Blog 2 – How Better Lives themes changed how I might work in the future
Sustainability, Diversity, and Social Responsibility are crucial aspects to consider as they play a fundamental role in our future practices.
When discussing these themes in the fashion industry I feel that sustainability is most overlooked now more than ever. Sustainability in the fashion industry today has become a mere “buzzword” where there has been more talk than action. One obvious example is the continuous use of plastic and paper bags, whereas other industries have moved on from this outdated concept by rejecting it entirely. Another example are the concerning use of receipts in all industries, what are the point of receipts when we now live in such a digitalised society? How many trees could we potentially save by eliminating this normalised routine? Examples such as these need to be reconsidered and improved by businesses. However when talking about sustainability in the fashion industry, consumers also play a massive role because they are constantly demanding for lower prices therefore businesses comply in order to survive. As a creative direction student I think it is very important to consider ways to improve consumer perception of this issue because, in this competitive market I can only foresee the prices reducing further.
Meanwhile, diversity in the fashion industry has developed massively within the past decade. Consumers today are more open minded and see beauty as more than just a size. Diversity has become the main concept that the youth culture today seek and support. However sometimes businesses forcingly use the concept as a marketing strategy without really understanding what it means to be diverse and inclusive. An example of this is Balmain’s 2014 advertising campaign which Shahidha Bari mentioned during her lecture titled “Diversity”. The photo included beautiful dark skin models, however people saw it as a deliberate quirk or a tokenistic gesture. Regardless there are many positive and successful examples of fashion businesses embracing diversity for example; Dior’s AW 2020 Menswear show which featured male models with hand bags and embellished scarves. Another example that I love is Sport Illustrated’s 2019 issue which featured Halima Aden as the first muslim model for the brand. I think that diversity in the fashion industry is heading towards a very positive path and
To conclude, Better Lives has challenged me to question old traditions while empowering me to consider solutions for the future. As a creative direction student, I feel that a lot of things that pointlessly use up nature’s resources today can easily be limited by digitalisation especially now since we live in a digital era. In addition, I believe that the Better Lives themes need to be given more importance to in schools because these topics are crucial for ensuring a sustainable future.
Bari, S. (2020) ‘Diversity’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 14 February.