BLOG 1 – JULIA CREW ‘POWER’ LECTURE REFLECTION
BY RADHIKA DATTA
Watching Julia Crew deliver her lecture on Power was insightful, to say the least, as she delved into the history behind the power of fashion in society. Her exploration of the different icon power structures in society and their demonstration of power with the use of fashion was fascinating as it never occurred to me to view their authority as typified by visual demonstrations of dress. When I think of Power and Fashion, I think of the power in fashion, so it was intriguing to hear that it is not limited to the industry alone but finds its way into every structure in society. From the Queen to Nelson Mandela and Anna Wintour, fashion has found its way in representing power through the decades.
I found it to be an apt introduction to the lecture as she moved forward to address the crux of a prevalent issue in the fashion industry – its power structure. It never occurred to me that there may be something such as a lack of diversity in power in fashion. This may be due to no transparency regarding the inner operations presented to us by the media.
One always sees the industry from the perspective of “ten old white men”. This lack of diversity in the power structure was an eye-opener to a deeper issue – the disregard for representation that blooms from underlying racial ideals. To hear that only a tiny minority enjoys the global profit of the fashion industry, and the recited statistic “a CEO earns in 4 days what a Bangladeshi garment worker earns in her entire lifetime” leaves one looking to start their career in fashion despairing and disappointed. It follows with an internal dilemma of whether to work with an outlook to indulge in creativity or establish financial security.
This discussion stood out to me due to its misrepresentation. One can confirm that diversity in the system exists, but the lack of representation and distribution within the higher structures of the system fails many people within the industry.
This issue does not pertain to the industrialists themselves, however. With increasing levels of fashion consumption driven to an unsustainable point, the industry not only ignores social responsibility by violating human rights and forcing people to work more for less pay, but also disregards the urgent call for sustainability of production by damaging the surrounding environment.
What gives me hope is that as individuals, we are the future of fashion and we have the power to make a change. As a stylist, I aspire to source from conscious labels that not only think of sustainability but also represent where their supply has come. As a learning journalist in this unit, I aspire to use my words in an authentic manner to protest and boycott ignorant brands and raise awareness regarding important matters that prevent the development of the industry. The industry relies on its consumers to drive trends, so as a consumer, I aspire to be more conscious about overcoming society’s expectations and social media’s emotional influence. If consumers were made aware of how and where their supply originates, this would help us move towards becoming a more ecologically sustainable and mindful industry.