CFDA

Of all the things you wake up worrying about, I am sure that the imminent death of the fashion industry is not even among the first ten. And yet, we as avid consumers of fashion are at least partially responsible for its death. We do have some blood—er, buttons—on our hands. We owe it to this fallen comrade (now plunging like its beloved necklines) to at least take the time to understand what happened.

There are some who blame the pandemic for fashion’s demise, but in all honesty, the industry has been acting like an insecure teenager for years. It has been pushed over the edge by nefarious, self-serving bullies long before we got hit by the pandemic. Who are the culprits?

1. Fashion Education

The Business of Fashion asks the pertinent question, “Is fashion education selling a false dream?” It seems that a combination of Project Runway success and the democratization brought by social media has resulted in an enormous growth of demand for fashion education. As Sara Kozlowsky, Director of Education and Professional Development at the CFDA, says “In some cases institutions have experienced enrollment increases tripling student populations.” The result? There are thousands and thousands of designers that leave the schools every year and never find a job or are “unhappy with only making what sells” as one graduate says. Schools teach designers to be head designers and disruptors, but in reality most end up creating only safe, pragmatic stuff that sells. And that’s the best case scenario.

2. Designers who are recycling old ideas

That’s not quite an original idea of my own. I am referencing Li Edelkoort here, a Dutch trend forecaster and absolutely fascinating lady, who doesn’t seem afraid to serve uncomfortable truths to the industry she loves. According to her, “newness is a thing of the past,” and most designers are “simply making more and more ‘garments’ to finally conclude ‘With this lack of conceptual innovation, the world is losing the idea of fashion.’” There is a long explanation as to why designers—pushed by unreasonable deadlines—have given up on being creative and went on to just “create garments” but I am leaving that for another article.

3. The industry that let marketing take control of the creative process

According to Ms Edelkoort, “It is, without doubt, the perversion of marketing that ultimately has helped kill the fashion industries. Initially invented to be a science, blending forecasting talent with market results to anchor strategies for the future, it has gradually become a network of fearful guardians of brands, slaves to financial institutions and hostages of shareholder interests, a group that long ago lost the autonomy to direct change.” She continues, “Marketing has taken over power within the major companies and is manipulating creation, production,
presentation and sales.” Why did the industry put the cart before the horse? I would venture to say that an industry that should be driven by creativity has become strictly a money making machine… with little to no interest in creativity whatsoever.

4. And… Anna Wintour

Yes, you read that right. I blame the soulless fashion queen for the demise of fashion. Some love her and describe “her genius,” which according to designer Marc Jacobs, is “picking people very astutely, whether in politics, movies, sports, or fashion.” Some stopped liking her, like André Leon Talley who says she inflicted “huge emotional scarring” on many. I am with Talley here, because I do believe him when he says that she “was never really passionate about clothes”, and that she cared only about power (her own!). In her 30 year reign of Vogue, she single-handedly decided what we should wear and how. She handpicked and promoted designers that defined a decade of fashion: Alexander Wang, Derek Lam, Zac Posen, and Proenza Schouler. An ultimate dealmaker, she used her influence to exercise her power. When Michael Kors went bankrupt in the 90s, she waved her magic wand and found investors. She is credited for creating the Fashion Night Out and the Met Gala.

Do you know what all these accomplishments have in common? Proenza Schouler has gone from one investor to another and ended up with a firm that specializes in distressed investments. Last year, Derek Lam shut down his high-end line and Zac Posen went out of business. Fashion Night Out was cancelled and so was the Met Gala. It seems Ms. Wintour can do no wrong though as of this past December she got yet another promotion, shortly after acknowledging “hurtful mistakes” and for the treatment of Black talent at Vogue. I guess we wouldn’t be having this “conversation” if the industry was half as resilient as Ms Wintour.

Image credit: Debby Wong via Shutterstock, 80’s Child via Shutterstock

WHAT: Eileen Fisher x Fashionista Pop-up + Panel Event

WHY: After three plus decades in the industry, Eileen Fisher has never been more dedicated to sustainable fashion. A significant part of this effort has been the development of a partnership with the CFDA to give three recent graduates focused on sustainability in fashion an opportunity to access institutional knowledge, skills, resources, and mentorship through year-long rotational placements at Eileen Fisher.

Called the Social Innovators Project, Lucy Jones, Teslin Doud and Carmen Gama, all Parsons grads, were tasked to come up with the next steps for the Green Eileen initiative, a program that accepts donations of gently worn Eileen Fisher garments and re-sells them at Green Eileen locations across the U.S. The graduates’ assignment was to prototype commercially viable ways to up-cycle damaged Eileen Fisher garments into 100 percent original designs, breathing new life into old materials to make garments with zero waste.

The program is called “Remade in the USA” and will be the focus of an exclusive shopping event and panel discussion that Fashionista will host with Eileen Fisher and the three Parson graduates on Thursday, July 21 in Brooklyn (Cobble Hill to be exact). As part of the event, Fashionista readers will also get first access to shop the one-of-a-kind Remade in the USA designs created by the Parsons grads, along with some select Green Eileen pieces in a converted glass greenhouse next door to the panel space, before it’s officially open to the public during the last two weekends of July.

Guests who reserve $20 tickets for the panel from 6:15 to 7 p.m. will score early access to the Eileen Fisher Remade pop-up both before and after the panel (from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m). Guests that only want early access to shop on Thursday but do not wish to attend the panel can RSVP for no fee.

RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fashionista-x-eileen-fisher-pop-up-meetup-tickets-26468140922

WHEN: 7/21; Th (5-9)

WHERE: 53 Bergen Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

WHAT: CFDA Fashion Incubator Sample Sale

WHY: Women’s and men’s clothing and accessories at a discount at the CFDA Fashion Incubator Sample Sale.

Includes merchandise from Brother Vellies, Haerfest, Haus Alkire, K/ller Collection, Yestadt Millinery, and more

The CFDA’s {FASHION INCUBATOR} is designed to support the next generation of fashion designers in New York City.

WHEN: 6/29 – 6/30; W-Th (10-7)

WHERE: 209 West 38th Street
between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Third floor
New York, NY

SUBMITTED BY: TheStylishCity.com

For the complete list of today’s sales and sample sales check HERE

WHAT: CFDAJEWELS Holiday Pop-Up Shop

WHY: Join Melissa Joy Manning and fellow Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) members Simon Alcantara LLC, Lulu Frost, DEZSO, Stephen Dweck, Dean Harris Jewelry, Ex Ovo Jewelry, Janis By Janis Savitt, and SCOSHA at the CFDAJEWELS Holiday Pop-Up Shop

Offering one-stop shopping for shiny pretty things.

10% of proceeds will benefit Food Bank NYC

WHEN: 12/19 – 12/20; Sat-Sun (11-7)

WHERE: 12 Wooster Street
New York, NY