Coco Chanel‘s designs were a symbol of her independence and unwillingness to submit herself to societal demands. She took her ‘wild’ ideas of style, strength, and empowerment and incorporated those into her designs and words. Chanel helped to abolish the previously strict and rigid social structure in society, allowing everyone to feel more equal. She turned women’s perception of fashion and lifestyle upside down by liberating women from constrictive clothing.
The influence Chanel still holds in fashion is credited to the fact that she did not care about what people thought or what was expected of her, she simply made her dreams of business come to life.
The fashion of the late 19th and early 20th century was very modest and restrictive. The women of the decade wore frilly, puffed blouses and fluted skirts with long tunics over the top, decorated with lace and ribbon ties. In addition, impractical outfits which included corsets and high necklines were also popular at the time. Due to the expensive fabrics and other adorations, it was easier to tell apart the lower classes from those of higher social ranking. This emphasized the social disparity and inequality of the early 20th century. The lower classes tended to have simpler designs that were usually made of cotton, the upper classes outfits had many decorations and were made of more expensive fabrics, such as silk. Chanel signified a change in the way women’s clothes were seen in society by designing clothes that could be worn by anyone no matter their social status.
Chanel‘s fashion impacted the role that women had in society; it gave women a place in the community because they were no longer viewed as pretty little things that could do anything, but they were now being accepted into the work society. Coco Chanel said, “One world was dying, another coming into existence. I was there is an opportunity beckoned and I took it. I was the same age in the new century, so it turned me to expression clothing.” People had only thought that Chanel was a “revolutionaire” in the fashion world. She also impacted society do you to the fact that she broadened the fashion that was available to women which gave them more opportunities. For example, when pants were created for women they could ride horses freely and not just have to see them sideways and fear falling off. She set examples and took a bold leap branching out of the norm. “ if I cut my hair, others did. If I shortened my progress, so did everyone.” Chanel was becoming a major influence in fashion at that period and had the majority of people following her trends.
Coco Chanel’s views and impacts carried on to broader trends in the early 20th century. She started this change of how women viewed themselves, and how society viewed women. This trend then continued onto a larger scale in the early 20th century when women gained the right to vote, and there was an increase in feminism. Feminism is advocating for women’s social, political, and economic rights to be equal to men’s. Coco Chanel drew attention to the day-to-day issues that women face. It’s part of a larger awareness of other issues that women of that period faced. Although Coco Chanel passed away, her inspiration and ideas stuck with women as they fought for a more equal society and other designers as they began making more liberating clothes for women.
Space Age fashion was first introduced in the mid-to-late 60s by a French couturier who was passionate about engineering and architecture. His name was André Courrèges and his vision of fashion redefined the beauty canons of Western society, evading those already established by designers like Cristobal Balenciaga or the house of Dior (and its wasp-shape figure). Courréges reinvented the model of femininity: functional and liberating; full of movement. “Clothes must be able to move too”, he once said, creating a direct connection between the never-ending social evolution and his garments. (This current was already present with the figure of Alexander Rodchenko (1920s) and his unisex Soviet uniforms based on utilitarian functionality. Jean Patou (1920s) who was influenced by sportswear and created fashionable wear also focused on producing garments that were elegant, wearable, and practical.) Soon, other designers such as Pierre Cardin with the cylinder suit jacket, Paco Rabanne and his dedicated- – –sci-fi attire or Mary Quant, with the use of plastics decided to follow Courrèges’ lead and divulge the trend by characterizing it with their attributes.
During this decade the United States, United Kingdom, and continental Europe suffered abnormal socio-political revolutions that encouraged artists to challenge their boundaries and explore beyond the already accepted tedious social norm. The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union marked a pivotal point for society and the longevity of the trend.
Economic perspective
Although Space Age fashion focuses more on a cultural and technological scenario, it is crucial to analyze the importance of economic factors such as demand, sales, and production. These are of great interest to understand how ‘prominent’ the trend was.
These garments were originally produced for an exclusive and reserved sector, but soon, Courrèges revealed that: ‘Working women have always interested me the most,’ said Life Magazine in 1965. ‘They belong to the present, the future’. During that same year, the visionary sold over 200.000 miniskirts. This meant his designs started popularising over a female-dominant sector eager to become a more ‘cosmic’ version of their selves. This figure exhibits the importance of mass production during that era: without modern machinery, sales wouldn’t have risen. Due to this vast production, Space-Age apparel was cheap and purchasable by many members of the population. In 1968, half of his company was acquired by L’Oréal, expanding his empire by opening 125 boutiques worldwide and introducing his first fragrance: Mr. Courrèges (diversifying his brand and attracting a male audience.)
However, it was Pierre Cardin who saw the potential of China as a source of attracting millions of new customers. In 1967 Cardin founded ‘Gruppo GFT’ with the fusion of Tianjin Jin Garment Company and ended up forming the Pierre Cardin label (This crucial movement could allude to Paul Poiret’s (1903) ‘Persian Rose collection’, where he was the first designer to commercialize his name. Poiret was the pioneer for it.) This led him to negotiate about 800 licensing deals in more than 100 countries. His fashion expanded at an over-accelerated worldwide level; people knew his name, his brand, and his products. Cardin didn’t only produce fashion at this stage: alarm clocks, pens, and cigarettes were also included in his collection. By the end of the century, he already produced $2.5 billion per year. Industrialisation is more than present at this stage: the supply and demand chain is purely active and Cardin became one of the world’s top business owners due to the vast capital produced. However, with the act of ongoing licensing and the subsequent use of a wide range of product strategies, the brand ended up being damaged, losing the prestige it originally had.
Cultural perspective
In a decade marked by political conflicts and social changes, the Cold War and the Vietnam War were still palpable, leaving the younger generations impacted by the atrocities committed. They needed a radical cultural change, some organisms embraced freedom, and diversity, while others remained obtuse to this idea.
The Chambre Syndicale (the French fashion industry’s governing body) didn’t accept the launch of Cardin’s Space Age ready-to-wear line (1959) and, as a consequence, the designer got expelled from it. This represents how thorough its members were when defending this institution’s values on haute couture. However, this wasn’t an impediment for him to expand and transform his trademark (as stated previously).
In terms of cultural perception, April’s issue of 1965 Harper’s Bazaar magazine was dedicated to Space Age fashion. Featuring a galactic cover photographed by the prestigious Richard Avedon, the microtrend couldn’t have been depicted any better: glamorous, seductive, and recent. Some of the models included for this issue were: Donyale Luna and Paul McCartney. People saw them as a reference, contemporary to the decade they were living in, and consequently, desired to have a more ‘up-to-date’, advanced outfit. Eloquent garments were portrayed such as the: “kinetic threads”, the striped dress, or the “OP Scene” (a symmetrical short attire with large circular monochromatic shapes printed on its surface.) However, this trend not only focused on the apparel; the messages fashion creators wanted to convey through their designs were so powerful that soon Space Age reinvented itself and transformed into a literary movement. For this April’s edition, Lane Dunlop forges a state of illusion and trance when describing a pictured scene: “Moon-driven, ungovernable as the sea in her moods Of sexual mayhem, or the maniacal calm of 3 a.m. She laughs to scorn the mind-forged manacles, and Gives up her dead to the depth charge of grief”. This “Note to the Heart” alludes to the aesthetic being created by the trend: abstract, exclusive, and utopic. Reserved for individuals who wanted to “dress for success”, following Emanuel Ungaro’s statement for Space Age. This designer wanted to disclose sex appeal without relating it to vulgarity. Just as Rudi Gernreich and his swimwear (forged following the trend) and very much appreciated by celebrities such as the late actress Sharon Tate (Roman Polanski’s first wife), pictured on multiple occasions wearing the aquatic costume. She became an icon of her time who portrayed the embodiment of Space Age fashion.
Technological perspective
As society was evolving, so did the interpretation of the suit following Pierre Cardin’s filter. One year before the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to reach outer space, Cardin introduced his Cylinder menswear collection. It consisted of a reinterpretation of the conventional men’s suit along with the sports coat. He removed the lapel, narrowed the shoulders, and sewed a five-button design on the blazer that reached up to the tie knot. This served him in 1968 as a source of inspiration for his Cosmo Corps collection (made exclusively for everyone: men, women, and children.) Some of the materials he conveyed had never been used for daily wear. These included: vinyl, plastic, leather, and his own three-dimensional “Cardine” fabric.
Another designer crucial to mention, who revolutionized the fashion industry regarding technological advances was Paco Rabanne. In 1966 he inaugurated his ‘breakout’ show: “Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials.” These garments were produced with sparkling paillettes and metal discs that were joined through split metal rings by hand. This process of craftsmanship mirrors how time-consuming some of these designs were: using innovative components wasn’t time-efficient but the final result left the audience mesmerized. Their shininess mirrored the one found in spacecraft and spacesuits; making the cosmos that surrounds humanity more tangible. At this point, Rabanne thought about comfort as a minor factor of concern (unlike his predecessors: André Courrèges or Pierre Cardin.) He believed in the uniqueness of his attire and conceived it as timeless. Such is his judgment that during the 2017 ready-to-wear Autumn collection, Rabanne made a huge comeback and brought Space Age fashion back to the runway: the shiny and iridescent metallic fabrics were seen again not only on the catwalk but on the streets. Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel also produced cost-worthy silver textiles that could be appreciated for their “Rocket Launch” collection during this same year. Rabanne initiated a passion for the use of unusual materials that relate to today’s context of sustainability and waste.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, this trend has left remarkable moments within Western society. It has shown a craving to go beyond any boundaries established, any shapes/silhouettes studied, and any ideas accepted. Space Age fashion was truly embraced by a community passionate about autonomy and citizenship, unity. Designers went from embracing a trend to creating a new one: ambition is what best characterized their spirit for renewal. They managed to thrive economically, to be accepted (even nowadays) by several nations, not only Western but Occidental, and introduced new materials we perceive as being ‘ordinary’ as a novelty for the time. They accomplished the popularisation and expansion of the 60’s zeitgeist remodelling it into a sempiternal trend. Space Age fashion is eternal.
“Fashion thrives on its reputation for being lawless and the most famous notions of irresponsibility have captured the media and gained public recognition.” Lucy Siegle, journalist, founder of Observer Ethical Awards, and TV presenter.
The concept of ethical fashion, it’s not new, although it is a substantial topic of discussion in the industry at this moment in time as climate change and environmental awareness have become leading social and political issues. The fashion industry has a poor record of ethical practices, with concerns being raised regarding the use and fabrication of synthetic fibers, unethical cultivation of cotton, exploitative labor practices, and fur farming.
In this essay, I am going to analyze how in the mid-1960s, the Hippies, a counterculture born in San Francisco inspired by music, art, and politics going against the dominant norms of the time, applied sustainability to fashion and made it appealing to a young audience.
In 1962, a book that started moving people’s conscience toward the issue of sustainability came out, was Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, an environmental science book that focuses on themes like the damage done to the environment due to the incessant use of chemicals. The offenders included cotton growers and textile manufacturers. Cotton growers were to blame because of the large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers used to produce greater crop yields, while textile manufacturers discharged chemicals into local rivers and streams through their mills. Environmental issues suddenly became a topic of discussion and they found their voice in a community of young people that shared values like opposition to the war in general and the Vietnam War in particular, rejection of the soulless consumerism that surrounded them, and a desire to get back to nature. They created their own life by their way of life. Hippie fashion was characterized by bold patterns and colors, and free-flowing clothes, from peasant blouses and skirts to bell-bottom trousers and vests and long hair for both men and women, but hippie fashion was more than mere rejection of sobriety and traditionalism, as it was often used to make a political statement. Wearing a Khaki army surplus jacket with a flower in the buttonhole encompassed their beliefs of peaceful protesting against the Vietnam War. The vast majority of the clothes the Hippies were wearing were bought from secondhand shops and often customized or handmade, using organic fabric. Though they were against mainstream fashion, their established culture, style, and fashion are still prevailing in our contemporary fashion.
In recent years, the term sustainability has gained more and more popularity in the fashion industry and many designers and organizations around the world have started to make the shift to a more ethical approach. But it is not enough to fulfill the mass demand. For establishing sustainable fashion, we should focus on all the elements of sustainability that already exist in our surroundings. For example, local handicrafts, handloom, garments wastage & second-hand clothes.
In recent years, the term sustainability has gained more and more popularity in the fashion industry and many designers and organizations around the world have started to make the shift to a more ethical approach. But it is not enough to fulfill the mass demand. For establishing sustainable fashion, we should focus on all the elements of sustainability that already exist in our surroundings. For example, local handicrafts, handloom, garments wastage & second-hand clothes.
Androgynous chooses an identity that can be explained as an altered blend of both or mixed male or female identity. True androgyny lies in the absence of gender binaries and their associations. Designers who have managed to create androgynous fashion are typically the ones who erase masculine and feminine differences. Androgyny refers to someone’s physical appearance or presentation and doesn’t necessarily correlate to a gender or sexual orientation.
As ANDROGYNOUS FASHION is genderless it sometimes raises political thread, whereby issues of feminism and the gay rights movement have intersected with expressing a non-binary aesthetic to clothing. Example: A woman carrying a pantsuit or a man wearing makeup or heels. The best example is Luisa Capetillo an adult woman activist in Puerto Rico she started wearing a suit and a tie in public.
Androgynous fashion began before it became a symbol of style and fashion. Women started to enter the workforce, political and social changes impacted fashion, and they wore suits, ties, and tuxedos in public which was not at all common in the 1920’s.In the same era, Coco Chanel introduced women’s trousers and influenced and inspired women like Katherine Hepburn to carry on the trend of pants as they are so comfortable compared to the ‘typical’ feminine clothing like those long big skirts women used to wear twenty-four seven.
Then the end of World War II working women wore this style of clothing by default as it was more comfortable and practical as they had long working hours. Cinema had played a huge role in embracing Androgynous Fashion, men took pride in their physical appearance by using hair products and beauty products like makeup for the plays. Example: James Dean acted as a pioneer with his dramatic hairstyles and quirky style of clothing, he paved the way forward to a modern way of thinking and dressing. The shift was accelerated by the army recruiting female spies, who had to wear special uniforms comprised of jackets and dresses over trousers. Women then were perceived as wearing outfits of men.
Elizabeth first showed “this unique style” to her cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early women’s rights movement. Caddy was very impressed with the look and the freedom of the movement and about her experience of wearing trousers and being comfortable.
There was an introduction of FLAPPER STYLE consisting of trousers and a ‘chic bob’ hairstyle marketed as the latest trend in women’s fashion. The flapper style gained much popularity with celebrities during the 1930s the glamorous German actress Marlene Dietrich was one of the first cinema stars to adopt adapt flapper androgynous style. Marlene Dietrich was often seen wearing trousers and suits at movie premiers. From then on androgynous fashion became widely adopted by celebrities and fans from all over the world.
The ‘persona’ was introduced to the public when David launched his music album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders from Mars’. David described it as a reflection of his sexual ambiguity under the influence of pop culture and cinema stars androgynous fashion made its mark.
Since historic times the word ‘androgyny’ has been synonymously used with the term ‘hermaphrodite’, which means possessing a combination of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny is all about nonconformity. A gender-bending movement in fashion to fill any gender gaps. Androgynous style and clothing has been a runway staple in the West and it is making its way in dominating the Indian market.
In India, androgyny is not thought of as an odd mixture of sexual organs but is viewed as a fortunate combination of male and female qualities. According to Indians men and women are incomplete without each other. Together they are complete with each part helping the other.
India is slowly accepting inclusivity and warming up to the LGBTQI+ community, especially after bidding goodbye to the law discriminating against homosexuality. It aims to break the gender binary rules of society through clothing and using the stage as a means of silent protest and expression.
In contrast, androgynous fashion has been present since the 1900s, but was limited to big designer houses and was worn mainly by people in Hollywood showbiz but is slowly making its way to the Indian film industry by dominating one runway at a time. Every year, designers are blending fabrics, experimenting with cuts and silhouettes foraying into the world of genderless clothing with some or other new concept.
Modern androgyny started slow but the Turning point was Lakme fashion week 2013 one particular womenswear designer managed to turn heads and get the attention of the industry with his curious long tunics with side slits. The tunic, fitted brilliantly into the wardrobe of both men and women. And then soon after another domination was in 2015, when Ranveer Singh known for his bold and outrageous sense of fashion wore skirts for the promotion of his movie Bajirao Mastani, bringing embracing androgyny and this trend into the spotlight. After which Ayushmann Khurrana and Irfan Khan were seen wearing similar outfits.
It expresses power rather than gender. Power has traditionally been associated with men. Through androgynous silhouettes, there is a sense of power being transferred to women. Making women look more masculine than men — not only does this change gender stereotypes, but it is also an empowering gesture. It also started symbolizing how important is for women to be financially independent and professionally successful.
Today many designers are also approaching models who are open to adapting and carrying androgynous clothing. There are certain campaigns, catalogs, and fashion shows where people get a chance to showcase androgynous attire. Today Indian fashion designers are playing a huge role in changing our outlook on the way we look at clothes. Designers like Rohit Bal and Rajesh Pratap Singh have introduced drapes, floral patterns, and free-flowing folds into their collections. These designers and many others are slowly blurring the idea of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ clothing.
People in India are slowly adapting androgynous styles of dressings breaking the gender binary rules which is visible in modifications to the traditional Indian garments. For Example, Dhoti which was considered a traditional attire for men is now worn by women as well, and Anarkali which is a dress-like silhouette that was traditionally adorned by women is now given as a variation to the traditional masculine sherwani.
Many Bollywood actors have incorporated androgynous clothing in their wardrobe/style and have made fashion statements for promoting their movies, magazine cover shoots, and breaking gender norms in fashion.
Jim Sarbh made a statement by wearing a flowy outfit with trumpet sleeves and a traditional Indian kurta/Anarkali style dress with a floral print.
Designers soon started adding masculine influences. Silhouettes started having masculine influences. For instance: Detailing on collars, adds a sense of masculinity to women’s clothes. From shirts and bombers to boxy shorts and boyfriend jackets, bold graffiti-esque slogan prints from your boyfriend’s closet, and vice versa, the gender lines started blurring step by step
Home-ground brands have curated Indian fashion labels that have successfully managed to champion genderless in their collections.
Kallol Datta
Kallol Datta’s designs are conceptualized while keeping in mind the fabric and material and not the consumer’s gender. Her designs were famously known for fluid silhouettes.
NorBlack NorWhite
NorBlack NorWhite (NBNW) is a brand known for coming together with modern silhouettes and refined techniques of traditional Indian handicrafts. Most of the pieces of clothing comprise unisex separates with no distinctions made concerning prints, fabrics, or silhouettes.
Bobo Calcutta:
This label is popularly known as Bobo describes himself as a ‘lover of art, obsession, and illusive modern expressionism, history and fashion’. This label is a reflection of the core belief of love being the basis of all things. Clothes are inspired from paintings because as art has no gender his clothes also have no gender.
Alan Alexander Kaleekal is a label that has become known for using Indian handicrafts and handloom fabrics and for garments with baggy silhouettes that are cut from a single block of fabric, for minimal fabric wastage. The majority of the garments are limited to a very neutral palette of black and white.
Rimi Nayak, a womenswear designer taking up androgynous fashion aesthetics, worked on menswear detailing in her collection for Lakme fashion week- ‘Some of my silhouettes have masculine influences. Detailing on collars, for instance, adds a sense of masculinity to women’s clothes. I even have one ensemble where a man’s tie is printed onto a top. From shirts and bombers to boxy shorts and boyfriend jackets, the gender lines are being blurred and I am happy to endorse this trend,” says the designer.
Soon androgynous fashion furthered the case for un-gendered styles and inspired even mega high-street brands like Zara, Topshop, H&M, and New Look to launch special collections without gender tags. Every day one or other person is including androgynous fashion in their wardrobe because it’s not just style, fashion, or trend it signifies one’s expression and power. The fashion is not a fad, it is here to stay.
Though India is slowly accepting androgynous fashion, it still has a long way to go. Different people have different opinions towards androgynous fashion, We shall conduct several surveys and interviews to assess the evolving perceptions about androgynous fashion.
The Victorian fashion era began with Queen Victoria’s reign started in 1837 and ended in 1901 upon her death. It marked a critical time in Britain’s history and around the world. The period saw many changes in fashion, including changes in styles, fashion technology, and the methods of circulation. Various movements in architecture, literature, and the decorative/visual arts as well as a change in approach of the traditional gender ‘roles’ also influenced fashion. Modesty and propriety were a very important feature of Victorian fashion, dresses that covered the arms and went right down to the ankles were recommended and looked down upon if not worn. The 1840’s fashion is characterized by low and sloping shoulders, a low pointed waist, and a bell-shaped skirt, that grew increasingly larger throughout the decade. Neckline Bertha (first recorded in 1835–45; named after Bertha who died A.D. 783, wife of Frankish king Pepin) was a staple in the Victorian era for its low-shouldered neckline worn by women. This cut of neckline exposed the woman’s shoulders. It was often trimmed all over with lace flounce (ruffles) or the bodice has a neckline that has been draped with several horizontal rows of fabric pleats to create extra volume. However, the skin exposure around the neckline was only restricted to the upper and middle class, working-class women during the Victorian time period were not allowed to reveal so much flesh.
Edwardian Era. After the passing of the deeply influential Queen Victoria, who died at 81 on the 22nd January 1901, her son Edward rose to over the throne. Known as the decade of the Suffragette, the Titanic, and the Gibson girl. The 1901-19010 transformed the fashion industry unconditionally. Couturiers of Paris introduced a new columnar silhouette, with distinctive ‘S’ shaped curves. This was generated by the introduction of the ‘s-bend’ or ‘health corset. This was the style that altered the wearer’s posture and silhouette. Towards the end of the decade, the fashion turned to girdles and away from the dramatic hourglass silhouettes that have been forced apron women in 1837-1910. Fashion-conscious bustles gave way to long sleeves and a Slim-trim fit. Elongated silhouettes curvy hips and fuller low chests were the unique characteristics of the Edwardian Era. A belt or sash was often worn with different dresses, this would effectively nip in the waists and would complement the dress. Towards the end of the Edwardian Era, (1908) the skirts left the floors and reached ankle length. This saw the beginning of a trend, which continued through the years to come. A new generation of hats also was introduced for daywear in the era. Between the two most popular hats were the automobile bonnet was meant for use while riding and sailors were preferred for tennis matches.
The Roaring 1920’s. The 1920’s fashion centered on the revolution of ‘freedom’ in clothing but also morals. Both men’s and women’s 1920’s clothing broke out of the prim and proper molds of Victorian and Edwardian ideals and into free-spirited casual clothing. The roaring 20’s fashion gained comfort while showing off an entirely new and outrageous use of color and decoration such as beading and different textural embellishment fringing and lace. Casual sporting attire was introduced in the 1920s. In addition to bathing suits, tennis uniforms, and golfing outfits, simple, comfortable skirts, sailors blouses, and the large-brim hates were worn by women to effusive they are free-spirited. Flappers wore short or bobbed hair, a dress that came to the knees; her stockings were rolled below powdered knees. The flapper dress was baggy hid her curves however showed her arms. Young looks that tried to hold on to the look of the prepubescent girl while at the same time being overly, and cursedly sexual. The waists dropped drastically, therefore, creating a more relaxed waisted silhouette. By 1926, dresses reached their shortest length. Short evening dresses are elaborated with brightly colored beading and fringes such dresses gave birth to the famous cocktail dress of today. Overall the central idea of the 1920s woman’s fashion was the worship of youth and sex.
1930’s Bias Cut Clothing. The decade began with the immediate effects of the 1929 Wall Street crash in America, which drained fortunes rapidly and quickly affected the whole American economy, leading to widespread poverty. The ’30s saw the birth and rise of ready-to-wear clothing and therefore the production of clothing cheaper, man-made fabrics like rayon and silk. Fashion was now available to most not just the privileged few and it absolutely was beautifully designed, cut, and made for consumers. The silhouette was long and lean, partially because of the popularization of Madeleine Vionnet’s bias cut, a way that permits fabric draped over the body. This involved cutting the material at a 45-degree angle rather than along the straight grain and salvage age. This method allowed giving emphasis on the woman’s natural carves using a horizontal stretch pattern. Old Hollywood evening gowns include backless, sleeveless long bias-cut dresses also often this might create a tiny low train within the back of the long hemmed garment. Shoulders were exaggerated with puffed sleeves, shoulder pads, full collars, large yokes, and ‘caplet’, ‘butterfly’ or ruffled sleeves to create the waist and therefore the hips appear smaller compared.
1940s WW2. The 1940s was a decade many countries around the world cannot forget. With the second war (WW2) and clothing rationing, the wartime pride of fashion on a budget became the norm. Fashion within the 1940s was an honest mixture of comfort and glamour. 1940s fashion for men and ladies experienced deep changes but also created a number of the foremost flattering designs of the 20th century. With the beginning of the war, and strict rationing on fabric led to the movement of make do and mend, dresses within the 1940s became shorter. Whereas the 1930s featured dresses all the way down to mid-calf, the 1940s brought them up to knee-length. The war also affected the highest of the dress. One of the less predictable consequences of the war was the rise of two-piece swimsuits, resulting in fabric rationing enforced. Woman’s clothes took on a masculine militant look with the invention of shoulder pads. Every dress, blazer, blouse, or jacket was all fitted with shoulder pads that exuded just a touch past the sting of the shoulder, this made for a boxy or square neckline and shoulder angles. There was no cleavage. All top’s dresses designs were modest, revealing little skin. Skirts were long and full within the early 40s towards the tip got sleek. The neckline of the 1940s dress came in a variety of cutouts. Evening dresses were the emotion spaghetti straps or halters tops revealed shoulders and chests but only mid cleavage. In protest to grim times, color swept over the style landscape. Acid greens, hot pinks, reds, and pale blues were popular hues within the early 1940s. Despite the problems of the time, social etiquette still required women never to depart the house without wearing stockings. Fashion essentially ‘paused’ during the war. Many of the couture houses in Paris who were the globe leaders in fashion at the time were closed down or ceased trading during the occupation. The material mills turned their attention to production for the war.
The 1950s The New Look. In many ways, the 1950s took a big step back in time, especially for women. During World War II while the men were away, women began to gain independence. They left their homes to work in offices and factories, earning and managing their own money. Clothing was heavily restricted throughout and just after the war because of rationing fabric. There was a major shift in post-war fashion in the late forties. The collection launched in 1947, it was Dior’s first. Dior’s couture fashion house, which went on to be one of, if not the, biggest influence on post-war fashion. The signature style was made up of certain key elements e.g. full skirts, waspy waists, and soft shoulders. The New Look in summer 1947 emphasized the bust, waist, and hips reasserting female sexuality. Many women were outraged, especially in the United States. Protests were held targeting Dior and his new clothing. Women had just gained a large amount of equality and weren’t ready to give it up – both in work and in fashion. The new clothes used excessive amounts of fabric, needed constant maintenance, and required a complete coordinated accessory collection to be “perfect.” However, after the hardships of the war (WW2), everybody was ready for a change, and by the start of the ‘50s, everybody was wearing the New Look. To understand the fashion of the past fifty years- from the ‘New Look’ to now- it was necessary to review what happened earlier in the century, and to focus, in particular, on the years between 1939 and 1944.
The 1910s saw changes to the women’s dress silhouette, with narrow waists and corsets giving a slim and straight silhouette. Big hats were also popular. At the beginning of the decade, Orientalism was also on the rise, with draped fabrics and vibrant colours becoming popular. Only the most daring women adopted this style however as it really pushed fashion norms at the time, few would be seen wearing the harem trouser style developed in 1911. With WW1 beginning in 1914, people were forced to cut costs and elaborate styles were put on hold and people having to go for practicality over style, making do with what they had in supply at the time. Often military-style clothing was worn, being very simple and practical. Some women on the home front in more practical jobs turned to wear overalls and trousers during factory work.
1920s
The 1920s is known as the golden era of fashion. A new form of fashion arose within the wives of industrialists, American entrepreneurs and film stars. With women gaining independence, so did their style with rule breaks and widened public acceptance. Women no longer faced having to dress feminine and a more sporty look came into fashion with bob cuts and short skirts. Similarly in menswear, there was significant relaxation of ‘fashion rules’ and a sporty look dominated. This decade was characterised by Coco Chanel and the little black dress. What is noticeable about this period, however, is how often both men and women would change clothes. Every time of day and outing or event required a different style of dress. Fur coats were also popular in the winter months, as well as long pearl Art Deco colour necklaces.
1930s
The 1930s: Wall Street crash and economic decline. fashion went two ways for women during this period, long skirts and evening dresses became back on trend, but many women also simultaneously wore trousers. Women also gained an interest in sports and a more athletic sporty style. The latter half of the 1930s was influenced by Hollywood glamour and day styles began to take a sporty turn with this really coming into play in the 1940s and beyond. Marlene Dietrich was famous in Hollywood in beyond for pressuring the stereotypical rules of fashions, her most famous quote being: “I dress for myself. Not for the image, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men”. She was the first famous woman in history to rock a pant-suit.
1940s
With a dull fashion evolution to start the 1940s with WWII, the fashion industry thrived beyond this. The typical customer changed from only the richer members of society to the common man at the centre. Mass manufacturing began with ready to wear clothes at lower prices. The centre of fashion moved from Paris to London and New York. Polyester and nylon had just been discovered and this proved revolutionary.
1950s
The 1950s: with the West characterised by high disposable income and a booming economy, the youth became more fashion inclined than ever before. Brands such as Marks and Spencers were born. James Dean, an American movie star, became a trendsetter with the iconic look of blue jeans, T-shirts, and leather jackets, something which then became highly popular for mass-market consumption. At the same time, Italian tailored suits came into the trend with single-breasted suits, tapered pants, narrow ties and pointed shoes.
1960s
Unisex clothing characterized the early 1960s. Cocktail dresses of the 1950s were also popular in the early 60s for dinner parties and evening wear. Mini skirts hit shops in 1965. Tight trousers and brightly coloured military jackets were popular within menswear. Yves Sait Laurent was popular among youths and jeans became more accepted as daily wear. The Mod fashion really took speed in the 60s around London and the rest of the world. For Women, this meant short shift dresses, bold colours and geometric shapes. Co-ord outfits also became popular with matching jackets to dresses or top and skirt sets.
1970s
Punks of the 1970s with ripped t-shirts, chains, and wild hairdos. Flared trousers, hippy maxi skirts, and bell-bottomed jeans. In the late 70s, cowl neck shirts, pantsuits and tracksuits became popular. Many believe the 70s to be one of the most stylish decades, with such a wide range of accepted styles and fashion movements, polyester was the material of choice and bright colours were highly desirable. High cut books and low cut flared jeans were all the rage of 1973. For men, half-buttoned-up stripy shirts with chest hair on the show were highly on-trend, along with sideburns and tennis headbands.
1980s
Jeans (in particular ripped knee jeans) were a wardrobe staple in the 1980s. Women often wore tailored suits with wide padded shoulders. Nike, Adidas and Reebok became highly popular fashionable sportswear, with tracksuits, leggings and trainers. With the sporty trends, leg warmers were often paired with neon leggings and infamous big permed hair, often the bigger the better. This look was also often fished with a sporty cut off jumper.
1990s
Fashion shows changed styles in the 1990s. Globalization leading to an international influence in fashion. With international styles coming in through television and media. Subcultures also developed with groups of like-minded people developing their own style; from hippies to rockers. Synthetic materials also became popular as well as luxury grads such as Prada and Gucci.
2000s
The 2000s were the basis for ‘streetwear style’ where comfort is key. 5 key countries drove fashion ideas and fashion innovation: America, Britain, France, Japan and Italy. This is when fast fashion was born, online selling platforms and mobile obsessed consumers.
Lead Fashion Designers is a medium fashion retailer organization whose headquarter is in London. The company operates stores in UK, France, USA and Germany. It has over 70 stores located in these countries. It also supplies its clothes through other high street stores which it does not considered as its major stores. It orders its materials from China, Morocco and Vietnam. The clothes are mainly sewn under strict guidelines in Brazil, Greece, Mexico and Bulgaria. All the stores make their orders through their head office which is located in London every three months.
The head office then makes appropriate orders from its suppliers. The company has expanded greatly recently and thus experiencing a lot of challenges in maintaining its inventories, accounting, tracking sales as well as in its logistics. The company orders approximately 50,000 men’s shirts, 200,000 pair of men’s trousers, 350,000 dresses and 300,000 skirts every three months. Its high market share has been its main challenge as the company has failed to meet its high demand for clothes. The failure to deliver adequate clothes has made most of its customers to be extremely unhappy.
Lack of appropriate information system is the reason behind the challenges the company is experiencing (Rainer & Cegielski, 2011). Therefore, the company has opted to adopt an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to overcome its shortcomings. An ERP is a solution that integrates all data and processes of an enterprise into a single information system. The adoption of ERP solution will help the company to have function-specific components that will make it possible to track order entry, accounts payable, purchase, accounts receivable as well as distributions and logistics. ERP solutions require different hardware and software to ensure it has a seamless integration (Webmasters, 2012).
Hardware Requirements
When Lead Fashion Designers management will be budgeting for an ERP solution, it is important for them to remember to consider that ERP system is resource intensive as per RAM, processor as well as the disk requirements. It is mainly advisable for ERP users to make sure that they adopt two servers which make it possible to separate database and application processes. The separation of the application server from database server will make it possible for Lead fashion Designers’ customers to access the application server where they can make their queries as well as facilitate them to place their orders accordingly.
Likewise, the database server will help the management to track the procurement processes accordingly in order to make sure that enough clothes are delivered to meet their customers demand. The database server will solely be used for internal purposes. To monitor the sales, orders, inventories as well as in conducting appropriate logistics for forecast purposes (Williamson, 2010). The following are the hardware requirements for the ERP system
Topology
Hardware
Database
Optimal concurrent users
Max concurrent users
Bandwidth
EC2 instance
Cost
Single server
Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, disk10000 rpm
PostgreSQL
3
20
2Mbps
m1.small
$ 10,000
Single server
Core 2 Duo, 3 GB RAM, disk 10000 rpm
Oracle standard Enterprise editions
20
40
4Mbps
c1.medium
$ 20,000
2 UPS
$1000
Back Ups
$ 1000
Modem
$ 500
The ERP system adopted by Lead Fashion Designers will be enabled to the existing computer system and configured accordingly. The system will require to be supported by an internet connection in order to enable users to access the system from wherever they are in order to facilitate transactions. Connecting the ERP over the internet will help the management at Lead Fashion Designers head office to be able to track orders, delivery, distributions, sales as well as distributions.
In addition, the management will be in a better position to track past sales and execute appropriate logistics in order to predict the future performance of the business. Forecasting will greatly help the company to establish appropriate infrastructure to cope with future business requirements. The management can dedicate the less power server for internal purposes and the more powerful one for application purposes (Webmasters, 2012).).
Software Requirements
Lead Fashion Designers management can either opt to adopt Microsoft or Linux operating systems. They can opt to use Microsoft operating software such as windows XP, Vista or 2000. Alternatively, they can decide to use Linux software such as ubuntu, Gentoo or rpath. The management should also consider adopting appropriate security software in order to make sure unauthorized users are not able to access the database server which contains sensitive company data. Security software will enable Lead Fashion Designers outside users’ to access the application server over the internet, while keeping them from accessing the critical data that is contained in database server. The following are the software requirements for the ERP.
Software
Brand
Quantity
Price
Widow 2000
Microsoft
2
$ 500
XP
Microsoft
2
$ 600
Ubuntu
Linux
2
$ 200
AVG
AVG ltd
2
$200
Firefox
Microsoft
2
$ 500
Training and Maintenance
The vendor that will be given the order to supply Lead Fashion Designers with ERP solutions will be responsible for training its employees on how to use the ERP solutions. In addition, the vendor will also provide free maintenance services to Lead Fashion Designers Company for one year. The maintenance services that will be provided will entail sending technicians to the company’s offices or giving Lead Fashion Employees technical supports online.
Reference List
Rainer, R. K., & Cegielski, C. G. (2011). Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
This project’s goal is to create a platform for the display of various designs and fashion trends. We intend to bring together various designers for a fashion show that will increase their products popularity. We also intend to promote young and skilled designers by giving them a platform to display their product. The project is being undertaken due to the increasing demand for creative arts display functions.
SMART objectives
To enhance the probability of success, this project will be divided into eight subsections to help in delegation of responsibilities. In any project, the quality of work depends on team work and creating a team to work on this project will be the first activity (Berkun, 2005). The following teams will be involved in this project, sales and marketing, sponsors, invitation, venue, decoration, entertainment, catering and management. The sales and marketing team will be responsible for the logistics and financial aspects of the projects.
The sponsor team will be looking for people or organization to fund the project or to sponsor in kind while the invitation teams will be managing the invitation slots. Decoration entertainment teams will be responsible for the decoration of the venue and entertaining guest respectively. On the other hand, the catering team will be dealing with foods and drinks while the work force management team will be supervising the teams to ensure everyone plays his/her roles effectively.
Shareholders
This is a fashion show and its success or failure can be contributed by different parties. First in the list of shareholders are the organizers or the project team members. Team members will play a significant role in making this project a success (Rogers, 2006). Apart from the team members, the other shareholders are the designers and owners of the products to be displayed. Their cooperation is vital for the success of this project because they are the ones providing the products.
Sponsors on the other hand will play a great role by providing resources that will influence the success of this project. This includes financial support as well as advertising resources to popularize the event. Lastly, the targeted market must also show up for the event to be successful. For it to be a fashion show, we need to have a sizable audience.
Major milestones
In every project, there must be pointers that will help the project manger to monitor its progress (Davis, 2010). In this project, we will be seeking to achieve some of the preparations in advance. For instances, the participants will have to confirm their attendance a week before the event. We need to set the deadlines for the design of invitation cards and the print adverts. Time is of the essence in this project and the way we react to it will influence our success.
Critical success factors
This is a big event and it will include inviting major people in the entertainment industry in order to attract the young people. Fashion shows are mostly for the young people therefore we need to include some of the things that attract them. Entertainment and decoration are very expensive yet very important for the event. Financial support is a critical factor that will influence the success of this event. Another factor that will greatly enhance the success of this project is the stakeholders’ commitment to time and to their varied responsibilities.
References
Berkun, S 2005, The art of project management, OŔeilly, Beijing. Web.
Davis, M 2010, Dell’s case study for supply chain. Web.
This literature review illustrates the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on marketing, mainly the branding of products and services that have rekindled attention in recent years. There are speculations of significant changes in progress, much broader and extending far beyond the realm of marketing choices. This literature review will discuss the influence of AI, focusing on the following topics: metaverse, COVID-19 pandemic, non-fungible tokens, games using fashion brands, and machine learning.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and continues to disturb the everyday lives of billions of individuals worldwide in unprecedented ways. All household consumption areas, including clothing use, are impacted by COVID-19. Some people expressed hope that COVID-19’s substantial, forced adjustments would pave the way for future production and consumption habits that are more environmentally friendly (Silva et al. 22). When the demand for clothing fell globally, the fashion sector was severely impacted. In the COVID-19 lockdowns, consumers drastically cut back on their fashion expenditure, immediately classifying clothing, shoes, and fashion statements as non-essential categories of consumer products. Long stretches of total and partial lockdowns also led to previously unheard-of rates of wardrobe organization and a rise in textile donations.
As governments shut down factories, stores, and events to stop the transmission of the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the worldwide fashion industry. Globally speaking, fashion brands have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The fashion business has struggled with customer demand at the same time. However, new opportunities emerge as fashion companies switch to producing stylish coronavirus facemasks (Tomovska 24). The continuing COVID-19 pandemic will unavoidably alter the fashion industry for all time. The apparel industry is commencing to collect the fragments and forge a future after the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating economic impact (Castañeda‐Navarrete et al. 965). AI and machine learning are already gaining popularity in the sector (Liang et al. 4). Thus, fashion retailers must search within themselves to find any significant potential bottlenecks to stay competitive in today’s environment of increased competition.
It is nearly difficult to foresee the future course of any new technology. The world wide web, the initial invention and even criticized by certain general public sections, is evidence of this. A study conducted by Silvestri focused on the impact of AI and extended reality on the fashion industry (Silvestri 67). According to the study, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and AI are already influencing how people create, sell, and experience things in their daily lives (Silvestri 67). Fashion brands were invited to broaden their horizons during the pandemic by AR, VR, and AI, which is a prime opportunity for the industry to invent and promote change (Silvestri 71). Particularly for online retail issues like the virtual fit and the stimulation of the shopping experience, VR and AR can potentially become widely used technology in the last stages of the value chain (Silvestri 62). It might be claimed that VR and AR may represent the internet shopping platforms of the future and that they will be pretty inventive in their attempts to replicate a sensory purchasing experience.
Consumer behavior in clothing and apparel has previously been widely studied within the marketing discipline. The purchase phase offers the broadest range of choices, from various types of collaborative fashion consumption, such as purchasing used, swapping, and renting clothing, to buying less altogether (Silva and Bonetti 1). Admittedly, very little research has evaluated the sustainability aspects of various fashion consumption styles that are regarded as sustainable (Silva and Bonetti 1). However, slowing down fashion, reusing clothing, and generally reducing the number of clothing produced have all been acknowledged as answers to the fashion industry’s sustainability issue.
AI can be deployed in all or the majority of the value chain phases, and it has the potential to drastically alter every aspect of modern civilization, including the fashion industry. AI will become essential for forecasting businesses and designers to make quick and precise predictions (Olson et al. 292). After the Covid19 pandemic, AI automation may become a significant concern, particularly regarding health and workplace safety (Silvestri 69). Additionally, AI and blockchain might provide nearly clear accountability in the manufacturing and logistics sector (Silva et al. 23). Lastly, online shopping is and will continue to be a massive success for the application of AI because this industry is leading the way in pursuing customization and a top-notch consumer experience. This would undoubtedly increase the power of e-commerce platforms, which have already been strengthened by the shift brought about by the pandemic.
How Fashion Brands Use Artificial Intelligence
In the fashion sector, digitization is rapidly changing how firms interact with clients and offer data-driven, customer-centric services. AI and other recent technological developments are offering automated fashion solutions. Such technical advancements significantly influence the sector and revolutionize it. The demands of fashion firms for consumer personalization are being met by AI technology throughout design, manufacturing, logistics supply chain, and marketing (Hasan et al. 141). Fashion houses can now comprehend rapidly evolving fashion trends and provide more individualized customer services using AI. More businesses have invested in AI to reduce the likelihood of bankruptcy. The report estimates that through 2022, the apparel and retail industries will spend US$7.3 billion on AI technology globally (Grandinetti 95). Brands are always searching for new, more effective ways to market and sell their products. Thus, AI has radically transformed how brands produce, promote, and sell their items in the fashion business.
AI streamlines these processes and maximizes consumer-shopping experiences while increasing the marketing system and process via intelligent automation. In order to boost sales, promote products, and improve the consumer experience, a handful of fashion brands, such as Dior, Macy’s, Nike, as well as Nordstrom, are turning to AI (Liang et al. 4; Silvestri 68). These companies use AI in their advertising and management strategies in a variety of ways. By deploying a bot to carry out a computerized chat via their site that facilitates buying for the user, brands have developed a more effective method of connecting directly with their customers (Silvestri 70). For instance, the Paris-based fashion house Dior introduced its Facebook Messenger-based beauty assistant, Dior Insider (Cheng et al. 31). The software poses questions to learn about the user’s fashion needs and requirements before greeting them.
AI is being incorporated into manufacturing processes by designers and manufacturers. For instance, a computer program for identifying fabric and color flaws in textiles enables quality assurance and saves time (Giri et al. 95383). Cognex ViDi is a vision-based platform designed for fabric pattern identification, including textile finishing, weaving, knitting, printing, and beading (Kumah et al. 535). According to the manufacturer, the system was designed so that it may be trained using examples of what a quality textile should look like (Kumah et al. 535). Many people have a wardrobe full of clothes they never wear since they are unpleasant, look cheap, are unflattering to their bodies, or do not go with most of their wardrobe. When numerous online stores use images to attract customers to buy yet do not necessarily give a true-to-life representation of a garment, it is impossible to avoid.
By bridging the gap between the experiences of online and in-store purchases, AI-enabled innovations are attempting to address the issue above. These advancements include such technologies as AR as well as VR (Liang et al. 13). It can be argued that the combined effect of the pandemic and available new technologies can lead to the full transition to online shopping. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that apparel will be entirely touch-free because many people still prefer to visit real malls where they may browse and try on actual clothing. Retailers can target this kinesthetic population by using in-stock AR and VR solutions (Liang et al. 13). These innovations make shopping more enjoyable and immersive, which improves the whole experience.
The fashion industry uses AR technology to add new features to traditional and online shopping. To complete their look, buyers can experiment with and try various designs, materials, and hues, as well as various footwear, handbags, and jewelry pieces. For example, the Wanna Kicks app illustrates this technology because it uses augmented reality to let users try on various pairs of sneakers (Caboni and Pizzichini 103). Individuals can choose shoes from the library of 3D models, position their cameras at their feet, and there they can have a virtual person wearing the shoes of their choice (Caboni and Pizzichini 103). Thus, AI has the potential to revolutionize the fashion industry. Faster customer support, better in-store user experiences, and more environmentally friendly company practices can all be made possible.
The use of AI is expanding throughout the fashion sector, with a CAGR of +40% predicted for the market in the following seven years (Acar and Toker 1353). As a result, the prospect of fashion is intelligent, and, these days, using AI in apparel is crucial since it improves client pleasure and experiences. The usage of AI in the retail apparel sector has also been revealed in a Capgemini survey to have the potential to save USD 340 billion by 2022 (Acar and Toker 1353). Despite the established nature of the fashion industry, AI significantly changes the industry, from how fashion enterprises manufacture their products to how they are promoted and sold. All aspects of the fashion industry, comprising design, manufacturing, transportation, advertising, and sales, are being revolutionized by AI technologies.
Machine Learning
The fashion business has always been at the forefront of technical progress via embroidery or the eCommerce market. With a market value of over $3 trillion, the global fashion business makes up a respectable 2% of the world’s GDP (Thomassey and Zeng 196). In the twenty-first century, technological advancements like AI and machine learning are transforming every facet of the fashion industry. The employment of AI in the 2020 fashion business has gotten so ingrained that 44% of fashion retailers are currently in financial trouble (Thomassey and Zeng 3). As a result, it is anticipated that by 2022, the fashion and retail industries will spend $7.3 billion annually on AI technologies (Thomassey and Zeng 3). Client customization and other services in the fashion industry are now just unaffordable without the usage of AI, thanks to the widespread availability of big data. As stated by McKinsey, the top 20% of international fashion brands are responsible for 144% of the sector’s earnings (Guercini et al. 424). This means that a fashion brand must rank in the top 20% for it to be lucrative.
Apparel firms are investing in machine learning and AI technologies due to the need to stay competitive in the market. Using chatbots by fashion firms to learn more about their customers’ wants and intended purchases is one of the main ways that AI and ML are used in the fashion industry (Thomassey and Zeng 6). Online shoppers seeking footwear or clothing may easily communicate with an expert system via a site or app (Liang et al. 4). For example, Burberry is one of the fashion brands that utilize chatbots. Executives at Burberry have made significant changes to various brand sectors, from marketing and advertising to planning and management (Bae 66). In order to provide customers with better service, the company is accumulating more client data from multiple loyalty programs and monitoring pertinent data at its online and physical stores.
According to apparel market research, companies that make clothing use machine learning to forecast trends in popular colors, designs, shapes, and client moods. The fashion technology institute and IBM have partnered with Tommy Hilfiger, an American premium clothing company, to create a machine learning system using Software Design and Technology Laboratory (Kühl et al. 602). Reimagine retail is a project demonstrating how several AI tools, such as machine vision, natural language processing, and deep learning approaches, may be combined with fashion data. Tommy Hilfiger used these machine-learning tools on 15,000 product photos, 600,000 publicly accessible runway images, and close to 100,000 fabric pattern websites (Kühl et al. 602). Utilizing AI, Tommy Hilfiger’s style and shapes, as well as popular colors and patterns, were revealed.
Additionally, fashion firms are employing image recognition technology, which enables them to determine the legitimacy of a product by only scrutinizing a small portion of the image of the suspended goods. The company plans to implement machine learning techniques across several key markets, including chatbots for customer support, security and fraud detection, image identification, IT operations, and logistics (Giri et al. 95381). It is critical to focus on whether machine learning simplifies processes for retail premium firms where cost is unimportant. In addition, it is helpful to understand the relationship between luxury goods and consumer preferences and how they work in practice.
Metaverse
The term “metaverse” was initially used to refer to a three-dimensional environment populated by replicas of real people. Despite being somewhat ambiguous, this description can be used to define the concept of a metaverse as it exists today. The name “metaverse,” as it currently stands, resembles a conceptual framework more closely than a predetermined definition. Metaverse is a highly scalable and coherent network of real-time delivered 3D virtual worlds that can be encountered simultaneously and relentlessly. While investigating the uses of the metaverse, Sayem observed that metaverse could be used by an infinite number of individuals with a consistent sense of presence and continuity of data (Sayem 140). Data continuity might include identity, background, remunerations, objects, connectivity, and payments.
There are already metaverses that demonstrate the potential and some level of project acceptability, albeit they are noticeably smaller. The most prominent international names in fashion are already paying attention to these existent metaverses (Silva et al. 27). One notable instance is the partnership between the online gaming platform Roblox and the fashion label Ralph Lauren (Sayem 140). This partnership allowed gamers to shop in an online Ralph Lauren store and purchase the designer’s clothing for their avatar for $ 3-5. Ralph Lauren chose Roblox as their digital association companion due to the gaming platform having 47 million active daily users (Breiter and Siegfried 53). On the other hand, Roblox can benefit from Ralph Lauren’s notoriety and legendary stature in the fashion business, which will increase its visibility to the general public and create opportunities for similar collaborations. The collaboration between the high-end luxury brand Balenciaga and the previously mentioned video game “Fortnite” was first announced in 2021 (Breiter and Siegfried 52). This is another current example of fashion brands entering the market for digital fashion goods.
By acquiring NFT-developer RTKFT, sportswear behemoth Nike also boosted its presence in the metaverse. An NFT (non-fungible token) is a document proving ownership of a digital medium, with the owner being the only person accessing it (Gao et al. 240). With the usage of the abbreviation increasing by 11000%, Collins Dictionary named it the phrase of the year 2021 as a result of the term’s enormous popularity over the previous several years (Liang et al. 4). In the instance of Nike, this leads to collectible variants of digitized sportswear and footwear. The design of these NFTs relies on their developer. Depending on the advancement of related technologies that would enable owners to wear their digital attire, the applicability of these collectibles may see an even more significant expansion.
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens)
While traditional offline and brick-and-mortar experiences still account for a sizeable portion of sales for luxury fashion labels, there is no denying that a sizable portion of the future will be dominated by digital technology. For this aim, 21st-century premium brands must consider several digital trends (Thomassey and Zeng 4). The growth of the metaverses and the adoption of NFTs are two of the digital trends that have caught the attention of the fashion market and have already begun to govern other market environments (Gao et al. 242). NFTs have been suggested as a way to win over the hearts of these young, high-net-worth individuals due to their numerous similarities to luxury fashion (Gao et al. 242). In order to encourage connections with the intended Generation Z and millennials, enhance brand awareness, and eventually encourage sales and enthusiasm in their business, luxury fashion companies can create customized digital assets and adventures employing NFTs.
In the cryptocurrency market, non-fungible tokens have become the dominant asset. This flourishing digital asset earned $10.3 billion across numerous blockchains in the third quarter of 2021 (Thomassey and Zeng 6). For artists, designers, and businesses worldwide, the marketing and advertising potential of NFTs present previously unheard-of financial and exposure rewards. The growth of metaverses and NFTs demonstrates how the world continually evolves toward a market where augmented reality defines it and digital assets power it. The ever-increasing demand for NFTs is a glaring indication of the current trend, the intersection of culture and technology, influencing many industries. According to a study by Silva, a number of obstacles are likely to prevent the successful deployment and flip of big data in the apparel industry (Silva et al. 27). These difficulties include the implementation of GDPR, the lack of technical proficiency among fashion graduates, and the infrequent availability of fashion data. This is used as existing knowledge while attempting to manage large amounts of data.
Therefore, it is unsurprising that the multibillion-dollar luxury fashion industry has begun showing interest in NFTs. Non-fungible tokens offer limitless options for luxury companies. They may even be considered a lifeline for traditional luxury houses currently struggling to develop new ways to engage with customers who prefer using digital devices (Thomassey and Zeng 2). Although many firms still view the transition to virtual fashion as dangerous, luxury brand executives and designers should be aware of the underlying prospects NFTs present for luxury fashion (Gao et al. 247). NFTs, like authentic luxury fashion goods, can be considered social assets that give buyers a certain status, a chance to stand out from the crowd, and a place in the community of the desired luxury brand.
Thus, it is a logical transition for today’s high-end companies because the very nature of NFTs as cryptocurrencies already performs the same role as a luxury fashion for its clients in its purest form. Tiffany & Co. is embracing the crypto era by providing some NFT jewelry called NFTiffs to Cryptopunk users (Schill 1). Information revealed in the issuing contract states that 50 over the 250 NFTiffs would be designated for an allow list (Schill 1). The remaining 200 will be granted access to Punk holders in some other way, such as a general mint (Schill 1). All interested parties must submit identity verification information via KYC and are only permitted to purchase up to three NFTs.
Gaming
Various industries have been affected by AI, which has the potential to disrupt markets through innovative technology, more efficient operational processes, and connectivity to business and consumer insights. At first, the idea of using AI automation in the fashion industry, a sector built on the capacity to express one’s creativity through games and other activities, did not appeal to executives (Olson et al. 292). In contrast to rivals who use conventional approaches, these applications can alter firms and produce considerable market growth and revenues as we reach the hyper-digital age.
The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected sectors like fashion and retail but has had a favorable impact on the gaming and e-sports industries. In 2020, the worldwide games market will produce $159.3 billion in revenue, according to a recent Newzoo research (Takahashi 3). A $200 billion market for gaming is anticipated by the close of 2023 (Takahashi 3). This is partially a result of a new age of emerging gamers with significant purchasing power. Gen Z gamers make up roughly 90% of the population, compared to 59% overall. Research suggests that Generation Z has a $44 billion purchasing power (Takahashi 3). Unsurprisingly, companies from industries other than gaming are now vying for a piece of the action, with the fashion brand sector grasping the chance to market to customers (Giri et al. 95377). There have been a variety of activities in this area recently, ranging from fashion designs inspired by video games to brands developing their games and even a new class of online styling games geared toward fashion consumers.
Luxury brands have collaborated with several renowned video game creators and programmers to offer their vision of the industry as part of an industry-wide effort to appeal to younger consumers. Video games are an effort to connect a new fan base and produce material on the cutting edge of fashion, much like how many businesses have joined TikTok. Adopting digital forms for these companies is natural, given that fashion days and presentations have been held digitally throughout the previous year. Fashion designers Marc Jacobs and Valentino have created clothes for the perennially famous games Animal Crossing, demonstrating the enormous overlap between the two industries.
Drest is only one of the numerous ways that fans of high fashion may access it via their mobile devices and video games. For the 2019 League of Legends World Championship Finals, Louis Vuitton collaborated with Riot Games’ League of Legends to create prestige skins (Hitar-Garcia et al. 1). Similarly, Burberry has its line of adorable internet games, including B Surf, a playful Mario Kart meets monogram racing game, and skins it designed for Tencent’s Honor of King’s heroes (Papagiannis 3). Drest and Covet Fashion were created from the perspective of a fashion editor (Milanesi et al. 3). These applications include a carefully chosen mix of well-known and emerging labels. How the lesser brands receive equal prominence to the larger ones is one facet of the game that many people find pretty satisfying.
Roblox has made it a new field of conflict for the digital fashion world. It allows users to buy and sell unique features and accessories using a virtual currency called Robux, making it the ideal platform for businesses looking to market and sell their goods to gamers. The most notable is Gucci, which brought its most recent installation, Gucci Garden Archetypes, to Roblox. Gucci joined the game to build a Gucci-themed environment in the Roblox Metaverse (Kadry 135). Companies can access this virtual world, purchase in-game goods with actual money, and use one of the available virtual persons, or avatars, which are fundamental to the Metaverse. Gucci has offered a digital line of recognizable clothing on the Roblox video game, thus helping some potential customers become more familiar with the brand.
In addition to experimenting with the idea of video games, businesses have also joined a growing economic sector, including Bitcoin and NFTs. NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are essentially one-of-a-kind digital works of art that can be actively traded through digital money (Silva et al. 28). Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber, and labels like Louis Vuitton have all expressed interest in the new platform. Fashion manufacturers and retailers have been trying new approaches to engage the burgeoning shopping environment and break into new markets (Giri et al. 95377). Luxury fashion companies have been more open than ever to cooperating with thriving creative industries, whether via investigating virtual currencies or working with popular video games.
Conclusion
Despite the established nature of the fashion industry, AI significantly changes the industry, from how fashion enterprises manufacture their products to how they are promoted and sold. All aspects of the fashion industry, including design, production, transportation, marketing, and sales, are being revolutionized by AI technologies. It is anticipated that by 2022, the international investment in AI by the design and retail sectors will amount to $7.3 billion annually (Olson et al. 294). This is because the use of AI in the 2020 fashion industry has become so pervasive that significant portions of fashion retailers that have not adopted AI now run the risk of going out of business.
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Fashion is like a kind of visual arts: people come to Karl Lagerfeld’s fashion show and express their excitement the same way they do at the Louvre when looking at da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Fashion is like sports: everybody wants to outstrip competitors and be the best.
Fashion is like a magic wand: it seems to one that he/she just needs to put on a new splendid outfit, and his/her life will change completely. Funny as it may seem, these words are hardly an overstatement: today, fashion is constantly in the spotlight in media and remains one of the most discussable things in society.
Scholars give different evaluations to the influence of fashion on contemporary people emphasizing both positive and negative social impacts; however, the fact of this influence is evident. That is why it is reasonable to continue the study of how fashion trends influence an individual’s life and how they are perceived by people.
The paper aims at describing the influence fashion has upon our lives. The key notion of this discussion is identity. It is quite broad and can be defined in different ways; there are several levels of identity, and each of them requires particular discussion (Schwartz and Pantin 4).
This approach seems to be appropriate for investigating fashion: as Loughran (4) marks, on the one hand, when people make decision about what to put on, they focus on their own principles, interests, and preferences. On the other hand, fashion trends find their origins in culture, traditions, social processes etc. and thus promote people’s integration.
The study embraces three levels of identity and implies discussion of several questions, such as:
How can be the notion of one’s identity defined?
What is the mechanism of influence of fashion on an individual’s identity?
For an individual who demonstrates interest towards fashion trends and adjusts his/her style to them, is fashion a means of demonstrating belonging to some group, or, backwards, the way to highlight his/her exceptionality?
How does the communicative function of fashion work?
What expectations do individuals have about the results of efforts they make to follow the fashion trends?
Fashion helps us to define and show who we are and what we do, and the research below aims at understanding how this help comes to be. The study includes analysis of scholars’ works and study of the cases from history and contemporary media.
Levels of Identity
Scholars offer different schemes of an individual’s identity depending on the identity levels they mark out. Based on Erikson’s and Marcia’s models, Schwartz and Pantin (1-40) describe five levels of identity, which are:
Ego identity;
Personal identity;
Social identity;
Ethnic identity;
Cultural identity.
Hall (cited in Kirchner 3) offers a generalized model of one’s identity, which includes three levels:
Individual;
Collective;
National.
It is possible to state that the individual level included into this scheme corresponds to the ego identity and personal identity from the abovementioned model; the collective identity is similar to the social identity; national identity is similar to ethnic identity and cultural identity. For the aims of this study, the three-level identity model is used in analysis of the link between fashion and identity. Below, the role of fashion at each of identity levels is discussed.
Individual Identity
It is reasonable to begin the study with the level of an individual identity, which can be defined as “a kind of self-identification as a human being with cognitive and social capabilities” (Kirchner 3). An individual’s appearance is considered to be an important element of his/her identity: as Craik (137) argues, “…Our body image forms the basis of our idea of self and identity as an individual, shaped both by our bodily performance and by how others perceive us”. This corroborates the reasonability of studying the “individual-fashion” link.
The notion “individual identity” includes a set of characteristics that outline who an individual is and how he/she is perceived by the other people. It seems reasonable to say that one’s identity is a priceless and inalienable asset he/she is lucky to possess. Not accidentally, an individual feels the desire to “communicate” his/her individual identity to the society (Kellner 264).
Oscar Wilde highlighted the importance of this “communication” with humor and at the same time very precisely, “It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible” (quoted in Davis 1).
The “messages” about one’s individual identity are numerous: style of life, interests, masculinity/femininity, ambitions, good taste, intelligence, profession, wealth, any kinds of personality traits etc. At the same time, a range of devices used in expression of these characteristics is also very wide: color and color combinations, silhouette, cut, fabric, length, style, texture and oth. (6)
Different combinations of these devices provide one with an opportunity for eloquent self-expression and endless experiments. Fashion is able to express any “dramatic type” one chooses: conservative, cool, glamorous, successful, tender, intelligent, charismatic, “snobbish”, passionate and oth.; fashion specialists are always ready to offer the audience the corresponding style.
In her (2005), Reynolds provides a broad range of “fashion personality” types, for example: the “classic type” preferred by women who “want to make a good impression”, “think long term”, and “self-monitor”; the “creative sparkler” type offered to bright females who “have many different sides and like to express them all, mixing colors, moods, and textures…”; the “nature girl” type which is for women who want to emphasize their inner world and “prefer comfort over fashion”, etc (157-159).
However, keeping in mind the fact that every individual is unique and inimitable, it is reasonable to assume that a number of such “fashion personalities” is incredibly big.
Evolution of one’s identity starts at the moment of his/her birth; some characteristics are formed under the influence of the external environment (Schwartz and Pantin 8). Thus, it is interesting to answer the following question: how do one’s dressing habits form? Craik (136) offers an interesting term “prestigious imitation”: it reflects a young individual’s desire to “imitate” people whom they consider to be authoritative.
Small children copy the actions their parents take and “absorb” the knowledge about what is good and what is inadmissible. Fashion also becomes an object of “prestigious imitation”: a child understands what he/she can put on for different occasions; being provided by the external environment, this knowledge is extending.
However, this may give birth to a question: does this mean that the way an individual looks is formed by the environment only, regardless of his/her personality? Kellner disproves this statement (263) and refers to an interesting example of Madonna, a famous American singer.
Madonna’s extravagant style was not created as a means of drawing attention of the audience; the singer began forming it during her young years: being pushed by the teenage “rebel spirit”, the future star began experimenting with her clothes – as Madonna herself says, “Only because we knew that our parents didn’t like it” (265).
The abovementioned example can be evaluated from the perspective of fashion’s communicative function. Craik (137) talks about social “performing” and “projection” of bodies: an individual has a desire to communicate to the society who he/she is.
Fashion “equips” one with a choice “of clothes, style, and image through which one could produce an individual identity” (Kellner 264). Thus, Madonna makes her original choice in clothes and style in order to brightly and precisely demonstrate to the society who she is and how she perceives herself.
Fashion and other industries use the idea of “choice” to address customers’ individual identity and increase sales. Providing different “modifications” of the same goods, brands give customers an opportunity to show who they are thus fulfill their self-“positioning”.
Craik (138) offers an example of Nokia advertising: an illustration of an “unremarkable ear” presented phones for everyday users; a “delicate ear” was used to illustrate phones for mothers who take care of their children; an ear with many rings meant a phone for “cool guys” etc. Gadget, clothes and accessories brands give customers an opportunity to highlight the most important characteristics of their personality with the help of their products.
However, communicating personality is not the only function of fashion in one’s life. Many people consider fashion to be a means of changing one’s personality and, as a result, of changing his/her life – the term “fashion therapy” seems to quite precisely reflect this effect.
For example, talking about a “vampire trend” in fashion, Brunelli says a vampire look is not the way to communicate the society that one is a “vampire within”, but rather the way to become “less vampire” (172). Giving shape to the “shady” side of one’s personality is a step towards defending his/her tender soul and bring more peace and harmony to it.
Many fashion specialists state that changing style does bring strong positive changes into an individual’s life and issue “guidelines” for those who want to improve their lives with the help of “fashion therapy”. Reynolds says that every element of one’s look matters: your ear-rings, hairdo, shoes or bag are able to tell more than your words do; for example, the author writes, “Now, that you’ve fostered the proper shoe attitude, you’re breaking new ground in all areas of your life and loving it.
You’re using fashion statements to say to yourself and to the world that you are a woman who values her appearance, appreciates quality, changes with the times, and possesses the all-important je ne sais quoi” (219). The French expression used by Reynolds denotes some enigmatic charm that is difficult to describe with words but possible to express by means of fashion and style.
Thus, fashion is an effective tool that an individual may use in order to understand, formulate and demonstrate his/her individual identity, to emphasize his/her “extraordinary” nature. However, it is impossible to imagine billions of people who create their individual dressing styles based on their unique personalities; the notion of fashion trends comes to mind and makes this idea unrealistic. How come we are all unique but prefer to buy the same t-shirts and bags regardless of what country we live in?
The study of the sources devoted to fashion and identity gives an opportunity to make the following conclusion: paradoxically, people express their uniqueness through their belonging to certain moves and trends.
A bright example of such contradiction is a teenager who begins to copy the style of a certain informal social group or a favorite rock-band in order to communicate the characteristics of his/her inner world to the society; this imitation gives him/her the precious sense of individuality, despite the fact of copying. This leads to the study of the connection between fashion and the collective level identity.
Collective Identity
Most individuals cannot exist separately from the society; they try to find groups of people who share their interests and life style or have similar characteristics of personality. The sense of an individual’s belonging to a certain social group is what scholars call his/her collective identity (Sevanen 35).
Despite people consider fashion to be a means of becoming exceptional in their own perception and that of the other people, they often follow its trends to get an opportunity to join a certain group of people through their appearance – or, at least, to get the sense of belonging to this group.
People follow different fashion trends as they want to look like representatives of groups they sympathize with: celebrities, the “middle class individuals”, feminists, “popular” high school classmates, members of informal social group, etc. The abovementioned case of Madonna at first seems to be an exception from the rule: the famous singer brought her unique style onto the stage and made her fans follow it with excitement.
However, the future fashion icon also found her inspiration in copying and imitation (Kellner 265): Madonna was inspired by the fresh fashion trends of the 1960s-70s that were revolutionary and provocative. Long-haired and informally dressed rock bands opposed their style to the conservative trends that dominated in the society earlier. “By means of such fashion moves, individuals could quickly produce their own identities through resisting dominant styles in their own ways” (Kellner 265).
Even criteria that seem to not require any “verification” through appearance, such as being a male or a female, are reflected in individuals’ looks. Male and female identities are discussed in (Crane 2000): by means of clothes, accessories and style, one demonstrates how he/she understands being a man or a woman.
Nevertheless, today the manifestations of this identity criterion become more and more blurred. Davis talks about “androgynous symbols” in fashion: men and women “exchange” the visible attributes of masculine and feminine identity (36).
Rolley studies the style of female homosexual couples who lived between the middle of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century; the author marks that on the one hand, the desire of a couple to feel their union, and on the other hand, the intent to demonstrate it to the society made it use the language of clothes, “It could also, through the use of gendered dress, suggest heterosexual difference and the presence of active “masculine” desire within the sameness of lesbianism” (34).
At the same time, the gender criterion strongly interacts with the other ones, such as profession, wealth and social status; therefore, fashion mostly presents us not just a man or a woman but rather a successful male businessman, a charming wealthy lady, a young male freelancer fond of music and philosophy, etc.
It is of particular interest to discuss fashion regarding the collective identity of women, as their social status has been evolving for centuries, which has been reflected by trend changes in the female fashion world. Emancipation of women led to active “borrowings” from the masculine style: the difference between an outfit of an early 19th century woman and a contemporary female demonstrates that a woman:
Obtained a right to demonstrate her beauty and to choose any style she likes;
Started living a more active life full of everyday routine and obligations;
Is not afraid to be unique.
The clothes became more revealing and at the same time more convenient. On the other hand, the women’s liberation inspired females to revise their attitude to fashion itself: feminists criticized numerous manifestations of fashion and argued that women should not be “enslaved by ludicrous “beauty” standards” (cited in Hollows 140).
At the same time, female fashion is able to reflect a broader range of social tendencies than the women’s emancipation itself. Being strongly interested in fashion, women present themselves in the role of consumers of fashion industry. The opposition of the “consumption capitalism” (Hollows 138) and the society that condemns the consumption cult (Gurova 80) is reflected in women’s style.
Gurova emphasizes that in the Soviet society, simplicity and modesty in style were considered to be the main manifestations of a good taste and at the same time the sign of resistance to the “irrational consumer behavior” (80). Soviet clothes also had a role of an indicator of one’s lifestyle, position in the society etc: the totalitarian spirit advanced the possibility of quick “classifying” people based on their appearance.
Thus, at the collective identity level, the communicative function of fashion performs itself in several dimensions. Firstly, an individual demonstrates to the other people his/her belonging to a social group (or, at least, his/her sympathy to it): he/she declares that he/she shares the ideas and values of this group and is proud to be a part of it. Secondly, the style of a social group communicates these ideas and values to the rest of the society.
Rebellion, aggression, peacefulness, aspiration for changes – a range of messages that can be performed by a social group’s style is very big. In some sense, collective identity can be understood as an individual identity of a social group that, analogically to a single individual, wants to demonstrate what it is and how it positions itself. Thirdly, social groups’ style is to the great extent the reflection of the processes that take place in the society.
Recurring to the abovementioned example of Madonna (Kellner 266), it is impossible to omit the fact that the revolutionary fashion trends of 1960s-70s grew on the basis of significant social changes that took place throughout the World and especially in the USA. The growing popularity of anti-war ideas, “sexual revolution”, emergence of 1960s counterculture and particularly of hippie subculture – these social trends found their incarnation in literature, arts and, undoubtedly, fashion.
The image of a 1960s hippie is highly recognizable; it is saturated with symbols that tell one about the ideology of the hippie movement: long hair, bright informal clothes, the pacifist emblem communicate the ideas of returning back to nature, rejecting the “mainstream” values of the American society, living in harmony with he environment and the other people, avoiding aggression, feeling inner freedom and expressing one’s “self” (Craik 290).
Other subcultures, such as punk, hip-hop etc, also eloquently demonstrate the values of their representatives: as Crane writes, “The clothing behavior of street cultures has been compared to a “magnifying glass”, making it possible to observe the fluctuations in people’s attitudes and behavior that constitute the character of a particular period of time” (187).
The ideas provided above lead one to the idea about significance of historical events and social trends for evolution of fashion and one’s preferences in his/her style, and therefore corroborate the reasonability of studying the role of fashion at the broader level, which is national identity.
National Identity
National identity can be presented as a specific kind of collective identity: it concerns an individual’s sense of belonging to a big, historically formed group of people united by a big range of factors. Correspondingly, the characteristics of one’s national identity are formed under the influence of external environment: they “take shape in some socially, culturally and historically specific context. To a great extent, they are products of various social, cultural and historical factors or determinants” (Sevanen 46).
The notion of national identity is connected with those of ethnical identity and cultural identity: to the great extent they are similar when ethnicity, nationality and culture of a certain community coincide; however, in the contemporary globalized World where many countries’ populations are multicultural, certain differences between these sets may exist.
For the needs of this study, we use a generalized notion of national identity which implies an individual’s belonging to a big group of people historically formed on a certain territory and united by ethnicity, values, traditions, culture, social norms etc (Kirchner 3).
These characteristics manifest themselves through a big range of visual means, such as visual arts, utensils, architecture etc. Fashion is also an important element of this range: national costumes of different ethnical groups are a subject of their pride and become a tradition that is passed from one generation to another.
Khan (61-74) provides an interesting example that illustrates the power and significance of national identity. In 1982, Zandra Rhodes demonstrated her collection based on the elements of the Indian national female costumes.
The Indian sari was quite originally interpreted by the author, “Ripped, shredded at the edges, scattered with strategic holes, it constituted, people felt, not a design but an assault” (61). The designer did not take into account cultural significance of sari for Indian women and provoked a strong negative reaction.
The key characteristic of a nation is its sense of union: people who belong to the same nation have a common history and a common culture; their task is to communicate it to the rest of the World and to their next generations. Therefore, it is not an overstatement that the function of the national identity is survival of a nation; that is why, national identity continues being expressed in fashion, despite the popularity of global style trends and growth of international fashion businesses.
Not only has not globalization eliminated local spirit in fashion, but, as it has been stated above, has brought new interesting tendencies in maintenance of national identity. It is of particular interest to study contemporary Islamic identity which is to some extent a unique case and requires separate discussion. For many centuries, the clothes of Muslim women have been communicating the image of an ideal female as it is seen by Muslim men: a wife should be tender, enigmatic and chaste.
Besides, female costumes also have been reflecting women’s role in family and society: a woman receives care, attention and protection from her man and is at the same time ready to listen to his opinions and decisions. Thus, the costume of an Islamic woman does not expose her body in public; her sexuality is covered with enigma, and only her man can enjoy it.
Today in Islamic countries, social life remains strongly influenced by religion and traditions based on religious postulates; however, in some societies, intensive process of secularization can be noticed. A bright example is Turkey where religious and secular ideas co-exist.
Turkey is an official candidate for EU entrance; democratic parties gain authority in the country; women’s rights become broader – and these tendencies inevitably incarnate in fashion: as Akpinar says, “It is possible to observe a Muslim female director of an underwear firm covering her head with a chic “turban” and wearing a fashionable Islamic-style suit while taking care of female and male models who are dressing only in underwear” (135).
This case shows how Turkish females’ collective and national identities interact: on the one hand, they communicate their belonging to the strengthening emancipation move; on the other hand, they emphasize their respect towards Turkish culture and traditions. A similar view is expressed in (Cjnar 2005): Islamic costume traditions assimilate with those secular and give birth to new interesting trends, such as “wearing elegant dresses and stylish headscarves in compliance with the Islamic dress code” (89).
It is interesting that, according to the author, not only does not this tendency blur the Turkish people’s national identity, but strengthens it: they have an opportunity to present themselves as a stylish, contemporary nation and to demonstrate the charm of Islamic fashion. A similar idea is offered in (Khan 62): after the “sari incident” described above, the attempts to make a sari an element of the up-to-date fashion style were taken by the local designers, and this experiment proved to be successful.
Having complete understanding of what is good and what is inadmissible for the Indian society regarding wearing the national clothes, the designers offered contemporary versions of Indian looks that nevertheless reflected the “Indian spirit”.
Another interesting perspective is the fashion trends of Muslim diasporas existing in different countries of the World. For example, in her essay titled To Be French, DeGroat discusses the issue of integration of local and immigrant cultures in France: while some immigrants accept the local culture and begin calling themselves “French”, big immigrant communities have been resisting to the integration, which is reflected in fashion (73-92); in this case, it is mostly spoken about Muslim immigration to France.
Like in case of collective identity, national identity can be characterized by fashion in many dimensions. For example, speaking about Hofstede’s (2003) famous classification of nations, it is possible to say that the criteria offered by him are communicated by the way the representatives of a nation look.
Particularly, the representatives of nations with high power distance will more actively demonstrate their social status and prosperity while the low level of power distance will make fashion more democratic; collectivistic societies encourage unification while those individualistic appreciate one’s individual style and originality; for nations with orientation to the past, national costumes are of big value while those oriented to the future prefer a “globalized” style.
It may seem that considering the contemporary globalization trends, national identity in fashion should gradually disappear; however, stating this is very untimely and even groundless. Scholars who study globalization in different fields noticed that global trends meet the opposition of “localization”, and offered a term “glocalization” (2007): globalization obtains its “human face” when the global trends approach different parts of the World; the global meets the local, and they enrich each other.
Thus, it is possible to imagine that soon we will be able to see Arabic women in a “global look” or Karl Lagerfeld’s collection devoted to a sari or a hijab.
Conclusion
The study corroborated the statement about fashion’s ability to define and show who we are and what we do. At three levels of one’s identity, through its communicative function, fashion demonstrates the traits of an individual’s personality and his/her belonging to small and large groups of people.
At the individual identity level, one shows how he/she understands him/herself and forms the other’s perception of him/herself. Fashion does not just reflect one’s life; it is able to bring positive changes to it. At the collective level, people use fashion to demonstrate their belonging to various social groups.
Different styles used by these groups communicate their values and world-view. They also reflect the tendencies that take shape in the society. The national identity level presents a kind of collective identity with a very big community united by common territory, history and culture. Nations need national identity in order to survive, and fashion serves to this function. Despite the global trends, national fashion trends do not seem to disappear, at least in the nearest future.
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