Fashion matters. To 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. Fashion is the most immediate and intimate form of self-expression.
- Frances Corner
I am always in the market for a Fashionable read, so you could imagine my delight when I came across a book titled WHY FASHION MATTERS by Frances Corner. At the expense of sounding like a cliche, I most certainly judged this book by its cover. It was red and black and I was wildly intrigued by the title. I knew I was going to purchase the book before I had even read the synopsis printed on the back. You see, I know why Fashion matters to me, but I wanted to know why Fashion mattered to Corner.
In this small hardcover, Corner expresses her personal opinions (101 to be exact) on the business and art of Fashion. Along with her profound musings, she also poses some seriously thought provoking questions. She touches on a profusion of topics that include the extraordinary world of haute couture, ethical manufacturing, and the perils of Fast Fashion. She speaks of the responsibility of the consumer, the industry's financial contribution to the world, and probably the most important issue at hand, the real Fashion victims. If you think Fashion is frivolous, you're wrong. Fashion is very necessary and inescapable as we live in it everyday. It is a global commonality.
The author is currently the Head of the London College of Fashion and unsurprisingly holds the importance and value of education very high. She believes that students should be able to explore and build a sense of confidence about their work. This struck a chord with me as I was once a college student learning the foundations of Fashion design. I can not express accurately how the sense of being apart of a community that loved the same thing I did influenced my life and my work. Being surrounded by an abundance of Fashionable creativity and knowledge has forever changed my character.
WHY FASHION MATTERS is chock-full of facts and statistics complemented with historical anecdotes. Almost every sentence in THIS BOOK is worth being quoted. It's that good. Perhaps most importantly, this book makes you think. Makes you consider your personal relationship with Fashion and how it effects your life. This particular relationship is one that I am always thinking about, for ours is a true love affair.
PHOTO BY ADC