Fashion

Fashion in its purest form? Love it. Assembling an outfit is an art form. It’s my creative expression of choice. But the industry that surrounds fashion—that packages it, labels it, sells it—is a sick one. Even more so than other creative mediums, the fashion industry is particularly poisoned with intrinsic hypocrisy.

Shocked I’m not here to give you shopping advice today? Hey, sometime I surprise myself. I’m feeling particularly fiery today, so I want to step up on my soap (shoe?) box and state that retail is honest but the fashion industry is not.

The fashion industry doesn’t care about models or influencers or even consumers. Its political views are not spontaneous dialogues but rather carefully curated campaigns that match the societal trends of the moment and are carefully choreographed to lead to money in their coffers.

There are some recent events that led me to this observation… and to binge-watching two seasons of The Good Place. By the way, I really hope with this article I am moving the needle towards guaranteeing me a spot in The Good Place.

Transgender models are the talk of the industry, with some publishers going as far as to say: “The Future of Fashion is Transgender Models.” I am grateful and thrilled for these courageous men and women who fought hard to be where they are. I can’t imagine how much harder life must be for them. On the other hand the fashion industry bigwigs seem so abruptly “woke” that it makes one wonder how selfless their motivation actually is.  An industry insider admitted after all “And not to be cynical, being inclusive and being diverse is actually in fashion right now… ” Mm-hm. That’s what I was afraid of.

Terry Richardson is finally cast off by Condé Nast. Now, everybody in fashion knew that “Uncle Terry” was a pervert, the same way everybody in Hollywood knew that Harvey Weinstein was one. Not only have there been countless allegations about Terry but the man himself is pretty open about who he is. Just open his book, Terryworld, and feast your eyes upon full-frontal nudity and (both simulated and actual) sexual acts.  The timing of the Condé Nast awaken moment makes me doubtful again of the real motivation behind the industry move. They’ve always known the truth, so why do something about it now? Because it is trendy to do something about it now.

Computer-generated fashion influencers… exist. The latest darling of the fashion industry, Miquela Sousa, or @lilmiquela on Instagram, does what any influencer does: shares her outfit-of-the-day, goes to events with friends, touts her political opinions, and counts her followers—pretty successfully, I might add. She’s amassed over 545,000 followers in a short period of time. Miquela is a 19 year old model and musician, probably well off since her outfits are of the Chanel, Proenza Schouler caliber. And while those labels are real, she herself… is not, at least according to the Business of Fashion.  Does it matter? It does to me. Wasn’t it bad enough labels were bribing influencers to wear their frocks and take pictures so we all feel we have to have what the cool kids have? Now they create imaginary cool kids that we have to copy too. They’re not just too cool for school… they’re now too cool for this plane of existence. Um, not cool if you ask me.

What is cool?  Well sample sales are good, honest opportunities to bring some guilt-free joy into your life. Here are some you don’t want to miss this week:

HEIKE JARICK Sample Sale
Rituals Sample Sale
SGN Showroom Sample Sale – Know THIS before you go

Long live fashion. But the industry? Meh…

Happy shopping.

XOXO

The Museum of the City of New York presents Mod New York: Fashion Takes a Trip, a fabulously stylish exhibition as colorful as the era it explores.

Mod New York immerses visitors in the sights, sounds, and trends of the 1960s to chronicle the American fashion revolution as designed and worn on the streets of New York City. Covering the years from 1960 through 1973, the exhibition presents style — in the form of dresses and jewelry, hats and handbags, shoes and scarves, and more — as a reflection of the sweeping changes taking place throughout the country during this tumultuous era, including the emergence of the counterculture, the advent of the women’s liberation movement, and the rise of African-American consciousness.

Opening to the public Wednesday, November 22, Mod New York: Fashion Takes a Trip is accompanied by a companion book of the same title published by The Monacelli Press.

WHEN: November 22, 2017 – April 1, 2018

WHERE: Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
at 103rd Street
New York, NY

ADMISSION: $12-$18. Click here to purchase tickets.

Shady Ladies Tours will present the Fashion & Beauty Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday, October 14 at 4:00 PM and Friday, October 20 at 6:15 PM.  Led by Professor of Classics Andrew Lear, the 2-hour walking tour of the world-famous museum takes a look at all things glamorous: from the grand hairdos of Imperial Rome to the outrageous wigs of the court at Versailles; from gold ear spools in pre-Columbian America to neck rings in Africa and Southeast Asia; and from three hundred years of torturous corsets to three thousand years of gorgeous cosmetics. The tour examines worldwide style from head to toe, including the political, social, and even medical currents that shaped fashion trends through the ages.

WHEN: October 14, 2017 at 4PM
October 20, 2017 at 6:15PM

WHERE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028

ADMISSION: $59 for adults, $49 for seniors and $35 for students
Purchase tickets at https://www.shadyladiestours.com/fashion-and-beauty-tour/ .

Expedition: Fashion from the Extreme explores how select items of clothing made for survival on journeys to the highest mountains, the deepest oceans, and even outer space, influenced high fashion and became modern wardrobe mainstays. The exhibition features fashions by a diverse group of designers, including Norma Kamali, Junya Watanabe, Thom Browne, Karl Lagerfeld, and Hussein Chalayan.

WHEN: September 15, 2017 – January 6, 2018

WHERE: Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
7th Avenue at 27 Street
New York, NY 10001

ADMISSION: Free

Image source: FITNYC.com