Why does the ethnography of fashion matter? Clothing, by definition, is supposed to serve the function it was produced for, whether it be to simply cover the body, provide warmth, or be able to perform in a certain activity. But, this functionality has transformed into a form of personal expression which comes along with unnecessary consumption and a shift in societal trends. This website serves to inform one of the history, social impacts, and environmental impacts that come along with the consumption of fashion by the use of research and field work. This information is vital because the analyzation of this commodity can help us determine how fashion impacts people directly and indirectly around the world. The name “Fashion Killa” was inspired by the song produced by rapper A$AP Rocky, to give even more of an emphasis on how involved fashion is in our society.
Businesses rely on external factors, such as culture. Culture, as described by Peacock, refers to “the taken
for granted but powerfully influential understandings and codes that are learned and shared by members of a group; it is shared, learned, taken for granted, patterned, “a silent language” and is real” (Peacock 2001). The success of a business is determined by how their environment responds towards their products. As we all know, marketing strategies can alter the way we view and desire products. Institutional structures, like malls and shopping plazas can influence the way we perceive products, usually as a “necessity”. While we have the freedom to make our own decisions, the structure of our (American) society influences our decision making so much that our thought structure may say otherwise about this freedom. Fashion trends have a psychological effect on the self and capitalism enhances their possibilities for profit.
With these social trends, comes with an immense amount of environmental impacts. Once a fashion trend goes “out of style” another one is always bound to come in, in turn creating a never ending cycle for consumers and the environment. The consumption of fashion has impacts all throughout the lifecycle, from the extraction of materials to the emissions produced in the production process. These direct effects have lasting change on the environment and unfortunately, these trends don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon but rather speeding up.
“Fast fashion encourages consumers to buy heaps of items, discard them after a few wears and then come back for another batch of new outfits”. “In 1985, we bought roughly 31 clothing items per year; now [in 2012] we snap up twice that many thanks to “fast fashion” -Azeen Ghorayshi
This website also gives research of possible solutions that give way to sustainable fashion. Ethical consumption, sustainable business models, and anti sweatshop campaigns are all necessary in the path to a greener future for the fashion industry.
Citations:
Peacock, J. (2001). The Anthropological Lens: Harsh Light, Soft Focus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139164924
Ghorayshi, A. (2012). Quick Reads: “Overdressed” by Elizabeth Cline. Mother Jones.