IS FASHION REALLY WORTH IT?

After watching the controversial and shocking documentary "The True Cost" which tells the tale of just how badly fast fashion is impacting not only undeveloped countries but also ourselves, I feel as if I have a completely different perspective on the fashion industry as a whole. The fact that  people are literally dying in their thousands just for us to have more affordable clothing is ridiculous and a fact that I had never came across before. 

From the documentary it seems that H&M (of which I previously worked for) are a big culprit for exploiting workers. When I worked at the company I really bought into their "conscious" campaign where they promoted helping third world countries and recycling, one way they did this was by getting customers to bring in bags of their old clothes in exchange for £5 store credit. However after learning of their disgusting treatment of workers its clear that this campaign was merely just to try and scrape back their brand image rather than their actual interest in the environment, recycling and fair trade. 

It's actually shameful the fact that this documentary has had so many views and such a wide reach yet little has been done to make any changes within the fashion industry. It's even more shameful for me to admit that if that I would most likely still go for the cheaper more affordable option when it comes to fashion despite not knowing its origin and the true cost of it. I think sadly the only way there could ever be big changes in the production of fashion garments is if it began affecting us and the people we know, which could very well happen at the rate of the current fashion industry.

DOES FASHION GIVE SECOND CHANCES?

As part of our reading week we were also tasked to watch various fashion related documentaries and House Of Z was the first document that really sparked my interest. It tells the story of the infamous American fashion designer Zac Posen.

Zac Posen is not only famous for his elegant designs but also for his outlandish behaviour and lifestyle. This documentary documents his rise to fame, his fall from grace and ultimately his mission to regain popularity and be given a second chance. His first big break was when he made a gown for the gorgeous Naomi Campbell in 2000, the gown was loved and adored by many and it was even borrowed by various other eager socialites to different events which made the dress even more sought after in turn making Zac Posen gowns even more in demand.

One factor I love about Zac Posen's rise to fame is how his first workshop was actually just within his family's home and how his family chipped in by actually quitting their jobs with his mother being his business manager and his sister becoming the labels creative director. However as the documentary proceeds it becomes quite clear that his beginnings aren't simply that humble and cute. 

Zac Posen's upbringing and beginnings seem to follow the same initial pattern as the majority of people that have made it big within the fashion industry; they're rich as hell. His parents managed to fund his move to London for university with ease and also give him a daily allowance. It seems that to be able to get anywhere within the fashion industry you have to have a few million behind you! I feel as if this was also one big factor into him losing popularity around 2004. People love a sob story, and people love seeing an underdog rise from nothing to something. However Zac rose from something to something even bigger! Obviously there were many other factors within his demise but I feel that people wanted to buy into a story rather than just great talent.

Zac Posen has recently tried to regain popularity and I believe that due to his sheer talent he will eventually redeem himself via his second chance. It's just whether the very unforgiving fashion industry decide to let him slide...