Showing posts with label Jonathan Saunders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonathan Saunders. Show all posts

Monday, 20 October 2008

Ethical fashion and shopping binges

I was at yoga today and it got me thinking about the whole Ethical fashion craze. (You do have a lot of time to think while you're meditating in down-dog.)

I've observed in the fashion ranks a whole new lifestyle kicking in: yoga, healthy food, and an awareness of global warming and ethical matters.

Everything is going organic nowadays, from food to clothes. What are the pros and cons?

  • First of all it comes with a price and an expensive one: organic cotton is more expensive and let's be honest, the free range clothes which have been presented to us are often not the most flattering we can think of! Unless Jonathan Saunders is designing them, but in that case they are way over a normal trendy girl's budget.

  • Secondly, we are a generation of shopaholics. We have been brought up on the high street: our fashion life is all about clothes, more clothes and new clothes! Every year, every season, every month...

And let's admit it, we love it! A shopping spree is the ultimate heartbreak cure and stress or boredom remedy!

But it is true that the global economic situation is worrying.
And if we have enough to splash out on an expensive pair of shoes once in a while, we can afford to make small changes in our habits.

The key is: small change. Everyone is willing as long as the designers and shops give us a hand. For now, the organic future of fashion seems very far away.

There are small changes: H&M has a range of organic tee-shirts, Jonathan Saunders launched an ethical line with Oxfam and vintage clothing is now the most en vogue style.

The latter might be the best medium by which we can contribute to a healthier fashion. Recycling clothes has become cool, so why not keep on the trend? So long as it's not the majority of our wardrobe which is recycled.

At least not yet...

Sunday, 19 October 2008

Vampires in Oxford Street: Goths are about to enter Mainstream Fashion

Vivienne Westwood did it to Punk in 1981 and now it's about to happen to Goth. So, if you are a true member of the underground subculture be warned: your style is about to be revisited by the mainstream.

Everything is going black: from soft lace to lips and sequin. What is amazing with the Romantic Gothic style is the play with textures. Givenchy teams up chiffon and PVC to amazing results.

But why this craze for niche subculture looks?

Bringing dark worlds into fashion is a trademark of British designing. Vivienne Westwood was a pioneer of infusing controversy into the mainstream, but many like Jean Paul Gaultier and Jonathan Saunders followed the lead.

Provocative styles are sexy and young.

The soft-Goth look of this season has certainly been glamorised: it's all about a sleek and soft contrast of materials, feminine details and figure flattering cuts.

But, if Punk caused outrage back in the 80s, subcultures aren't as controversial anymore. The Goth black lips and heavy makeup didn't shock the catwalks. It amazed.

In a sense, it shows a wider fashion acceptance and the death of traditional day wear: anything goes nowadays, especially in London. But it might also mean the death of the subculture.