Lashun Costor

Intro to Fashion Studies

Anya Kurennaya

January 31, 2017

 

Learning Portfolio Post #1 Choose any two of Christopher Breward’s aphorisms

from his forward to Fashion Studies, which you read in Week 1. Explain what each of the two aphorisms means (in your own words) and explain why you agree or disagree with them.

 

          In the Christopher Broward’s reading, he stated “Fashion is gossip. Never underestimate the power of gossip. Semiologists are driven into esctasies of supposition by its whispers.” It’s interesting that he is comparing the world of fashion to gossiping. Meaning he’s trying to insinuate that there both made up of superficial qualities and even though it might sound or look believable there is a possibility that it might just all be an illusion. However from my personal experience, people usually feed into the lies because it’s in the now. Just like Fashion gossiping doesn’t last that long. It’s all about what’s the next juicy topic or in this case trends. I agree with his choice of words to describe how unreal and deceiving the industry is. One aspect that intensify the whispers and gossiping of the fashion world is the Media. We can’t escape it if we want to. Companies pay millions of dollars to make sure it’s in your face 24/7. Like Christopher, Brewards said “never underestimate the power of gossip,” or fashion.

          We might not want to believe it but fashion is a big part in our everyday lives. Brewards states “Fashion does not define. It is instead a term that demands definition.” Which I agree with because fashion allows us to embody our deepest desires, embrace our true identities, feed our self-consciousness while society sits back and indulges in the economic success.The language of fashion does not only affect how we think but also how we feel, it accounts for the ways mass culture is transformed into personal experiences. Fashion helps us articulate who we are as individuals, while also creating versions of who we want to be. Yet it’s so easy for people to dismiss the effects fashion has on the human mind.