Blog 1- Reflective Writing on Culture, Diversity and Sustainability
After accessing different lectures, the theme of “Culture” caught my attention. In this blog, I have listed some of my opinions and doubts about the deficiency of fashion development in such domain.
Culture and Diversity
In Shahidha’ speech, she mainly interpreted the theme of “Diversity” in fashion industry. Due to phenomenon of “little actions behinds marketing”, “Taste on beauty”, and “Cultural misinterpretation” (Diversity and inclusion in fashion industry, 2019), diversity seems to stand inside a potential safety line in fashion category. This conception then raised my awareness towards cultural studies and research.
From my perspective, the definition of “Fashion” is varied by different customers with their own preferences. The style such as Punk, Hippie, or Chic are actually the derivatives of fashion. Therefore, it becomes difficult for introducing diversity in a specific brand or in physical presence. Does diversity can only be reflected on multiracial models for advertisement? Or we can really explore diversification far beyond that?
I have learned that qualified fashion workers should be aware of the essence of culture, to see depths of culture in John’s lecture. He has given an example of Mount Fuji in different perspectives between Japan and Western country, which warned me to seek certain interpretation in research process. This remind me of Dolce & Gabbana’s discriminatory advertisement. In November 2018, D&G has posted a video that a model who dressed in typical Chinese costume tried to have a pizza by using chopsticks with exaggerated expression. (Segran E, 2018) The original purpose seems like to embrace the diversity and make collaboration between Chinese Culture and Western Culture. However, Culture is far more than visible scene. It is too superficial to take advantage of cultural output without define its potential interpretation. Therefore, culture and diversity are actually complicated theories for all fashion students to conquer. What meaning is hidden behinds visible representation? How can we completely understand a culture? To what extents, are we able to integrate culture without bring racist beliefs? We need to maintain a cautious attitude about cultural appropriation.
Consumer Culture and Sustainability
In Cultural category, “Consumerism” is a conception has been repeatedly discussed. In Anna’s speech, it has been defined as an ideology to seek happiness through consumption. Kate also mentioned in Power & Media section that “Never wearing the same clothes twice” became the mainstream trend. However, this culture actually delivers a negative message towards fashion market and further leads an unsustainability in long term. Kate argues that Nature is the enabler of fashion system. Indeed, fashion products are continuously drawing natural support for raw materials. When market goes to mass production, all consumptions in crops and animals are sharply increasing at the same time.
Us, all LCF students, we must be the main force who may control the digital market and guide the public opinion. It’s our duties to appeal for sustainability and promote positive influence in fashion industry. Instead of consumer culture, can we create a new culture to embrace nature and save limited resource? For designer, can recyclable fabric be considered as primary option? In media department, can environmental protection be focused as main theme for advertisement? In business, can second hand fashion be promoted as major trend?
All in all, although Better lives Unit raises student’s consciousness on sustainability, there are still many obstacles existing in fashion industry before taking real action.
Citation:
Segran, E. (2018). Why does luxury fashion hate Chinese consumers?. [online] Fast Company. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90273073/why-does-luxury-fashion-hate-chinese-consumers [Accessed 22 Feb. 2020].
Diversity and Inclusion in the fashion industry. (2019). United Kingdom: Culted.
11th May 2020 @ 3:36 am
After reading Xiaoqing’s reflection on culture, diversity and sustainability lectures, I feel she had clearly analysed the deficiency of fashion development. She also addressed examples and citations in the paragraph, which is convincing that she has fully understood the themes and well discuss the various issues going on.
In the first paragraph she has stated the example of diversity in fashion industry, also she points out several issues which should be considered further in the themes, especially the part she addressed that the culture is far more than visible scene. I agree with her opinions here, because in the fashion industry brands are making decisions on customer preference, thus they may not interpret cultural appropriation by thorough research on history and heritage. Moreover, she has conveyed that all fashion students should have cautious attitude about cultural appropriation, that demonstrates her knowledge of what she have learnt from the better lives unit and have a positive thinking on what can be improved within the situations we are facing now. In the second paragraph she has discussed about consumerism and analysed that the consumer culture delivers a negative message towards fashion market and further leads to an unsustainable environment in long term, which gives customer pressure by following the fashion trend. I think she has reflected really well on how students can actually make things differently after numerous lectures of better lives unit, such as appeal for sustainability and promote positive influence in fashion industry…etc. Also she has thought widely from various profession, what they might be doing to solve the ongoing issues in the fashion industry. But like what she say there are still many obstacles existing and alongside fashion.
Overall, after viewing the whole blog, I feel she has successfully reflected to the themes which made me revise how can I develop on my reflections in the future, not only one side of thoughts, it could include others opinions and citations. She has classified all the key issues and reflected on what makes her think deeper, most importantly to coverage there are more things that have not mention out there in the fashion industry, we may not easily to conquer all the knowledge we gained as students, but physically how can we think outside the box after this unit and utilise in the future work.