An Incomplete History of a Changing Fashion Industry
In my media studies course I am learning about labor and economics(spooky!) that's surprisingly relevant to questions I have had about being a business owner in the fashion industry. One reading I did last week explained how the commodification of creativity and industrialization of media creation over the past 40ish years has led to concerning sameness and uniformity in creative products.
Considering my role as a designer attempting to battle fast fashion, I can’t help but feel alarmed at the idea that creativity is becoming extinct. I aim to create clothes that are unique, special, and one of a kind–but I can’t help but wonder why and how we got to a position where my work is considered unconventional.
In the next few paragraphs, I want to explore mass production in the fashion industry and its effect on creativity and expression. We’ll discover the history, actors, and implications for us as creators and consumers.
So how did we get here, to a place where creativity is now a product to be bought and sold (not felt and experienced)? Believe it or not, industrialization is at the core of the issue.
Before the mid 19th century, all clothing was custom made, purchased infrequently, and mostly accessible to upper class people(others only had a few outfits). Then, the emergence of factories in the United States flipped the fashion production model on its head. Technological advancement changed rarely purchased, unaffordable custom garment making to an industry that mass produced clothing that did not require fitting. While this made more clothing available to the middle class, issues with worker conditions quickly arose, as (typically) women were working in factories with long hours and low wages. Ready-to-wear clothing was produced at a vastly increased rate, enabled by more advanced machinery and a focus on capital gains. Following this, department stores emerged in the 1900s to push more clothing to consumers and outsourcing became a common practice to cut costs, produce clothes rapidly, and increase profits.
Soooo basically capitalism right?
Definitely, but this version is trickier as it's wrapped up in issues of accessibility, expression, and gatekeeping creativity. Lemme explain what I mean.
Let’s consider this history of industrialization and what this fast-paced change means for us, in 2024. I argue that the most important and alarming implications relate to trend cycles, globalization and sustainability.
Along with the emergence of department stores came a corporate dependence on having new trends for customers to buy constantly. Consumers grew to expect new designs weekly, and thus, the trend cycle emerged. And like…how many trends are there really? Can creativity be flowing continually? And aren’t today’s baggy jorts the same ones the 90s saw?
Simply put, this unsustainable reliance on constant creativity, fueled by mass production and capitalism is resulting in dull, unoriginal clothing. It’s visible how brands are beginning to look similar and trends from decades ago are being recycled.
Consider one fashion designer's point that, “trends are more artificially created and accelerated by the needs of fast fashion and the necessity of increasing the top line continuously.” It’s all about that coin!
But it’s also about globalization, which has been accelerated by the emergence of social media. Since the fashion industry prioritizes profitability, constant marketing of new products is the “best” way to secure sales. But when those ads are highly targeted to us and the average US citizen spends two hours on social media? Ooooo chile!
I’m basically saying that in the current social-fashionable state of the US, individuals are more likely to be influenced by algorithms to follow trends than genuine interest in the clothing style. This is resulting in a cycle where companies release not-so-new-or-original trends that we see in stores, online, and on our peers, then we desire that same not-so-new-or-original garment. All too frequently.
Are you depressed yet? That’s not the plan, but this stuff is kinda scary. No more creativity, homogeny, and inhumane working conditions?
And trust that I have a lot more to say about our current reality: what we should do as consumers in this fashion economy and what this means for me as a creator of sustainable fashion. Ever heard of slow fashion? Were you wondering how this move to fast fashion enables environmental degradation? I’ll cover all of that in my next blog post.
The good news is that the fashion industry is constantly changing and our awareness of the harms of mass production is capable of shifting the focus. I urge that true creativity will always exist and creators like myself can work to encourage others to consume clothing more skeptically(and slowly).
Stay positive, stay creative, and stay tuned.
XOXO Lexi Lee