With African Americans being apart of the fashion industry, they faced many hardships. However, they created a distinctive voice in the history of fashion. Throughout the early twentieth century, Blacks designers influenced the fashion industry in America, having, “a system and structure for maintaining their particular type of fashion.” African American fashion was very popular and caught the attention from the media. Department stores held successful fashion shows, screened fashion movies, and staged fashion pageants. Fortunately, African Americans were allowed to attend these events, yet they were not welcomed. Fast-forward to today, the fashion industry has opened up several doors for African American designers, stylist, and models. However, …show more content…
Joyce Bryant was very notable in the black community, these two were among some of Zeldas most notable achievements. Along side with working for those two, she designed evening, cocktail, and wedding gowns for:
Her entertainment-world clients Josephine Baker, Mae West, Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, and Marian Anderson. She also dressed the wives of famous black celebrities, including Nat “King” Cole and Sugar Ray Robinson. Unlike some other designers who exclusively created “costumes” versus “fashion”, Valdes moved between the two modes and her clients appreciated that as they ordered clothes for performance and also for their private
…show more content…
"A Profile of Zelda Wynn Valdes: Costume and Fashion Designer." OUPblog. http://blog.oup.com/2015/03/costume- designer-zelda-wynn-valdes/. March 31, 2015.
Foster, Kimberly. "Zelda Wynn Valdes Is the Most Influential Designer You 've Probably Never Heard Of." Coloures. http://www.mycoloures.com/2014/06/zelda-wynn-valdes-is- black-woman.html#axzz47RtRUMzT. June 22, 2014. Gainer, Nichelle. "Fashionable Game-Changer: Zelda Wynn Valdes." Ebony. March 26, 2012.
Gonzalez, David. "ABOUT NEW YORK; Matriarch of Dancers Sews Clothing of Delight." The New York Times. March 23, 1994. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/23/nyregion/about- new-york-matriarch-of-dancers-sews-clothing-of- delight.html.
Nelson, Karin. "Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing: Phresh Out the Runway." W Magazine. August 11, 2014. http://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/2014/08/olivier- rousteing-balmain/.
Weir, Laura. "Olivier Rousteing 's Childhood Memories." Vogue News. October 2, 2015. http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2015/10/02/olivier-rousteing- balmain-interview-vogue-september-issue.
Wilson, Julee. "Zelda Wynn Valdes: Black Fashion Designer Who Created The Playboy Bunny Outfit (PHOTOS)." Huffiest Black Voices. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/zelda-wynn- valdes-playboy-bunny_n_2637802.html. February 7,
Berry, Hannah. “The Fashion Industry: Free to Be an Individual.” The Norton Field Guide to
I recently visited the American History museum and came upon the most interesting artifact in the Lighting a Revolution section within the Transportation and Technology wing of the museum. This artifact is an advertisement from Charleston, South Carolina in 1769 about the selling of “a choice cargo” of two hundred and fifty slaves.
For the purposes of this paper we will be discussing the boycott effects on Abercrombie & Fitch; a U.S based clothing company. At first we will analyse the concept of boycotting international companies to understand the different choices boycotters make when targeting the guilty company. We will look at the history of the company; it’s beginnings, evolution of concept, failures and successes. An important part of this paper will be assessing the main factors and reasons that led to the boycott. We are going to be analysing the effects of the boycott keeping in mind that although the reasons behind the controversial boycott have taken place a couple of years ago, only in 2013 has the boycott been initiated by several different parties involved. To be able to understand what triggered the boycott to begin we are going to try to understand how it all came about to begin with. There are several concerned parties in the boycott and each have their own agenda and reasoning to boycott the company. To give a more thorough analysis of the initiators of this particular boycott their relation to one another will be discussed in the paper. Another important part of the boycott is the different types of effects that these boycotters have on the company. We will closely study the reasons, the effects, the affected parties, and the path for damage control and reconciliation chosen by Abercrombie & Fitch as well as its results both the negative and the positive. Finally we will discuss the effectiveness of the boycott on the Abercrombie’s internationalization, market strategy, competitiveness, and market activities.
Throughout time, bright designers, world-known magazines and famous models, where few are only African-Americans, had represented fashion. The fashion industry is one of the most demanding industries ever created. On one hand, designers have to be unique, professionals, consistent and most important, famous, to keep up with the industry. On the other hand, models have to be beautiful, with unique personalities, and most important, skinny. Before the Civil Right Movement, white Americans models and designers represented the fashion industry until famous models such as Naomi Campbell, and Iman Abdulmajid entered the industry. They were the most influential models in the 1980’s and 1990’s with their personal contribution on the industry. Beauty did not only brought goods and happiness; it also brought controversy and discrimination.
The 1970s was a tumultuous time in the United States. In some ways, the decade was a continuation of the 1960s. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays and lesbians and other marginalized people continued to fight for their freedom, while many other Americans joined in the demonstration against the ongoing war in Vietnam. Due to these movements, the 1970s saw changes in its national identity, including modifications in social values. These social changes showed up in the fashion industry as well, delivering new outlooks in the arenas of both men’s and women’s clothing.
Throughout history, there were many things that influenced fashion and the ideal body image of the time. Things such as politics, and changes in social roles were some things that had an influence on the fashion of the day. One particular shocking thing that had influenced on the fashion around the 1800s were sickness and diseases. Not only were diseases and sickness caused by different fashion trends, but it set the tone for certain ideal body images and also influenced the fashion of the time.
The problem with this is that these unique designs are often inspired by different cultures. “There is still an issue of ignorance in our fashion world… I don’t even like to use the word racism — [they’re] ignorant. They just don’t want to budge. They just don’t want to change their ideas or be more open-minded, to just [book] a beautiful girl regardless of creed or color” (Campbell). Most of the time the new designs that are incorporated as the new trend of the year, are influenced by different cultures. Bryce Covert in the article, The Fashion Industry’s Race Problem: Models of Color Rarely Get Hired claims that it is rare when models of different races get hired. Covert supports his claim by telling how, many big fashion industries did not hire women of color at all. Furthermore, he said that 82.7 percent of the models were white. Black models were hired for just 6 percent of the “looks” presented to the audience. Latina models made up just 2 percent. The author’s purpose is to point out how even though fashion influenced by different ethnicities it is still modeled by people who do not belong to that certain culture. The author writes in formal tone for everyone involved or interested in fashion. This type of scenario shows how racial
As I reflect on who I am and which culture I identify with, I am met with reservation. My parents are both Black Americans, they were both born and raised in the United States, their parent were also born and raised in the US. It is obvious that we derive from African descent; our skin color and physical features yet I find it difficult to relate or identify with my African heritage as slavery has played a pivotal role in separating us from our African origin. African enslavement left us devoid of a way to define ourselves. It severed familial ties and deprived us of any viable opportunity to reclaim them.(www.huffpost.com) We are descendants of African slaves but when I speak to someone who was born in Africa or research African culture, I
Traditions are practices/beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation. In traditional African societies, a kinship ties people through birth or marriage. There are two kinds of relationships in customary African tradition; those bound by blood, which are called consanguine, and those constructed by marriage, called affilial. There are four key descents that determine inheritance and marriage. However, the most common descent is patrilineal, which traces ancestry through one's father. While in America, we are vary tolerant of tracing our descent from both parents.
In the early 1800s, France was the sole fashion capital of the world; everyone who was anyone looked towards Paris for inspiration (DeJean, 35). French fashion authority was not disputed until the late twentieth century when Italy emerged as a major fashion hub (DeJean, 80). During the nineteenth century, mass produced clothing was beginning to be marketed and the appearance of department stores was on the rise (Stearns, 211). High fashion looks were being adapted and sold into “midlevel stores” so that the greater public could have what was once only available to the social elite (DeJean, 38). People were obsessed with expensive fashions; wealthy parents were advised not the let their children run around in expensive clothing. People would wait for children dressed in expensive clothing to walk by and then they would kidnap them and steal their clothes to sell for money (DeJean, 39). Accessories were another obsession of France‘s fashion; they felt no outfit was complete without something like jewelry or a shrug to finish off the look and make it all around polished (DeJean, 61). As designers put lines together, marketing began to become important to fashion in the nineteenth century; fashion plates came into use as a way to show off fashion l...
In its history, America has been one of the most influential, and influenced cultures of the world. So many different people, ideas, and products have been in and out of this country that American culture is one of , if not, the most diverse social structure of its time. Although it has been through many evolutions and revolutions, a certain time in this nation’s history can be pinpointed as its most drastic. The cultural movement of the 1960s was one of the largest evolutions of its kind that America has experienced thus far as it separated the rebellious youth from the traditional norm practiced by their well-seasoned elders.
The industry sells its good through 3 channels and their sales with the market share:
People’s opinions differ greatly on what vintage fashion is. Rhodes (2008, pg. 6-8) suggests that “vintage fashion is a magical harvest of wearable art. It’s a wine from past seasons that must be dipped into, sampled and tasted.” Taylor (2013, p. 8) also suggests that vintage is a “garment that possesses age, beauty and great design.” I agree with these statements and believe that there is a story behind every vintage garment. Some say that vintage is another word for old fashioned, Rhodes suggests that vintage clothes have had an adventure and have survived the toil of time (2013).
It is quite evident as you walk around the streets of almost any city or town in America that the line between what was once considered the black style of dress and the white styles has become less and less evident. This is especially true with the younger kids in junior high and high school. The baggy pants and shirts with labels and bright colors that were once reserved for the inner city black and Latino kids, are now being worn by whites in wealthy suburban neighborhoods.
The Fashion Industry can be described as a glamorous world with cameras flashing, beautiful models strutting down the runway, in stunning and grand designs. What really goes on behind fashion’s dolled up doors is only an illusion compared to what reality is. Beautiful people, stylish clothing and timeless sophistication all make up the illusion of the glitz and glam of the fashion industry, but behind the curtains countless of models and designers constantly fall victim to this industry’s ever changing wrath. Fashion can be defined as a popular trend especially in styles of dress, ornaments or behavior. A model is a person who poses or displays art purposes, fashion or other products and advertising. Fashion models are used mainly to promote products focusing mostly on clothing and accessory. The two main type of modeling in the fashion industry is commercial modeling and high fashion modeling. High Fashion models usually work for campaigns, designer’s collections and magazine editorials for high fashion designers. Runway modeling also known as “catwalk modeling” is displaying fashion and is generally performed by high fashion models. In my research paper my main focus will be the effects of high fashion models based upon the industry’s unregulated standards.