SAY YES (OR NO) TO GLOBAL FASHION

                In the other night, the red shoes and I were looking at street style photos of different cities of the world. Despite the differences between a New Yorker and an Indian girl, the discrepancies are not so remarkable any more. We all know we live in a globalized world but have you ever wondered if that’s an advantage concerning fashion? Is style getting richer or poorer?

                Some say that street style didn’t suffer with globalization, in fact, «it was born that way» (Will Welch, senior editor at GQ), meaning that street style actually exists online. It first started by photographing unique casual styles, especially during fashion weeks but lately it has became «self-aware rather than accidental culture». Despite some exceptions, some people are actually getting dressed for the cameras. The impact of street style on fashion industry is enormous. It is more relevant to people in general than runway shoes. And that impact may have caused the loss of diversity since we can have free style tips from someone living in China but it may also have enriched the way we dress. Ultimately, a person in China may dress like me but I can also dress like her. So, the outcome may be a “salad bowl” of fashion.

                If we actually consider the three positions regarding Globalization, I would say that we are experiencing the “salad bowl”. There are numerous cultures that influence each other without melting. They mix like the ingredients of a salad, a global salad. We have learned to live with diversity and in my opinion it looks like a great benefit to style. We have almost lived in a cultural mosaic before the discoveries of the 15^th and 16^th century, when cultures from different continents barely influenced each other. When we discover the seas, we discover different styles, clothes and accessories. We have even experiencing a little of the “melting pot” in Europe. In the 18^th century and the 19^th century, the nobles in Europe tried to dress like the French court. They would really make an effort to dress like Louis XV and (unfortunately) to buy a wig that was exactly like his. In the 20^th century, especially after World War II, the focus shifted to the “America way of life” with movies, TV shows and music advertising a certain way of dressing, but European designers like Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent were the ones who revolutionized the way women dress and created global icons of the wardrobe that almost every woman wishes worldwide. Nowadays, we are not so obsessed with Paris, New York, Milan and London. They are still the most influential cities to the fashion industry but cities like Bombay, Berlin, São Paulo, Cape Town, Cairo and Antwerp are getting more influentional day by day with the rise of new designers and especially in street style.

                But fashion is not all about style. It is an industry of billions and that is only possible due to globalization. Economically speaking, globalization allowed the growth of many brands and especially the development of the fast fashion phenomenon seems to have no limits. Designers have to keep in mind that they are not creating for the typical “western” man/ woman. They have to have a wider target in mind. Although a girl in Cape Town may wear the same shirt I’m wearing she won’t use it the same way. Like Valerie Steel, the director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, said, «Despite the homogenization created by fast fashion, young people around the world remain concerned with individual self-expression» and also the same piece of clothing adapts to our social, political, cultural and religious context.  

                                                             (Chanel Pre-Fall 2012)

                To conclude, globalization has its down and positive aspects in fashion. I would personally love to arrive to Japan and to see typical and historical pieces worn by its people but I will probably found a style that is a global dialogue between tradition and influences of British and New York street style. As we have access to information, we cannot expect others not to have it. The fashion industry has changed along with communication, arts, politics and almost every single aspect of our daily lives. We cannot stop things from growing. Development is essential. To me, as long as fashion keeps its courage, its ability to transform and reinvent and its magic and fantasy, I’m happy. As long as we keep on balancing the desire to fit in and the desire to stand out, individuality won’t end. I don’t believe in a completely standardized world because that will mean the death of creativity and fortunately there are millions of creative people in the world. I do believe in a (balanced) globalization. If were not part of a globalized society, I wouldn’t be wearing these shoes and I wouldn’t certainly be writing this blog. 

(Street style photos from different cities of the world)

              If you want to check out really great street style photos go to oalfaiatelisboeta.blogspot.pt . You can also check  http://ilikemystyle.net/ to see photos posted by people from several countries.

                                               

                                                        (by O Alfaiate Lisboeta)

              Red Shoes