Week 2 - Carson Ho - Be Green Challenge

Carson Ho

The first week of the Be Green challenge has passed and it's actually a bit more challenging than I expected it to be. For the most part, I was able to avoid the temptation of purchasing clothing when I visited the shopping outlets with my friend. It's actually funny because prior to the beginning of the challenge, I didn't go shopping at all, but I ended up going to shopping areas twice in a week when it started. In the end, I actually did buy something this week, but it was an item that I excused myself from getting before I started the challenge. I bought a pair of Retro Jordan 4s this past Saturday as it released at 7AM Pacific time and sold out almost instantly across the nation. I made an excuse for myself to buy those Jordans before the beginning of the challenge because of two main reasons:

1. I knew that they would sell out instantly  

2. They would be hard to find after the 5 week challenge 

These reasons are the result of streetwear's drop culture and its approach to how brands release hyped items. Such items are released on a certain date and announced early to inform consumers and allow the product to gain hype. Successfully hyped items result in releases that create a high demand for a low supply, which also represents exclusivity as luxury. An article on Forbes titled "Digging into Drop Culture: Evolving a Roaring Retail Ritual" mentions the power of drops and exclusivity:

"There’s also the increasing value of drops that must be earnt not just bought. It’s something inherently bound to the school of thought that suggests that in an era where luxury products are being devalued by being too easy to get hold of (note that the popularity of reselling has spawned an entire spin-off industry where bot businesses are employed to secure the most coveted items) the best things require vigilance and hard graft."

Relating to the past weeks readings and lessons, I started to think about "Good Hair" when it highlighted weaves as an expensive part of a black woman's life. I started to think: "how hard would it be for a woman who has used weaves for almost all her life to undergo something like the be green challenge for weaves?" I tried to think about it in terms of myself and my love for sneakers, albeit that it's not close to the degree of a woman and her weave, and I felt that giving up something that has been a part of my personality, identity, and aesthetic is equivalent to a big lifestyle change.