Cult-ivated

Cult-ivated :

The real truth about how fast fashion isn't taking over the fashion populous but its really the culture of a luxury brand that drives an avid fashionista.

As we all may or may not know, fast fashion is a term used by the fashion retailers to describe designs that have moved from runway to store in the fastest time in able to capitalize on current trends in the market. H&M, Topshop and most importantly, Zara, are the large retailers known especially for their prowess in manufacturing swiftly and cheaply all of the current fashion trends presented at the numerous fashion weeks showcased in spring and autumn of each year.

Do you think that the average consumer of fast fashion has a connection to the items purchased?

In recent times, there has been a heap of stories and press about how fast fashion is the world's biggest nightmare but that isn't why we are here today, our mission is to decipher the truth of value and the sense of a bigger connection to one's fashion items.

Take a look around your room, if you are anything like me you will have lots of items, varied price ranges and many different brands but the positioning of the said items is what is important. Is your favourite designer piece out in the open within arms or legs or foot crushing reach, I'd think not. Again, if you're anything like me, those pieces are placed about five to ten baby feet away from any impending danger, why you may ask? Its because of the connection factor.

Yes, connection factor and not price factor, although who are we kidding if we were to say price isn't important. The truth is our connection to the designer items are way deeper than price, it is the legacy behind the piece, the culture, the way one feels when they don that said piece that is the key to why we oh so dearly protect it with our lives.

Here's another question, when last have you socialized and had a conversation based on an H&M shirt? Well in a positive light at least! In total admittance, the only time that seems to happen is when someone says “oh, thats a cute shirt, I have it in about three colours and so does my friend.”, conversation is shortly ended. On the other hand, a shirt from Givenchy's past or current collection, which in the fashion world is seen as the “Rottweiler print” or the “Black Panther print” collections, could unite strangers into a conversation about their love for the designer, Riccardo Tisci, in fact, that example was purely contrived by experience. There is a sort of respect shown by each wearer who dons the piece and the sense of reward that without conversation you've already acknowledged that you have something in common. House parties are another example of the connection that designer products give to the fellow consumers, first thing noticed at the door are shoes, sometimes those noted shoes can lead you to your new bestfriend and tell you so much about a person without even seeing them but yet you know by the two pairs of “Jeffrey Campbell Litas” neatly tucked away from the other shoes, that the two girls in the corner are the ones you will be spending the rest of the night with.

In the realm of all things designer, brands are now positioning themselves as more of a lifestyle. No longer is an Alexander Wang, Rick Owens or a Rad Hourani item, just an item. Those brands in particular have a strong known following where you can tell a piece from afar and know the type of club the wearer may party at, the type of music they listen to, and even the type of place they are likely to hang at, it is sorta like a mini biography in a garment. Each designer is now known by a certain aesthetic and his followers are then known to be apart of his cult, not in the scary kool-aid drinking way but in a way that now a certain type of person is viewed in the clothing, a certain type of personality is expected and it leads to, that feeling of connection.

All in all, the industry has been struggling with the fact that fast fashion has caused many a strive throughout the world and the world of fashion, from things like knockoffs, sweatshop production to way too rapid movement of trends. Although in actuality, this has been counteracted with the determination of the industry's actual designer consumers, the ones who were always purchasing luxury items now purchase even more, since it continuously without a doubt sets them apart from the fast fashion lovers but also unites them with a family of like-minded individuals.