An Unexpected Shot in the Arm For the Fashion Industry

The fashion industry is a cut throat world to say the least. It picks up wide eyed young hopefuls, chews them up and spits them out with monotonous regularity, while maintaining an outward façade to their welfare.

The fashion industry is a machine. At its best it provides huge employment and industry, but at its worst, it is a greedy, uncaring and amoral entity that is entirely self-serving and sycophantic.

So why would anyone care if the fashion industry struggles? Well, to ignore the plight of such a huge entity would be counterproductive to say the least. Globally, there are millions of people employed in the manufacture of clothing and accessories and whilst the existence of sweatshops is a disgraceful reality, we can only hope that such horrors are shut down by the shame of public opinion.

For the responsible manufacturers, the rewards can be colossal. Develop and bring to market some truly innovative fashions and the sky is the limit. Whole economies benefit, whole societies can be dragged up by their bootlaces and that is just in manufacturing.

The other part of the equation is in the promotion and marketing of the fashion industry. Once again, there are some very undesirable aspects of this industry such as the disposable exploitation of the wide eyed hopefuls I mentioned before. Preened and painted and adored by the cameras, the young models are unaware that they suddenly represent an entire generation and are blissfully unaware of the responsibility that their iconic position carries.

Fortunately the conscience of the fashion industry is held in check by public opinion. Unfortunately the lag between any unsavoury act by the fashion industry and the public rebuke to stop it, means that we regularly have distasteful fad and fashions taking a hold before the public outcry takes effect. One such fad is the size zero phenomenon. Any medical practitioner worth their salt will expose the health risks of being underweight yet there are thousands of young and impressionable hopefuls only too willing to be like their catwalk idols.

Fortunately many fashion retailers have taken on board public opinion and no longer extol the virtues of being a size zero which is a positive move in itself. A good point to remember is that with great power comes great responsibility. We can only hope that the fashion industry takes note.

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