Superficial. Anorexic. Privileged. Judgmental. These are just a few words frequently used by critics to describe designers, models, editors and publications in the fashion industry — an industry as imperfect as any other.
The ongoing debates regarding body image and health, the obnoxious displays of luxury by the upper class and the well-publicized, troubled personal lives of fashion's elite — John Galliano, Alexander "Lee" McQueen, Isabella Blow, Christophe Decarnin — often overshadow those who use their influence to make a difference.
Lately, however, a group of socially conscious trendsetters are taking over the headlines in an attempt to show that fashion can also be socially responsible, ethical, aware and accessible.
TOMS Shoes, founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, whom you may recognize from the AT&T ads, has gained popularity in the past few years for its One for One Movement. Essentially, for each pair of TOMS shoes purchased, TOMS donates a pair to children in developing countries, where soil-transmitted diseases, cuts and sores place many kids at risk for long-term physical and cognitive harm. Also, since shoes are a required part of school uniforms, the donation program helps children get an education and recognize their potential. Visit toms.com to participate.
Supermodel Liya Kebede founded the clothing line Lemlem to create economic opportunities for artisans in her native Ethiopia and preserve the beauty, quality and history of weaving. Lemlem, which means to flourish or bloom in the Ethiopian language Amharic, consists of dresses, shirts, bags, scarves and skirts for women and children. Each piece is hand-spun of cotton and intricately embroidered for a wearable work of art. Lemlem is available at J.Crew, Barneys and lemlem.com.
When U2 frontman Bono and his wife decided to begin a clothing line, Edun, they did so as part of a commitment to develop trade with and raise awareness for Africa. The factories that produce their products follow a strict code of conduct, and about 85 percent of Edun clothing is made in Africa. Edun also utilizes organic and sustainable materials whenever possible. Edun products can be found at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue and edun.com.
The sale of FEED products benefits a variety of organizations and humanitarian programs, whose goals are to ensure that everyone has the right to healthy and nutritious food. FEED Projects' line of environmentally friendly, fair-labor bags, bears, T-shirts and other accessories contain a built-in donation in each product purchased. The impact of each product's sale, shown by a stenciled number, is instantly understandable to consumers. And with model Lauren Bush as the spokesperson, FEED has an incredible amount of clout in the fashion industry. FEED the world at Whole Foods, Amazon, Bergdorf Goodman, and feedprojects.com.
Harper's Bazaar launched the Fakes Are Never In Fashion campaign to expose the criminal activities funded by the sales of counterfeit goods. While knock-off bags, shoes and watches are much easier on the wallet than the actual products from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Cartier, the social cost is devastating. The counterfeiting trade has been linked to drug trafficking, child labor and terrorism. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that 7 percent of our annual world trade (more than $600 billion) is in counterfeit or pirated goods.
Some U.S. intelligence agencies believe that the sales of fake goods on the streets of New York partially financed the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and may have contributed to the September 11 attacks. In addition, counterfeit merchandise is believed to be directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs, and intellectual-property theft costs American companies up to $250 billion in lost revenue every year.
Making the battle against counterfeits even more difficult is the rise of fake retail Internet sites shilling items like Christian Louboutin shoes or Gucci wallets. A word of advice: if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is a cheap (and illegal) copy. The additional danger behind such sites is that the producers of counterfeits gain open access to personal and credit card information once a customer makes a purchase. The only way to completely protect yourself from this is to buy the real thing from a reputable retail site or direct from the brand. Visit fakesareneverinfashion.com to learn more.
Every season, magazines, newspapers, blogs and other forms of media proclaim what's in and what's out in fashion. Trends come and go (hello, neon), but dressing with a conscience is always in style.
— Dickman is a junior from Indianapolis, majoring in English writing.
features@thedepauw.com