Fashion Direction and Globalization - Term Paper Example

Fashion Direction and Globalization Name: Course: Code: Institution: Location: Date: Abstract Fashion has been one of the most significant indicators of intercultural exchanges. As the rate of globalization continues to increase, many cultures are seeking to identify with their fashion preferences from a global perspective. Fashion as a representation of culture has continued to gain significance in the global markets. This has made impact on the economic sphere all over the world. Fashion has long been used as a communication between two or more societies or cultures. It has been used as a form of self-expression, indicating the origin of one’s cultures, beliefs, and personal values. Thus, the industry, like all other economic industries have been greatly advanced through globalization. One of the major ways globalization has affected the fashion industry is through the media, which has continuously communicated the ever-changing global trends. In addition, the fashion market has made it easier for members to access these fashion clothing. The challenges of fashion lie in their unpredictability about what will be embraced by the larger majority. One thing that remains certain among the fashion watchers is that the industry will keep evolving and changing according to the consumer behavior. Several factors such as technological advancements, globalization, and intercultural activities are one of the most significant influencers of the direction of fashion in the near and distant future. The study will evaluate some of the fashion lines and their future direction they intend to take according to the larger global market. Introduction The fashion direction is influenced by economic, social, cultural, and personal factors, some of the factors that the fashion industry takes keen interest in when deciding the direction of fashion trends globally. As an expression of creativity, fashion has been seen to be highly unpredictable, and it is only when trends have begun to take notice that the industry has the ability to predict the overall sales. Fashion has taken many turns from as early as the beginning of the 20th centuries up to today. The beginning of the industrial age saw many countries integrating not only in economic trade but also in their embrace for social and cultural activities. With this phenomenon, many types of fashion trends were adopted from one culture to another. This was mostly within the westernized and industrialized nations. During this time, most countries were not keen on adopting fashion trends from other cultures due to the prevalent political, religious and cultural differences that riddled the globe. The middle and late 20th century was widely influenced by the technological advancements, which introduced fashion magazines, fashion shows, and trends within the contexts of films, and other videos. The future of fashion trends will be widely influenced by some of the factors that will be aligned directly to globalization, such as technological advancements, which allow several cultures to share their fashion preferences. The future trends will also be influenced by the increased preference for comfort as opposed to just dressing to impress. Some of the most influential fashion lines will be on the forefront at promoting the fashion trends to the market, especially in the industrialized nations. Literature Review According to Tortora (2015), technology has been crucial in representing the trends of fashion for the past several decades. The author provides a sequential study of dress making from as early as the 19th century, where several cultural requirements has necessitated the fashion trends, while still taking into consideration the evolution of technology. From the use of hands, to needles to machines in the modern day, technology has not only made it easier to make clothing but also increased the variety of fashion designs all over the world. Technology has further bolstered its influence in the society through the media, which has communicated fashion trends that have been embraced globally. Thus, technology has been described as not only a means to an end in the fashion industry, but rather a defining aspect of fashion itself. For instance, with the invention of the automobile, the Victorian style that was largely popular began to fade away. This was because the corsets, bustles, and bonnets were very restrictive for a woman who intended to get into an automobile. With the beginning of space travel, many fashion lines and the rest of the society began to shift their views of both the male and female dressing styles. The industrial revolution caused people to value style with comfort, while adhering to the effects of fashion within the technological spheres. The intersection of fashion, dressing, and technology is therefore an intricate subject that the author delves into extensively. Before the name was coined, history of human attire has affected the society in a variety of ways. Thus, Snodgrass (2015) maintains that the social behavior will be the chief determinant of fashion trends in the future. Other social factors will determine what the consumers will value most, from comfort, to style. Thus, their preferences will be altered according to their changing societal values. Dressing is described as a reflection of social standing of an individual, economic status, aesthetic preferences and mainstream marketing in the fashion industry. With the age of globalization, fashion has become a global trend that is rapidly gaining recognition especially within the industrialized nations. Diversification of fashion materials such as animal fur, leather, and synthetic fabrics has made it increasingly easier for members of the society to obtain an increased variety of fashion trends within the industry (McCracken, 2015). Technological advancements have further increased designs through machines. For instance, weaving and sewing have been diversified and made easier through use of machines and other forms of computer aided technology. Recreational activities, rites of passage and the changing human activities have also shifted fashion trends to more appropriate and comfortable dressing while still attempting to maintain an aesthetic style that subscribes to the international standards. The author maintains that these social and economic aspects of fashion have influenced the past evolutions of dressing styles and will continue to do so even in the future. The youth are described to be the demographic responsible for setting trends in many societies. Musicians, actors, and other influential figures have played large roles in setting trends especially within the western world. Beauty has been described as the end goal of the society and with this comes a huge consideration for fashion choices. Beauty is not defined in similar ways especially across societies. Thus, the purpose of globalization in the fashion industry is to not only create a forum where other forms of beauty will be accepted but also integrate two or more cultural preferences from different regions to create unique styles and designs that are more easily embraced worldwide. As western cities are becoming more homogenous with other social and economic practices such as language, leisure activities, sports and architectural styles, the fashion preferences are becoming more and more similar. Thus, the author maintains that the future direction of fashion trends will be geared towards creating a uniform society worldwide where people will find it increasingly difficult to tell societies apart. This has been made possible through worldwide media that has shaped recognition of some of the most famous fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin, and Donna Karan New York. Globalization is therefore seen to be as a form of diversification rather than homogenization within the cultures. According to Osorno (2015), the fashion industry is an intricate aspect of the society that is influenced and influences other social factors. The ever changing consumer behaviors has been seen to be the root of fashion trends worldwide, thus, with globalization, fashion preferences are sure to be embraced from one culture to another. The increasing diversification in the fashion sphere will increase fashion preferences within the consumers, thus allowing a wide range of fashion trends to become adopted. The evolving societies that are less restrictive will make it easier for the youth to use fashion as a form of social expression within their societies. The author describes these aspects as some of the most crucial pillars of determining the current and future fashion trends. Consumer behavior, as a determinant of fashion trends, is widely influenced by several factors such as fashion blogs, which influences hedonic consumption (consumption attached to the emotional and phantasm of an individual). In addition, shopping made easier through trade advancements such as online shopping has made it easier for consumer’s habits to become influenced by technological advancements. Thus, the author places these as some of the most important factors that will influence the future trends of fashion. As an intricate subject that is attached to many other social aspects, the future trend will be influenced by the very factors that influence human behavior, rather than just one factor such as technology. Contemporary fashion has been surrounded by several debates that seek to establish whether globalization in the fashion industry has promoted homogeneity or heterogeneity. While some researchers maintain that globalization has made several cultures adopt a certain style of dressing, thus encouraging homogeneity, other fashion critics assert that intercultural exchange has fostered diversification (Radclyffe-Thomas, 2015). The author of this journal maintain that the historical views of the chinoiserie has influenced Chinese fashion trends for centuries, and continues to do so up to this day. Thus, while the other authors argue the local and global binary that is associated with fashion, the authors of this journal seek to undertake a different perspective on how fashion trends have been evolving around the imitation of Chinese motifs and fashion trends. Thus, as opposed to culture being an aspect influenced by other societal factors, the author uses the Chinese chinoiserie to show how fashion has influenced the evolution of Chinese culture while still maintaining some of it most fundamental aspects. Fashion creatives have learnt the importance of Chinese art and preferences and have thus used these unique designs while still aiming to achieve global recognition in the larger fashion sphere. Thus, according to the author, fashion trends are predicted to take the direction of cultural influences especially in China. Methodologies for Further Research As fashion has been seen to take up past trends, some of the methods, which researchers could employ to research future trends, would be the evaluation of consumer behavior within the past four decades. This would enable them to have a better understanding of the direction that fashion is likely to take in the near future. Researchers may also seek to find out the fashion preferences from both the community as well as the fashion trendsetters. This will enable them to have a better understanding of what the society is likely to embrace and shun. Social influencers have a high likelihood to cause a shift in the fashion trends. Some of the methods that researchers could use to determine future trends are through carrying out interviews as well as making observations on some of the most influential fashion trendsetters in the industry. Future trends are also highly influenced by some of the most successful American and European Fashion lines and designers. These designers have played a crucial role in shaping some of the most widely embraced fashion trends in the American and European fashion industry. Such designers include Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Donna Karan, and Carolina Herrera. Through their imaginative appeals, such fashion designers have been able to appeal to the public aesthetic preferences thus becoming one of the most successful trendsetters in the fashion industry. As such, it is possible to determine the type of direction that fashion is likely to take based on their experiences on consumer reception. Conclusion With the current surge in rate of globalization, the fashion industry, like all other economic industries has been greatly affected both positively and negatively. Some of the most influential factors of fashion trends in the past have been technological innovation, which coupled by globalization have made it increasingly easier to become more innovative with different types of designs. With cultural integration on the rise, more fashion trends have been combined to make it easy for other cultures to embrace innovative styles that appeal to them and represent their sense of cultural identities. Many researchers have agreed that the past determining factors of fashion trends will continue to influence future trends. However, due to the intricate aspect of fashion and the unpredictable nature of consumer behavior, a more comprehensive and extensive research into social behaviors, influencers, and technological advancements needs to be carried out before determining the likely future that the fashion industry will take. Reference Mccracken, A. B. (2014). The beauty trade: youth, gender, and fashion globalization. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=675354. Osorno, S. (2015). Consumer behaviour towards the fashion industry: the fast fashion era. Trabajo inédito de fin de Master (Master Thesis). EMBS (European Master of Business Studies). Universidad de León. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales. Curso 2014/2015. Radclyffe-Thomas, Natascha, & Radclyffe-Thomas, Babette. (2015). The new Shanghai Xiaojie: Chinese fashion identities. Intellect. http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/8159/1/IJFS2.1_2_artRadclyffeFeb2015PostPrint.pdf. Snodgrass, M. E. (2015). World Clothing and Fashion An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence. Hoboken, Taylor and Francis. http://public.eblib.com/choice/PublicFullRecord.aspx?p=2058300. Tortora, P. G. (2015). Dress, fashion, and technology: from prehistory to the present. New York: Bloomsbury. Read More