Blog 1 ‘Cultural Sustainability’ lecture reflection
Out of the lectures that I have virtually attended so far, ‘Cultural sustainability’ (2020) presented by John Lau was undoubtedly the one that resonated with and challenged me the most. That is mainly because it touched upon the notion of sustainability within the often overlooked cultural context. My preconception regarding the word ‘sustainable’ was that it is always bound to address environmental connotations and although the title intrigued me, I was expecting another disquisition on the alarming impact of fast fashion on the natural environment and world economy. However, the lecture proved to be all about situating the practice of sustainable approach in regard to considerations concerning different aspects of culture. There were a few significant issues raised such as profoundly political dimension of fashion, delicate problem of cultural appropriation and the great importance of cultural competence, all of which I had thought of at some point before, but never in such depth and from that viewpoint.
Even though I was to some extent aware of the certain, rather obvious tendencies in the way of dressing themselves performed by political figures or the phenomenon of ‘power dressing’, I had not realised how far back in history those connotations originate from and how even the miniscule detail becomes of great importance when worn by a prominent politician. How fashion can not only reflect current affairs, but thoroughly affect them, especially when challenging the subjective culture consisting of values and attitudes. Hence, from now on, in my stylist’s practice I will endeavour for my looks to present a more conscious and intentional political undertones.
When it comes to cultural appropriation I deem it an extremely relevant problem in the contemporary, globalised world full of the cross-cultural references. Yet the concept proposed by Mr Lau that especially struck me was that belonging to certain culture or ethnicity does not imply the understanding of it and its origins. The idea of misinterpretation of one’s own background and (in)voluntarily ‘corrupting’ it with borrowings was definitely something that I had not considered before. Importantly, consulting was advised as the adequate way of avoiding appropriation on which I will aim to put a greater emphasis in my future projects.
The importance of diversity understood within the frames of cultural competence had also been stressed as essential for the sustainable approach. An example of which could be a comprehensive inquiry of a visual reference to determine whether the apparent depiction actually communicates the original meaning. That deeply investigative approach is something I wish to incorporate in my output.
The general conclusion I want to come away with from this lecture, common for all of the examined aspects is simple yet paramount – conducting one’s research in a very profound and inquisitive manner allows one to successfully navigate through a variety of cultural nuances, in order to not only avoid misunderstandings but to effectively promote their ideas and hence actively contribute to sustaining of the culture.
Lau, J. (2020) ‘Cultural Sustainability’ [Lecture]. Better Lives. London College of Fashion. 18 February.