The world consumes around 80 billion items
of clothing a year. Fashion and clothing have become intrinsic in our culture
and society. It can be a way of expressing yourself, a method of identification
or even a status-symbol.
The Past
Around 170,000 years ago, the modern humans
started wearing clothes. The clothes they wore will have been produced for
practical reasons rather than style, likely made from the only resources that
could be gathered.
An upgrade to needles made out of stones and
bones dating to around 40,000 years ago were discovered. These needles
were likely used to produce clothing that was more form-fitting, a step-up from
the animal skins humans would use to wrap around the body
There is plenty of evidence of clothing and garments being
used in ancient cultures and civilisations as a status symbol or a way of
flaunting wealth. In Ancient Egypt, for example, wealthier
households would style themselves in bright and vibrant clothing designed and
made for them. Whereas the poorer households would wear dull clothing that they
would have to make themselves.
Fast forward a few thousand years to the birth of Charles
Frederick Worth in 1825, who was likely the world’s first fashion
designer. Charles Frederick Worth was a British gentleman who was the first
individual to use live models to display his clothing, by proxy
creating the first fashion shows.
Charles Frederick Worth was one of the founding fathers of
modern fashion design, paving the way for others who followed. His designs were
not only incredibly beautiful, but also relatively wearable, a combination
that was unheard of in the 1800s.
The history of fashion and design has rapidly evolved since
its origin, becoming a widely appreciated industry that we all play a part in
to this day.
The Future
One of the front runners of fashion hubs that has developed
throughout the years is “Fashion Week”. Fashion Week has been the home
of the upcoming fashion designs and trends since 1943. Beginning in New
York and eventually branching out across the globe, Fashion Week has been a
place of design, expression and culture.
Although fashion has become a way of bridging a cultural
divide, it is not without its discrepancies. In a recent study, it was found
that 68% of people had experienced discrimination within the
fashion industry based on appearance and religious beliefs. A shocking, but
sadly unsurprising, statistic.
There is the added issue of fashion becoming faster and
faster, in an attempt to keep up with current trends. The global fast fashion
market is predicted to grow to $99.23 billion by the end of
2022. The impacts on the environment are immense.
Fashion has evolved and changed since clothing began. We
know that is has already re-shaped culture and society, so there is a hope that
it will continue to evolve into a more accepting and sustainable
industry. More brands are standing up against fast fashion and inequality
within the industry.
From a tool of self-expression, to a way of connecting with
people, fashion is and always will be at the forefront of our society. It
is here on INT.EXT you will learn how to harness fashion and use it to express
yourself and embrace history and culture. Follow us for more content like this
and top tips.
No comments:
Post a Comment