FASHION IS SUCH BIG BUSINESS

It feels like fashion is everywhere at the moment. Of course, with London Fashion Week taking place, it’s always going to be widely reported on, but even aside from that, there seems to be a huge amount of dialogue around it elsewhere too. From new stores opening to serious conversations about its future and sustainability, it’s become a regular item on the news agenda. It definitely feels like we’re back to prepandemic levels of interest. Why is fashion so important in our society? I think – as with so many things – social media has had a huge impact. Before, between your commute and your work day, you’d be lucky if 50 people saw what you wore on a certain day. Of them, perhaps 15 would be actually paying attention. Now, however, depending on how active you are on Instagram or Tik Tok, thousands of people could be privy to your outfit of choice. Now, however, most of them are paying attention. There’s a hugely covetous nature to it too. Look at a post by any popular influencer, even if it’s a picture of them doing the washing up, and dozens of people will ask, ‘where did you get your top?’ Or, ‘those shoes are fabulous, who are they by?’ I’m guilty of it myself, though I usually look at the other answers to check if it’s already been mentioned. When my friend was recently nominated for an Oscar for her role as producer on An Cailín Ciúin, one of the first questions all of us asked was, ‘what are you going to wear?’ She still hasn’t told us, though if her dress at last Saturday’s BAFTAs was anything to go by, it will be beautiful. The global fashion industry produces more than 100 to 150 billion items of clothing per year, with revenue forecast to hit more than $1.7 trillion this year. That is why so many people are keen to tap into it as an industry. It is a behemoth. The rise of fast fashion is one of the most shameful events of our time, yet elements of it are a necessary evil. With the cost of living crisis hitting a growing number of people by the day, cheap clothing is unavoidable for many families. If we hark back to the days of the pandemic, we all remember the queues outside Penneys when it reopened. It had to run an appointment system for several weeks as people were so desperate to get in. You can be guaranteed that the vast majority of them weren’t buying a dress for a party or a pair of heels that they’d toss in the bin after one wear. Most were getting clothes for their ever-growing children or pyjamas to keep warm during winter nights. I think the days of being confined to loungewear have also made us all want to get back to dressing up too – it’s the reason why sequins are staying on the catwalk long past Christmas. A fine balance can be achieved and we must all work towards finding it. Fashion is so entwined with our social consciousness and societal evolutions, so embrace it, while also doing your bit to curb waste.

Enjoy the issue.