Haute Couture, Fast Fashion and Ethical fashion; Can they really exist side by side?

With the latest trend of cheap fast fashion from shops like Primark, is Couture slowly dying a natural death? It seems that couture just isn’t relevant to general consumer any more, with the interest becoming less focused on quality and exclusivity and focusing more on being able to style their own individual image cheaply and quickly using the catwalk as just a heads up on the next fashion craze. The recession also seems to be fuelling fast fashion but is the awareness of environmental and ethical issues causing changes to the consumer’s decisions when buying clothing? These issues are also causing problems with couture with the opinions that couture is just an unattainable hobby for the rich. So, can Couture, fast fashion and ethical fashion work in harmony to create an ideal fashion, which in my opinion, is greatly needed. There definitely needs to be a fashion revolution but can these three very different types of fashion survive without major compromise?

Ethical fabrics are definitely becoming more readily available and affordable, and with the range of types of ethical fabrics rapidly expanding, I really do think that couture could have an ethical future. This future has really already begun with the Eco conscious Haute Couture designer Linda Loudermilk, who uses environmentally friendly textiles for her creations. Linda says, “We aim to give eco glamour legs, a fabulous look and a slammin’ attitude that stops traffic and shouts the message: eco can be edgy, loud, fun, playful, feminine (or not) and hyper-cool.”

The demand for ethical fashion is on the rise and so far couture seems to be changing with the times and surviving at the same time. However, can fashion be fast, ethical and affordable? The growing awareness of environmental and ethical issues has seen some big retailers like Tescos and Primark to offer their customers ethical options but there still seems to be confusion about what it really means when they label there products with ‘organic’. There needs to be a call for retailers to be more transparent about their labelling and informing the consumer exactly what they are buying. Another main problem is, can the price remain low while being ethical? I believe that with the growing demand for ethical products there is no reason why the cost should be affected excessively. With companies such as People tree already matching high street store prices with their ethical alternatives, it seems its only a matter of time before ethical clothing will be filling the shelves of stores like Topshop and Dorothy Perkins. However, in my opinion, fast fashion is fuelling a ‘throw away’ culture so can it really ever be environmentally friendly and ethical if people just throw it away when they are bored?

What ever happens to haute couture and fast fashion remains to be seen, but I believe that the future is definitely being shaped by a need for greener living.

Exhibitions: Is there a new way to display?

They way an exhibition is displayed can create different atmospheres and moods so could the presentation almost be more important that it exhibition itself? Can an exhibition’s success be due to creative presentation and how ‘interactive’ it is or can this take away the focus from what is actually being exhibited?

During a trip to London I visited 3 Fashion related exhibitions, Nick Knight ‘Show Studio’, Norman Parkinson ‘A very British Glamour’ and the fashion gallery at the V&A. These exhibitions were all presented in different ways creating, I felt, 3 very different atmospheres and experiences.

Show studio was all about pushing the boundaries of how fashion is displayed. Nick Knight used technology, lighting and music to create a more interactive exhibition. I found the exhibition exciting and interesting but unfortunately I feel that I possibly missed the point. It was a new innovative way to display fashion

but where was the fashion?! In my view the exhibition was more about how many different ways the subject of fashion could be displayed rather than the fashion itself. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how interactive the displays were and how you were drawn in to even the smallest details but it all came across as an opportunit

y to show off! I left the exhibition with mixed feelings as although I enjoyed my time there wasn’t really sure what it was supposed to be about; Fashion or Display? If it was fashion then I think it was slightly of key and if display was the focus then it was definitely closer to what was achieved The display techniques used, however, could hold an exciting future for exhibitions by drawing new audiences in who wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to go in the past.

At a complete contrast to Show Studio was the Norman Parkinson and V&A fashion gallery exhibition, which themselves were completely different to each other.

The Norman Parkinson exhibition was displayed in very traditional way. The photos were framed and hung in three white walled, light rooms. The atmosphere was quiet with only the sound of people’s shoes against the wooden floor. It gave a very stereotypical image of a traditional exhibition but was this what was needed. The focus was on the beautiful photographs where it should be and left me wanting to see more. To me this exhibition didn’t need technology or music to create interest but could the quietness and stillness come across as uncomfortable. I know many people who would have taken one step in and backed out again without something drawing them in like interesting displays and music. However, could fancy displays really make them more interested in the photography itself.

The last exhibition I saw was the V&A fashion galleries. I could have stayed in this exhibition all day but really that was more about my passion for what was being exhibited and nothing about how it had been displayed. The displays themselves were very basic. The garments were displayed on stands inside glass cabinets. The only lighting was directed at the garments which created an almost eerie atmosphere. Again, like the Norman Parkinson exhibition, it was silent apart from the sound of other people moving around the exhibition.

V&A Fashion galleries

Due to the problems that light can cause to fabric lighting is a hugely important factor to how garments can be displayed. However, the use of lighting could have been more creative and music, wall displays and technology could all have been used to create a more interesting attention catching atmosphere. Prehaps the next step for exhibitions is to bring the innovative display ideas from Nick Knight’s Show Studio and combine them with the traditional ways of displaying objects in an effective way but at the same time ensuring that the focus isn’t taken away from what is being exhibited.

There are pictures from Show Studio and Norman Parkinson in one of my previous blogs.

R.I.P Alexander Mcqueen

What a major lose to fashion, you will be sorely missed but never forgotten...

Is there a future for British fashion?

With the current recession and the global need to live more environmentally friendly what does the future hold for British fashion? The fashion industry is the second largest employer in the UK with the financial industry being, unsurprisingly, the biggest. This shows just how important fashion is to our society. It seems that even on a political scale British fashion definitely has an interesting future.

There are possible plans of providing £24.5m to SkillfastUK (which represents employers across the fashion and textiles), ensure fashion retailers have access to financial support to try and avoid further bankruptcies, and abolishing the employers tax for a year for the first 10 jobs created. The support provided on this scale will have positive results on all levels of the fashion sector. There are also plans to introduce schemes that will provide 3-month paid internships and funding for work placements to help graduates gain employment within the fashion industry.

Environmental issues are also continuing to be tackled with a push towards creating a more sustainable fashion industry with the government launching the sustainable Clothing Action plan, which will promotes and supports ethical companies. There is also a definite rise in the demand for the knowledge of where and how our clothing is made. These demands are increasing the pressure for the fashion industry to be more ‘transparent’ with their labelling.

I believe that the current recession is actually having an overall positive effect on our society, and subsequently, the British fashion industry. The growing awareness of ethical an ecological issues are making consumers make better choices when purchasing clothing and having positive effects on the whole of the fashion industry. With designers like Stella McCartney becoming role models in ethical fashion, my opinion is, British fashion has an exciting future. Ethically and politically, there definitely seems to be huge bridges that are beginning to be crossed.

Amazing prints from Alexander Mcqueen this Sping/Summer!