Everyday billions of people get dressed. The clothing these billions of people wear is largely dependent on the latest fashion trends. In today’s society, a teenager cringes at the thought of wearing shoulder pads, but their grandmother likely wore them 40 years ago because they were fashionable at the time. Fashion has a rich history that goes far beyond trends going in and out of style. In fact, the fashion world as we know it only just came to be. Before the 1900s most clothing was custom made, and not mass manufactured. Depending on an individual's socioeconomic status, when someone needed a new piece of clothing they either made it at home or placed an order with a local tailor. Several innovations including the invention of the sewing machine, use of production lines, and the rise of globalization drastically impacted the way in which clothing began to be manufactured. These innovations are what yielded the fashion industry as we know it today in which clothing is sold online and at retail stores for set prices in definite sizes.
Fashion Shows
Fashion weeks and shows are so popular and entrenched in our society that even major news stations cover them in their evening news reports. The most prestigious fashion shows are held during fashion week in what are known as fashion capitals, such as New York City, London, Paris, and Milan. The most respected fashion designers base their headquarters in these cities, and exhibit their new designs twice a year during the cities fashion weeks. Designers pay models to walk the runways at shows, and the shows are watched by fashion buyers of major retailers and celebrities as well. This is where fashion trends begin.
Models and Social Influencers
Models and social influencers are what turn fashion designs to global fashion trends. Designers hire models to debut their clothes, but the choice of model is often what has the most impact on a design taking off. For instance, hiring Gigi Hadid, arguably one of the most well known models in today’s industry, to model a line of clothing brings much more attention to it, and therefore potential purchases, than hiring a noname model. However, hiring top models costs a pretty penny. In fact, top model Gisele Bundchen’s net worth is a bit more than double that of her husband Tom Brady, who holds the crown for most superbowl rings. Models are not the only people designers use to promote their clothing lines, however. Social influencers, like Kim Kardashian West, Amal Clooney, and Kate Middleton are often gifted free designer clothing so that they will wear, and therefore promote, the designer’s fashion line. The importance of social influencers is made apparent through women at red carpet events being asked about the designer they are wearing more often than about the event they are attending or the work they are promoting. However, the majority of the population are not models or social influencers and cannot afford designer clothing. So, after a model or social influencer is spotted wearing a designer’s clothes, fast fashion retailers like Forever 21, Inc. and designers that target the middle class are quick to replicate the designs. The mass population buys these designs, and trends are started.
Blogs, Magazines, and More
The influence of fashion blogs, magazines, and social media accounts cannot be overstated. With the rise of the printing press, flipping through magazines became a popular pastime of people throughout the western world. Although the creation of the internet has slowed the sales of printed material, Vogue and other notable fashion magazines still sell millions of copies a year. Actually, one of the highest honors a model can receive is to be featured on the cover of Vogue, in any country’s addition. Vogue, among other fashion magazines, feature the latest fashion trends, news, designers, models, and social influencers. A designer’s clothes featured in the right magazine get sales booming. Beyond magazines, the rise of the internet the prevalence of fashion blogs and social media accounts revolving around fashion has skyrocketed. This allows fashion trends to spread across the world like never before.
