Why Fashion Matters
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
An illuminating introduction to the expanding influence of fashion from the perspectives of design, technology, sustainability, and business
Fashion matters for the economy, to society, and to each of us personally. Faster than anything else, what we wear tells the story of who we are—or who we want to be. It is the most immediate form of self-expression.
Yet even as fashion touches the lives of each and every one of us, its influence and the vast creative industry that it supports can seem mysterious to outsiders. In Why Fashion Matters Frances Corner, Head of London College of Fashion, guides readers into the dizzying world of this rapidly expanding, increasingly global, always exciting industry.
In provocative and intriguing entries, Corner teases out the glorious intricacies and contradictions of an industry that simultaneously values technology and craft; timeless style and fast fashion; the bespoke and the mass-market; consumption and sustainability; cold, hard numbers; and creative expression. From “Shop 'til We Drop” to “The White Shirt” to “The One Trillion Dollar Business” each entry offers a unique avenue into fashion and its impact, both positive and negative, on lives around the globe.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This eclectic volume by Corner (head of the London College of Fashion and a member of the British Fashion Council's Advisory Board) shows how fashion impacts economies, cultures, and individuals. Corner provides a comprehensive view of fashion not only as a multi-billion dollar industry, but also as a form of beauty and creativity. She acknowledges fashion's dark side as well: models with eating disorders, a lack of diversity in the industry, ecological concerns, and other issues. While covering a wide range of topics, the well-designed compact volume is organized into 101 self-contained reflections that weave anecdotes from Corner's life and career with her views on today's trends. Topics addressed include "The Advantage of Vintage," "Fashion as Ecosystem," "The Short History of Facial Hair," and "Fashion Stereotypes." Corner also poses questions such as, "Do we wear clothes to cover our nakedness and fashion to suggest our nudity?" More than an industry primer, the book offers a thoughtful and learned portrait of fashion and its effect on the world.
