Blog Post 1 – Lecture Review
Throughout the duration of the Better Lives unit, I’ve been provided with a surplus amount of information regarding the development and prospective outcomes of what working together in new and innovative ways will do to the fashion industry. Of the many lectures bestowed upon me the one that held the most impact was the very first. I distinctly remember attempting multiple times to grab a cup of coffee and having to retract to my seat to continue listening. The delivery of the lecture, provided by Julia Crew and titled Power, was extremely honest and straightforward. One of the beginning slides details how the fashion industry, as much as it is based in inventiveness & peculiarity, is bred out of a system of capitalism. Having understood this previously and aware of the major disparities between capitalism and oneness; I was immediately intrigued by the ways in which my university, a capitalistic entity, was going to approach this topic and go on further to link it to the power systems that control the fashion industry.
As the lecture continued I was enlightened to things I didn’t even know I wanted to know. There’s a time when Julia is speaking about the blatant imbalance of wealth amongst the globe and shows the faces of the as she called it “male, pale, and stale” group of individuals who hold some of the world’s most wealth. It’s maddening to think that that amount of wealth is wrapped up in such a tiny, monotonous group of people. I enjoyed completely how honest and thorough she was with explaining the negative impact these power imbalances have and how they have affected everyone. Fashion can become very sugar coated at times and it’s good that everyone has the access to information that will allow them the space to view the industry from all of its angles.
In totality I think this lecture provided me with an even clearer way of thinking when it comes to maneuvering within the fashion industry. Being aware of the information provided on pivotal topics such as the intersection of media influence and capitalism, amongst many other variations of that combination, makes it a bit easier to decipher what to do and what not to do as someone who is attempting to enjoy and be a part of the fashion community/industry. Julia touched on some very important and seldom spoken about aspects of the fashion industry both as a consumer and constituent. Placing a bit more responsibility on us as consumers I think is a big part of how change is going to occur and Julia spoke about the how much that is dependent on us. The industry is a very complex network and having been explained both the positive and negative aspects to it I think provides me with a much more solid foundation to be able to implement change for the better in whatever way I can.
11th May 2020 @ 12:44 pm
I have decided to read and reflect on Sean Christopher Mc Bean’s first Blog post. Sean’s first blog was surrounding the topic of the first lecture by Julia Crew, titled Power which touched on the fashion industries disguise of inventiveness and peculiarity just being straight up capitalism. Sean liked how honest and straightforward the lecture started off and I agree with him when he questioned how our university, ‘a capitalistic entity’, was going to approach this topic.
Sean continues to talk about Julia explaining “blatant imbalance of wealth amongst the globe and shows the faces as she called it “male, pale and stale” group of individuals who had some of the world’s most wealth.’” I really like the expressions that Julia used and I think she has come up with a great analogy. Sean talks about how much he liked the honestly and thoroughness of the lecture topic, and explained that he had been enlightened to thing he didn’t even know that he wanted to know.
Sean starts his last paragraph by explaining that this lecture has provided him with a clearer way of thinking when it comes to manoeuvring within the fashion industry. Sean seemed to enjoy the way Julia had described certain aspects of the fashion industry that Sean really related to or found intriguing, he seems interested in consumer responsibility and how changes could occur.