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One thing about fashion is that it is constantly evolving, and that it gets inspiration from the happenings around the world. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut collection for Dior, which features her now-famous T-shirt slogan ‘We should all be feminists,’ aptly calls attention to the exact sentiments of women everywhere. Case in point: the number of women who have become heads of states have increased, then there was the Women’s March which took place on President Donald Trump’s first day in office. Women are standing united in the spirit of democracy, championing fundamental human rights—and complacency is no longer an option. Like a pride of lionesses, it’s time to hear us roar! But I digress. As I mentioned, fashion continues and needs to be reinvented. Consumers are no longer satisfied with brands that whitewash their advertising, and want to see more diversity in fashion, specifically models of different races and sizes that represent the general community. I read with interest, of a survey conducted by Ben Barry, assistant professor at the School of Fashion in Ryerson University, where he noted that consumers who see a model that mirrored their own race made them feel beautiful and connected to the brand. Acknowledging that women are not cut from the same cookie-cutter mould, Modcloth has done away with its plus-size segment and instead incorporated it into its clothing sizes. Take a look at their website and you can see it for yourself. Its founder Susan Gregg Koger couldn’t have said it better: “I think there is still an outdated notion in the fashion industry that ‘plus’ should be separate because it’s less aspirational, or because the consumer is less fashion-forward, or less willing to spend on herself. But what we’re hearing and seeing from our community is that it is simply not true.” Then there’s the see now, buy now trend that’s being embraced by heavyweight designers like Michael Kors and Tom Ford. Even the venerable Ralph Lauren has decided to jump on the bandwagon, stating that the time of delivering clothes six months after showing them, is over. Due to the prevalence of social media, you have got to change, he claims. Consumer instant gratification and sales are what is driving this phenomena and only time will tell if this proves lucrative and whether or not fashion houses can keep up with the dizzying speed, compared to the usual six-month lapse from runway to the stores. But for now, let’s enjoy the spring-summer collections hot on the runway—do check out our designer dossier report (page 122). We also have another interesting read for you, on why stylists are very much in demand by celebrities in producing the right look for them ( Power Dressers, page 164). I hope you enjoy our Style issue and see you next month!
— Elizabeth Soong Managing Editor