Because the Power of the People Don't Stop

Through the various texts, videos and discussions held over this past week, one theme prevailed. While it is we who consume the latest and greatest fashion, we also have the power to ensemble, produce and diffuse the last fashion trends. While the concept of a bubble influence is nothing new to this class, when one contemplates what is going on right now on the streets, it is certain that the public masses actually IS the biggest determinant in fashion consumption and production.
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The topic of this week was "Consumption, (Re)Appropriation and Influence," which seques perfectly with my prose. In Kawamura's, sixth chapter of Fashion-ology, entitle, "
Adoption and Consumption of Fashion," we see how the impact of capitalisma and consumerism have created a fashion market which relies heavily on the buyer. This relates to Kawamura's article in the reader titled, "Japanese Teens as Producers of Street Fashion," where the street fashion industry is dependant on the consumer class. Essentially, the shop girls and girls in the shops dominate fashion trends and decide what is in and out on a weekly basis. I declare that even though we may think we are at the weam of corporate giants of the fashion industry, we have the power to decide its fate. Perhaps not the fashion itself, but in terms of economics, boycotts and the like have proved a useful tool in shutting down sketchy designers and companies.
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And it is here where i draw the parallel to this compact challenge. If this movement got big enough, the potential for big business to bring their prices down would be great. The status for my own personal challenge has remained strong. You don't really need to buy something new to have a new ensemble. At a point, clothing becomes another commodity to fill one's time; similar to the conspicous consumption idea. Let's see if this resistance to temptation lasts...

Michael Silvernail
Blog #4