Blog 1
Out of all the Better Lives lectures that I viewed, all of which were incredibly interesting, the one that resonated with me most was Julia Crew’s lecture on Power. It was insightful to look at the wider structures that affect fashion within our lives, and recognise the responsibility that we have in this institution as fashion students and as consumers.
I feel that it is important to recognise that the clothing industry has allowed some people to become extremely wealthy, e.g. CEO’s, while virtually enslaving others such as Bangladeshi garment workers. We need to recognise the lack of equality in the system and work to fight this injustice. Low pay keeps people trapped in a cycle of poverty and exploitation.
Increase in consumption means there is demand for factories to produce higher quantities of clothing for cheaper prices. This demand can be seen everywhere. For example, “200 million Instagram users follow at least one fashion account. #fashion is mentioned 13 million times a month. 84% of millennials are influenced into making a purchase from this”.
I was really surprised by the influence Instagram has on young people. 84% is such a high statistic. I underestimated that so many people would really be purchasing from this influence. I personally saw Instagram fashion accounts and trends more as inspiration for people rather than a consumption driving machine. This proves that influencers need to recognise their power and that they have a moral obligation to promote fairly and should be considering the ethics of the brands that they post. Influencers can use their power for positive change within the industry if they support ethical companies.
Another example of increasing demand and the effects of influencers is Love Island. Missguided clothing was featured on Love Island, leading to a 40% increase in sales. Items worn by popular contestants saw an instant 500% sales boost. This shows the extent of power that the media has, and made me think about how many people considered these purchases before buying, whether it was an investment or are they just buying a throw away garment on a whim. Why don’t the media promote more sustainable and ethical brands to consumers? This could be a great way to improve the fashion industry, reaching a wider audience that would be influenced into supporting better companies.
There is evidence of the consumer taking power back, for example through boycotting people/brands that they don’t agree with. Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand was boycotted for paying poverty wages to workers which led to sales falling by 45% and the eventual closure of the brand. This demonstrates the power that consumers hold and can use to create change.
I think that by supporting brands that are fair and sustainable, making more considered purchases and being more socially and environmentally aware we can shape the industry to move in a better direction and create better lives. Taking back consumer power and boycotting the brands that are operating unfairly will create positive change for the fashion industry.