May Mauveine

🟣 Just came across this episode of @badgayspod.bsky.social after searching for more info on Lagerfeld’s true background, not the one he said he had. It’s well worth a listen.

It's important to remember these fashion figures for who they actually were, not who they were hyped up to be.

The Old Man by the Sea - Domenico Starnone From the author of Ties and The House on Via Gemito

🟣 Excerpt from The Old Man by the Sea by Domenico Starnone:

www.europaeditions.com/book/9798889...

🟣 “She made everything she wore with her own two hands, she was a dressmaker… she knew how to make herself look far more beautiful than any of the women who paid her to make them look good.”

Your Bank Balance Might Be Low, But Is Your Self-Esteem Lower? Don’t beat yourself up over your finances — you actually need to give your self-esteem a boost.

🟣 A very thoughtful take.

This anticipatory anxiety can continue through life leading to financial setbacks, if one is not careful. It’s interesting how setting and prioritizing long-term goals over short-term style choices is a better boost for self esteem:

www.refinery29.com/en-us/low-se...

🟣 “Italy is the second country in Europe to crack down on Shein after France fined the company €40 million for fake discounts and greenwashing in July.”

🟣 Yes.

🟣 “That entry point is also the bottom rung of the ladder. Garment and textile workers have long been exploited and, as a result, have been at the forefront of the American labor movement.”

🟣 “Crafting garments has always been underpaid and difficult work, but a crucial entry point into the American economy for generations of immigrants up to today.”

The Lady’s Magazine: Understanding the Emergence of a Genre - Research at Kent

Always interesting to learn about the early days of magazines.

🟣 More on The Lady’s Magazine here:

research.kent.ac.uk/the-ladys-ma...

🟣 “The contemporary artist said she was also inspired by fashion depicted in The Lady's Magazine, a popular women's title which Austen read and took embroidery patterns from.

The magazine ran from 1770 until 1832, and contained fiction, poetry, essays, news, and articles on fashion and music.”

Welcome back Trin!

The Subscription Economy Sucks. Subscription payments are the best thing that ever happened to software companies. And they’re arguably the worst thing that ever happened…

Existing clothing needs many means of redistribution, but how will inequality be reduced or growth be slowed if we’re all convinced to own nothing?

🟣 Rental/subscription services mainly benefit shareholders by allowing businesses to “invest in future growth, pleasing investors…”

bit.ly/4m3x08o

Buying Clothes Doesn't Really Make People Happy Anymore, Says Morgan Stanley - The Fashion Law The promise of happiness induced by new clothing purchases is swiftly becoming a thing of the past. Morgan Stanley analyst Geoff Ruddell states in a new note that “consumers have reached peak happines...

In sustainable fashion, conversations around quality over quantity and extending the life of garments are probably degrowth discussions, whether or not that's admitted.

🟣 But a capitalist economy is still going to extract its rents, if via rentals/subscriptions of quality clothing:

bit.ly/4fqhC3C

🟣 “…his designs — a preservation of his complicated mixed heritage, historic references and a hefty spoonful of punk-rock attitude hidden beneath.”

“Smaller Is Stronger”: Comme des Garçons’ Revolt Against ‘Big Fashion’ Comme des Garçons, although successful, is markedly smaller in turnover than other behemoth houses that dominate fashion today – but that is no true and accurate measure of success, writes Alexander F...

Ah, Rei.

🟣 “Kawakubo couldn’t find the clothes she wanted. So she made her own.” ⬇️

www.anothermag.com/fashion-beau...

The complaint appears to have been amended a couple of times and the suit still seems to be ongoing but difficult to find any significant updates.

🟣 Beautiful.

Do share!

Hermès accused of antitrust violations by customers who tried to buy Birkin bags Shoppers who tried to get their hands on the status satchel claim the French luxury house will only sell its coveted Birkin bag to customers with "a sufficient purchase history."

Accusations against Hermès:

🟣 “One of the two plaintiffs named in the suit, who had already spent tens of thousands of dollars at Hermès, was "coerced into purchasing Ancillary Products in order to obtain access to Hermès Birkin bags," according to the complaint.” ⬇️

www.opb.org/article/2024...

🟣 While professional resellers do deserve criticism — like in the sneaker business for how they impact the market for everyday consumers — it is a little rich to call out “false customers” considering how Hermès treats “real” customers.

gargoyle.uni.illinois.edu/5026/opinion...

🟣 “These photos reveal the beauty emergent from a lifestyle of frequenting businesses run by those of the mother culture, of scrimping and upcycling, and of dutiful ingenuity.”

🟣 “These victories are the result of seven years of organizing in one of Italy’s most infamous industrial zones. Prato is estimated to host over 7,000 textile and garment companies, employing 43,000 people.”

🟣 “The fossil fuel industry has known since at least the 1990s that certain types of men are more susceptible to climate disinformation than other segments of the public… those messages are shaping men’s views of the climate crisis, and… are playing out at the ballot box.”

Social media trends exacerbate consequences of fast fashion In the summer of 2019, I solely wore baggy t-shirts and short denim shorts, fitting into the trends that were popular on TikTok. In 2020, I wore patchwork jeans, then biker shorts in 2021, followed by...

To the people out there, please develop personal style:

🟣 “…consumers must resist the influence of social media when shopping… While it will not end clothing waste, slowing the cycle of fashion trends is a crucial step in reducing global carbon emissions.”

standard.asl.org/27694/opinio...

This, over shopping to fit in:

🟣 “Back in the day, every January, I journeyed down to the A.P.C. store in SoHo to buy what would be the only pair of pants I’d wear for an entire year… There’s a reason you don’t see much vintage A.P.C. secondhand. We wore each other into oblivion.”

🟣 “The people sewing, cutting, and stitching—quietly building the look and feel of the nation—now find themselves on the other end of battering rams.”

🟣 No one will make money except CEOs / shareholders.

Cool! Vogue Is Using Ads With AI Models Now Frankly, I'm not shocked that, as AI threatens workforces and education systems across the country and beyond, Vogue is an early adopter.

Both efforts are in support of shareholder primacy, a corporate governance model that drives inequality. Guess using AI to cut labor costs has also fueled short-term stock gains.

🟣 The AI model company happily promotes “accessible” campaigns without “complications,” i.e., humans:

bit.ly/3IPOdn1

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad campaign sends stock soaring Sydney Sweeney is the star of a new ad campaign for the clothing retailer, lighting a fire under its struggling stock

Guess is happy to stand with white supremacy, because capitalism:

🟣 "At the end of the day, we are a business and use images on Instagram that will create a conversation and bring us clients."

Sydney Sweeney and her “great jeans” promotes eugenics, and AE execs benefit ⬇️

bit.ly/4lSfOTj

The amount of work that must have gone into making the publication. A little background:

🟣 asufidmmuseum.asu.edu/learn/articl...