Written by Vedang
I recently had the opportunity to experience the ‘Fashion-Fiction’ showcase at the Vancouver Art Gallery, which shed light on the importance of fashion and its impact on our society. Inspired by the showcase, I have expanded my views on the topic.
Fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry with trend cycles set by various segments of society. In the past, fashion was about mirroring the upper class to fit in and derive more sociological benefits. The trickle-down theory, as in economics, states that what trickles down is the trend instead of economic benefits, as in economics. Fashion is associated with wealth and power, with privilege and more opportunities. Knock-offs have been a way to imitate high fashion and make it more equitably accessible. Fashion brands create statement pieces that celebrities wear, which in turn are made into identical products with simple fabrics and processes. Additionally, with the advent of the Internet and social media, trickle-down is not the only way we set fashion trends.
Trickle-up trends, or the Status Float phenomenon, first coined by Paul Blumberg in 1970, are fashion trends that start within the working class and find their way into the upper echelons of society. These fashion trends rely on practicality and feasibility. For example, T-shirts, earlier used by US Navy sailors underneath their jumpsuits, were adopted into the fashion trend as the weather became hotter. Wearing lighter clothes on the streets only made sense.
Sometimes, social media makes it challenging to identify where the origin of a trend starts. Yves Saint Laurent was the first designer to observe people in the streets and draw inspiration, which was not done before by any designer.
Trickle Across hinges on collaboration with other disciplines and art forms. For instance, Target collaborated with the LGBTQ+ community to create designs and support the community. The plan’s inspiration comes from their background and symbols from LGBTQ+ history. Pride collections didn’t start specifically in any class but somewhere in between.
In the past, one could only see the trickled-down trends from the upper class. They were considered aspirational and mysterious. In modern times, the upper class maintains those characteristics, but they do not establish all the fashion rules. Social media has made everyone’s style and fashion visible to everyone.
Source:- https://www.political.fashion/posts/the-impact-of-fashion-on-society-what-why-when-where