Last night a serious, valid and thoughtful debate took place at the Cambridge Union. This is not surprising. However, judging from the relatively low turn-out, many of you must have been surprised that it centred on fashion, specifically the notion that “fashion is elitist”. Perhaps in a month which has seen Katie Price take to the floor, you are beginning to question the prestige of the Union.
Well, you would be wrong to do so on at least one count. Too often easily dismissed, I believe fashion has a lot to contribute and deserves to be discussed: everyone has at least a vague notion of how to express themselves through clothes, and fashion trends are almost always an indication of wider societal preoccupations. It is also, above all, fun.
How then, could fashion possibly be considered elitist?
As part of my application to become Varsity’s fashion blogger, I was asked to write a proposal, outlining my vision for this blog. So negative was my own perception of the fashion industry that I felt the need to justify my decision to apply, and to distance myself from those who are ready to chastise and ostracise because of a wrong accessory. Here is the introduction to my proposal:
“In putting myself forward as a prospective Fashion blogger, I feel a slight unease. The connotations of this job are of someone who considers themselves ‘too cool for school’, someone who will look you up and down in a pub before deciding whether to talk to you, someone who is trying to become the next Anna Wintour.”
I have realised that I love fashion, but I’m not sure that I love the fashion industry.
As someone who would still like to work in this industry, such stereotypes are worrying. I do worry about the years of internships I would have to undertake, and the horror stories of impressionable girls who work all hours doing menial tasks, for free, with little prospect of employment afterwards. Industry veterans see it as a necessary part of gaining a role in such a competitive field. Unfortunately, the winners of this competition are all too often the wealthy and the well-connected. The idea of a ‘clique’ may seem better suited to an American high-school drama, but it is also the foundation of a career in fashion.
The two faces of Fashion
Yet as the panel were eager to remind us, and as anyone who has seen The September Issue will know, for every Anna Wintour there is a Grace Coddington. These individuals are creative, committed and often from humble backgrounds, and they do genuinely want to see everyone profit from their expertise.
Sienna Miller doubles up, carrying two versions of Balenciaga’s Motorcycle bag
Unfortunately, the (LV embossed) elephant in the room is that the economic structure of fashion, and all buzz words associated with it, such as luxury and trends, are built upon the idea of elitism. The succession of ‘it’ bags in the early noughties (for a trip down memory lane think back to the Roxanne, the Paddington and the Stam) proved this point entirely. Once the allure had permeated through to WAGs and reality stars (Christian Louboutin take note), true fashionistas were off on the hunt for the next oversized, overpriced, absurdly named tote to haul around. This is because the fashion industry revolves around the niche, the few, the ultimately unattainable.
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