Where does fashion go from here?

Hello, 2021!

Waking up every day this past year, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, and reading the news with my morning tea seemed like a rather scary and daunting task. Like a little girl, I wanted a magic wand, hoping to end this bad dream. I longed to step into our neighborhood cafe for a cappuccino with friends, I tried smiling at strangers through my mask, I fancied taking a flight to someplace exotic, but days became weeks, and weeks became months. And here we are, almost a year later, a new year; trepidation yet optimism! Eventually, we humans do what we know best; “adapt.” This year we have all learned to adapt in so many different ways. We have faced social, political, economic, and psychological challenges, yet the human spirit is indefatigable.

I love to write, especially about fashion and culture at large. This past year, however, writing about fashion seemed rather frivolous. 2020 has been a year like none other, and the fashion industry is no different. The pandemic has shaken the industry to its core and undoubtedly accelerated the already brewing fashion revolution. While some designers have shuttered their businesses, others have become more desirable. Some are reevaluating how they showcase collections, others signing petitions to recalibrate or completely shun the antiquated fashion calendar. Localized small batch production, fair wages, safe working conditions, environmental footprint, and last but not least, cultural recalibration are the need of the hour.

I am personally very excited to join Remake as an ambassador. Remake is a community of women of all ages and varied backgrounds who pledge to put an end to fast fashion. “From extreme waste and environmental destruction to illegal wages and unsafe working conditions, the fashion industry’s focus on trendy, disposable clothing has staggering impacts on people and our planet” (Remake).

So follow my journey as we together find a better path forward. As much as I love to adhere to the “de rigueur,” I also genuinely believe we can do this in a better way without having an irreversible impact on the environment, society, economy, and culture. To that end, I want to leave you all with a thought of “Buy LESS, Buy BETTER” this is not some elitist goal, but something we can all apply to our lives. After all, fashion is something you buy; Style is inherent!

So are you the 21st-century Fashion Zeitgeist?