corporate boho
oh, look...i don't mean to be so dour-sounding all the time. yes, fashion is fashion, and we all know how much we love it and participate in it, and make it, and wear it, and, well, just love it! and i don't wanna always come off as being a finger-wagging guilt-ridden pc-espousing anti-corporate socialist. but indulge me in one last thing, why don't you? ;)
...so after a bit more rummaging around on the internet, i came across a nice and concise article about the commodification of this handmade "boho" hippie chic that is sweeping the nation, and an interesting musing on its implied cultural globalization.
"Everywhere, young women are donning batik skirts and beaded slippers as encouraged by the high-fashion architects of this summer's big trend: bohemian chic...The only problem is that the ethnic patchwork is contrived. Young women who have never traveled out of their zip code are dressing like they just came back from a whirlwind tour of Nairobi, Prague and the Khyber Pass. While some girls really did get that embroidered blouse in the former Soviet bloc, most of them have patched together their summer wardrobes at the Gap, Urban Outfitters, or United Colors of Benneton. And most of them have done so in blissful -- or willful -- ignorance of where their clothing actually came from..." (read: sweatshops, duh)
"Put on a Hippy Face: What's the real story behind the new trend of "ethnic" bohemian fashion?" by Holly Beck, posted on Alternet, 8/3/05
ooof. i am starved now. must...have...sushi! :)
3 Comments:
it's really frustrating that in the u.s. we have eliminated our our fabric and garment industry because folks don't want to pay fairly for the labor. since being in north carolina i've noticed that all of the fabric mills here are closed, and they're turning them into mini malls that will hold stores like ann taylor, talbots, j crew.
my mother-in-law worked in the mills when she was younger and i was so excited to come here, i figured i could buy some good american made fabric. but they're all gone.
but what can we do? where do we buy fabric? it's all so darn aggravating.
i think it's horrible that a country who's wealth was built on industry is basically eliminating industry.
xo melissa
oooh, good article! i actually wrote a piece on cultural appropriation and i felt so guilty about not knowing the actual cultural meaning of some articles of clothing (like mandarin collared dresses) that i did all this research to educate myself on their cultural meaning. now i feel guilty that i own a pair of moccasin boots and a kimono style top. argh! :-(
hi melissa, thanks for writing about the loss of local manufacturing...it's a real quiet issue, with not much reporting done on it. it's a damn shame...oh, fyi, i did a basic google search for american-made fabrics and there are sources still available, so check them out! it's funny how a search like that will turn up all these webpages with american flags on it and really patriotic imagery and messages--i mean, i wanna support livable wages and local economies, not turn into a nationalist! ;p
amee, oh no, this is not about getting guilt-ridden over wearing imported clothes and ethnic fashions...i'm totally into the aesthetic, it's just that i find it ironic that the interest in ethnic-inspired clothing doesn't seem to match an interest in larger global issues, or the larger irony that an item that looks like russian/boho/peasant inspired style is really made in china--talk about postmodern! i don't think you have to study up on mandarin collars in order to just be able to wear and appreciate it for its design and look!
oooo, i didn't want to start a guilt-festival around this issue :D
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