviour as now with people like Paris Hilton proclaiming she would never wear the same thing twice.

I will still add to this topic later.

 

[softgrey]

people think they reveal themselves when they take their clothes off...

but really...
it's the other way around......

 

[Ella]

I forgot to mention logomania which is an important indicator of the direction fashion has taken. This just proves that the average consumer buys lets say a Louis Vuitton handbag, not because it's a quality good, but because of the name and so s/he can show everyone that s/he has a designer bag. This is also why there are fake designer goods, people don't care.

 

[Mr-Dale]

I also think that consumerism isn't bad at all. Consumerism is what's keeping the global economy up and running I think. People spend billions of dollars/euros/yens whatever on consumerative products every year. It's really nothing new, it has always been like that - or at least for the past century. It is undeniably a big part of this society and undeniably an essential for the economy. What the stars wear is what we the retailers think is supposed to be worn, so it ends up in the stores and gets sold 'als zoete broodjes' (like sweet bread) as us Dutch folks would call it. It's happening right now, happened 10 years ago and will always keep on happening. And to me, that is not a bad thing at all. It's all about interpretation to me. When you buy something that just oozes consumerism it's not hard at all to completely costumize it to your own taste. By styling, by reconfigurating, by adding and taking away. So there will always be personal style. Sadly enough, there are a lot of people who just follow the herd and buy whatever she's wearing and wear it the exact same way. It's more common these days than actual stand-outs in fashion on the street. Which I kind of pitty actually. And with this game of herd-following the game of logo-following comes soon. When she wears LV and you must too, then you will. And if another sees you wear it, she'll think it's totally hot and do the same, et cetera. It's kind of a viceous circle and as EllaH pointed out, an indication of what our fashion/society (yes, fashion is an indicator of society) is heading to these days: name and fame instead of quality. Which I too, pitty.

 

[whizkit]

consumerism is what's precisely fuelling the ridiculous pricing of fashion today. Because the businesses knows that people will buy a logo, a false sense of wealth and status, if it's hyped up enough and even if the products are sold at a 1000% mark-up. The thirst for products are induced through the use of tactics like controlling supply and having "limited editions", making the owner feel like he/she is holding on to a piece of treasure. Hype is like a new religion, with the endless chase for the next big thing churned out by some corporate machine. And I really can't stand things $200 t-shirts that are made in China using cheap labour. I shudder at the thought of how much of that amount of money is going into the pockets of some businessmen smoking a cigar. To add, I don't believe in $200 jeans either.

just some random thoughts about consumerism and fashion.