Isabel Marant recently stated in an interview for Stella Magazine that she is ‘disgusted by the impact on fashion of the digital age’; she feels that ‘as soon as you have an idea it’s copied and you don’t like it in a minute’(if I’m completely honest I don’t quite understand why Marant dislikes her ideas being copied – isn’t that the point of being a fashion designer?!). This is not solely true for designers – it is an idea that has an impact on our entire modern society. Young women, including myself, feel the need to purchase a new outfit every time they go on a night out, to avoid appearing in tagged Facebook photos wearing the same outfit on two different occasions. It may sound sad to some, but I’m sure the majority of the younger generation will agree with me – I cannot even count the amount of times my friends and I have worn each-other’s clothes to give the appearance of having a larger wardrobe!
The digital age has changed many aspects of our personalities; it has been revealed that we are ruder, less empathetic and lack basic practical skills (Paul Kendall, Seven Magazine). According to the Telegraph, the number of people admitting to procrastination has risen from 15 per cent in 1978 to 60 per cent today –almost certainly down to the rise in social media sites such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
The digital revolution has given a voice and a relevance to a much more diverse group of people, the increasing amount of time we spend online reading others’ opinions is bound to change the way we view certain things. But as far as fashion is concerned, it seems more likely for the younger person to fall victim to the phenomenon, gaining increased low self-esteem and insecurities about their style and body image, rather than embracing the constant fashion bubble as a source of positive inspiration. We now have the right to get our opinions out there, so rather than constantly trying to convey the opinions of others , we should discover what suits our own personality and promote it! So what if you want to wear an outfit twice in two weeks, or wear a jumper from two seasons ago – take that and turn it into something that will inspire others to also ‘break the rules’!
The fashion industry’s job is to generate desire and certain ‘rules’ – but nobody ever said it was compulsory to follow them!
the empty coathanger 