Minority Representation In The Fashion Industry

Throughout time clothing has been an important part of individual’s lives often reflecting one’s culture and personality. People use clothing to express themselves and to help others see who they are. One particular group of people that uses dress as a way to express who they are and how they feel are black women. In the seventies black people were finally allowed to attend mostly white universities, although this was a huge step forward, black women did not feel like they fit in. Black women and men decided to turn to clothing and their appearance in order to find a sense of self in a world surrounded by whites. Tanisha Ford presented “Liberated Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul” explaining why dress matters to black

Beauty standards have been posed by society since the beginning of time, mandating how individuals do everything from get dressed to style their hair. In Malcolm X's "My First Conk" and Dana Stevens' "Your Flip Flops Are Grossing Me Out" the standards posed by society, and what role they should play in society overall, are discussed. These two essays are different because of their views on health problems, self-degradation, and society’s standards.

Privilege and oppression are concepts that provides clarification on people’s experience. They both contribute to intersectionality which explain notion that people’s perspectives and experiences differ in term of the categories of identity. Each person may experience privilege and/ or oppression from institutional structures depending on their situations. It mean that systems of privilege and oppression can intersect and a person could experience privilege and oppression simultaneously. These systems are influence by the micro level and micro level of people’s lives and experiences. Privilege, oppression, and intersectionality affect people’s experiences of key social issues, such as rape culture and beauty norms and appearance standards. These issue will be discussed in this essay.

Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a

The Fashion Industry is affecting the way many people look at themselves. In today’s society there is always an ad promoting fast food, clothing brands, Cars. Etc. almost all of them have a model to promote their products. These fashion models are usually, extremely thin, tan, tall, and gorgeous. This set a negative standard for many women on what they should look like and can often cause to self-esteem issues. The Media is having a negative effect on body image by choosing to settle toward an unrealistic persona. In Addition, this has created many young girls, to have eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and fasting. However, some businesses have started gravitating toward plus size models to stop the affects it has on society. Plus, also many companies are limiting the amount of photo shopping and airbrushing. The issues are far from being resolved but numerous people are working toward making a change.

Pretty faces, good looks, hot bods, and you’re hired! Today, the workforce is filled with attractive men and women which makes it easier for them to get a job. Walking into Abercrombie and Fitch, the first thing that hits you is their cologne, and then right after you get greeted with a “Hello” by a tall, blonde, blue eyed guy who is shirtless wearing only board shorts. As you enter its super cold that you don’t ever want to leave the store. The clothes are spot-lighted that way you can see what you like. The workers are constantly asking if you need anything or if everything is okay. The workers wear the clothes to represent their company and give them an image of what the clothes look like on a person. The workers look attractive and hot, whether you are a blonde or Hapa (half white). The have men have ripped abs with a V-cut, and the ladies are skinny with perfect curves. Working there would be a dream job, but yet look at them and look at the rest of the people. Companies should fairly analyze their employees when applying for jobs. They are judged by how they look just to get jobs, and it’s not fair to those who have experience for those positions. Abercrombie and Fitch are an example of companies that hire people based on appearance. Traditionally, people are only hired based on appearance which leads to inequality.

In the fashion industry, Valentino’s work has always been seen as some of the finest. This may be why criticism over the clothing and accessories were left out of the scandal, because separately they were seen as justified uses of cultural appropriation. The concern of morality is linked specifically to the runway show, and the explanation is more of an issue of racism in the modeling industry. The runway show received the most backlash for the models used. Like in the Vogue issue, the design house was criticized for using mostly Caucasian models (Chung). It is interesting to note the major criticism of the show was the models used not the clothing itself as it supports the sensitivity of race and that the use of race as an element of artistry is deemed culturally inappropriate. I agree, it would have been more culturally appropriate to use African American models if Valentino was trying to accurately depict an African culture in fashion; however, the purpose of the collection was to adapt culture. I am not justifying racism in high fashion modeling, rather defending the use of Caucasian models to symbolize the collection was a form of adaptation. According to Nicklas and Linder, this basis provides why the collection received disapproval since adapted works often “[run] counter to the ideas of connoisseurs of the original” (2). These insights are beneficial for my claim as they highlight some members of the audience do not understand culture can be used as inspiration and therefore is a starting point from which adaptation can occur. Future collections by design houses should make the sources of their adaptation and inspiration more explicit. Particularly because designers draw on other cultures because they find them beautiful and unique, making their admiration known will help clarify their intent. Additionally, they should highlight that adaptation is not

During our life we construct many different identities of who we want to portray ourselves as to the rest of society; fashion plays a vital role in generating who we are. With the ideas from Storry and Childs they state that “the way that we dress can either serve to confirm or to subvert various facets of our identities, such as our gender,

The fashion industry is a major object of body image issues, as they believe clothes look better on more than average height and svelte women. Established on a survey partaken by 13 to 17-year-old in the United States, 90% felt intimidated by trends and media to be sleek, with more than 60% routinely evaluated themselves to supermodels, whilst 46% will endeavor to

The fashion industry plays a huge role in portraying bad images of ideal beauty, which in turn affects today’s society perception of their own body image. Not only are women affected by what is seen and heard about how the perfect body should appear, children of young ages are now feeling insecure and obsessed with their bodies before they reach teenage years. This ‘ideal image’ the fashion industry continues to enforce only focuses on very thin models who seem to be in shape and are very healthy. Furthermore, many people think of the influence from the fashion industry as being human representations (models). Because of the rising problem with the image of beauty within the fashion industry, it is shown that even mannequins and non-human representations (mannequins, dolls, photoshopping) of bodies play a significant role in women’s body image; which causes problems to the individual. (Anshutz & Engels, 2010). Body image and self-satisfaction, eating disorders and non-human representations all can cause harm to the individual, if prolonged.

Fashion is everything to society and the media, but everyone wants to look good while feeling beautiful in their own way. Everyone believes that fashion is an easy, fashionable, and sophisticated style. Today, the modeling industry has become negative for older and younger women. The people in the industry do not prefer unhealthy body images such as pictures of overweight women. Women suffer from depression and anxiety. The modeling industry has been very harmful towards women in America. It effects women by not achieving a healthy, being strong, and confident body image regardless of shape and size.

For many years there has been size discrimination amongst the fashion industry. Some companies want to say that women are too big or too skinny. Yet this may be true in some cases, this does not mean that their assumptions should affect who can and cannot model. When fashion industries are picking models, they should consider that not every woman is the same size and their weight, if healthy, should not affect their chances of becoming a model.

Under society’s norms for decades, young women have been put under the pressure and anticipation to have perfect bodies. That is, thin and curved, beautified by applying pounds of the makeup to their face but not appear ridiculously overdone. Who’s responsible for these standards imposed on young women? When a young girl picks up the model along the cover of Vogue being called flawless, it’s easy for her to then aspire to be a real-life imitation of the photocopy. These companies produce magazine covers shown with girls’ images daily. As if keeping the perfect body wasn’t hard enough our culture also forces girls into the forever expanding world of composition, however, body image is a pressing issue for young women. Advertisements and posters of skinny female models are all over. Young girls not only could be better but need to be more upright and feel driven to throw the perfect figure. Moreover, girls are evaluated and oppressed by their physical appearances. With supplements and apparel designed to enhance a facial expression; social media, magazines, and marketing campaigns and advertisements add to the burden of perfection. The fashion industry is a prime object of body image issues, as they believe clothes look better on tall and svelte women. Established on a survey participated by 13 to 17-year-old in the U.S., 90% “felt pressured by fashion and media industries to be skinny”, with more than 60% routinely compares themselves to models, while 46%

Traditionally, females come under the category of ‘minority’ entrepreneurs while male entrepreneurs are considered the dominant force in entrepreneurship. However, does this theory hold true in the female liberated world of fashion? After discovering the pioneering works of Natalie Massenet (creator of Net-A-Porter) in the world of luxury online retailing, this has opened the window of curiosity as to how females are such prominent figures yet are branded as minorities in entrepreneurship. In an industry which reaches and affects

Style-Fashion-Dress communicates to everyone differently but to me it was always ambiguous and it will continue to be ambiguous because no two people will perceive an object the same exact way. My Style-Fashion-Dress has changed over the years by my ability to get a hold of certain pieces without my parents’ permission. Being a transnational fashion subject relates to each of us because whether we realize it or not at least five pieces of clothing in your closet is made in a different country. Whether it is the fabric from a different country or a design from another culture each of our Style-Fashion-Dress is transnational. Intersectionality: “Subject positions are embedded in cultural discourses over which individuals may have little control” (Kaiser, 2012, p. 28). Some examples of “subject positions, gender, nation, sexuality, “race” & ethnicity, age, place, class” (Kaiser, 2012, p.30). The subject positions that I relate to most is the fact that I am a young woman who is a feminist.