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Fig 1. Christian Boltanski's exhibition titled "Clothes as Bodies" Ever since the globalization of the fashion industry, we have heard countless claims coming from younger fashion designers and lovers pointing their finger to their older peers for their malpractice of sustainability within the industry. Thus said, this week's post is particularly special to me since I'll be reinvesting what I've gained from my most recent read "Fashionopolis: The price of fast fashion and the future of clothes." by Dana Thomas. This book's most recurring themes are sustainability, fast fashion, and the greener innovations new players are bringing to the drawing board. In addition, to how the older generation took our world for granted when building an empire, we now know as the fashion industry, not thinking of the generations to come. Also, to set the scene a little better, when the globalization of the fashion industry arose, people were still wearing neon colours and styling their hair the voluminous way. In case my brief description didn't carve the decade well enough: it was the 80's. Back then, sustainability wasn't much of a concern. The main goal was strictly to make more clothes for cheaper, faster, and that's fast fashion's origin story. The first person I'd like to shine a light on is none other than Stella McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney but truly went way further than any other nepo baby. Famous for her luxury self-named brand, McCartney has also made her company known to be the first ever vegan luxury brand. She's even gone as far as sourcing materials such as wool from a sustainable sheep farm in New Zealand, to sourcing the cellulose that make up her viscose from Swedish timber that is certified by the Forrest Stewardship Council. On page 178 of Thomas' Fashionopolis it is said "A lifelong vegetarian and ardent supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), McCartney has conceived and produced clothes and accessories that are "animal free," meaning no leather, no fur." She adds "her supply chains are transparent and traceable. Her stores are built with recyclable materials and many are powered ecologically.". It is also mentioned that McCartney has been producing Environmental Profit and Loss reports (EP&L) since 2013. All these actions are in part the result of the past designers' actions regarding the utilization of the materials and they're not-so green actions. Moreover, when McCartney began these eco-friendly actions in the 90's she mentions that she was ridiculed since being green was a trait given to the "brown-clad, granola set", essentially nothing all that positive. This goes to show, how persistent younger designers are when it comes to fixing their older peers' mistakes regarding sustainability. Fig 2. Stella McCartney in a lab testing out sustainable components. The second emerging green peacekeepers is a London-based company called "Unmade". Founded in 2013 by engineers Ben Alun-Jones and Hal Watts, as well as knitwear designer Kirsten Emery, Unmade is an "on-demand knitwear and print platform that facilitates the production of one-off or short-run garments and sweaters at a mass level." (P.242) Put simply, with the help of their newly developed software connected to a proficient knitting machine, they provide their clients with customized knitwear interruption-free and made in select quantities, all that on an industrial level. Fig 3. Unmade's studio Thus said, by using a made-to-order production method, there is significantly less waste that occurs when manufacturing these garments. In a perfect world, I'd ask: why doesn't every company follow a similar path as Unmade? But the reality is, not every brand can afford it. Not only is this software intricate, it is also more complicated, demanding, and costly to orchestrate compared to your run-of-the-mill overseas manufacturer. Briefly, ever-since the globalization of the fashion industry resulting in quickly, mass-produced garments, our environment has been de-escalating faster than ever and has not stopped. However, there have been black sheep's in the industry, refusing to follow this mainstream way of manufacturing. As mentioned above, designer Stella McCartney and company Unmade are part of the resistance to this unsustainable manner. By ecologically sourcing materials or reducing production waste by limiting manufacturing quantities, it proves that there are in fact ways to try and fix the past. This may not entirely resolve our environmental issues, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. Stay tuned for next week's topic: "Is that 13 year-old holding a Prada bag: How much is too much when it comes to spoiling kids?". And if you like what you're reading, subscribe to Gen F for more! Sources FASHIONOPOLIS; The Price of Fast Fashion and The Future of Clothes by Dana Thomas

Fig1. Nicolette Gray on Rodeo Drive For most, a designer item is something that needs to be achieved, worked for, it’s something that cannot be obtained immediately and requires hard work. For others, they can simply tap daddy’s credit card the second they spot something they want. Now, I am not against spoiling a kid. I myself am not one to speak since I got my first designer bag at 15. However, when I did get the chance to receive said bag, it was made clear to me that I was deemed understanding of the value and hard work that goes into making a luxury purchase. Thus said, this week’s topic revolves around today’s teens and how some of them have grown up to know nothing but instant gratification from non-other than their parents. Back when I was growing up, even though it wasn’t even that long ago, I would spend my free time on YouTube as any other 13-year-old would do. Content those days would vary greatly but what I would indulge in were creators such as the infamous Nicolette Gray. Known to be exceptionally bratty and self-centered, Nicolette was the epidemy of a Rodeo Drive mall rat. Famous for spending ludicrous amounts of money on designer goods as a teenager, Nicolette practically normalized her impulsive actions to eyes of her viewers. Almost every video of hers would consist of hauls filled with designer goods, tours of her extensive closet and lavish home, and rides in what she’d call her “G-Wagon”, her Mercedes G-Class SUV. Fig2. Nicolette receiving a Mercedes G-Class SUV from her mother. Now looking back, although no one forced her to start creating this content, the only question that comes to mind is “where did this all start?”, and the only answer I could come up with was her parents. Since she’s always been given an extravagant life from her parents, she’s never known anything else but the crème de la crème of luxury. The root of her designer craze can only stem from her parents since you are most influenced by your parental figures. Moreover, most of her purchases are most likely charged to one of her parent’s cards even though she does make some money off her channel. This leads me to my point, how much can we spoil a child, on a designer, fashion point of view? I’m not necessarily one to speak however, in my opinion there must be a limit to how much designer goods a child can have. Not only does it provide them with a fake sense of reality by having any luxury item they want, but it also deprives them of the learning of working for what they own. There’s nothing wrong with giving your teen something nice and more luxurious, however it should be in moderation, that’s if you don’t want them to become greedy, bratty, and conceded like Gray. A more recent, spoiled-rotten teen is Jadyn Xavier. Daughter of fashion and lifestyle influencer Brittany Xavier, Jadyn has been known to be gifted countless costly presents from her mother. Although, their pre-fame life was rather simple and sometimes hard considering Brittany was a young single mom, they have managed to build a more-than-comfortable life for themselves, partially thanks to social media. Thus said, Brittany has shared many videos of her gifting her daughter quite expensive and luxurious presents. Although I don’t personally follow her on social media, I do see her content as it often shows up on my TikTok “For You” page. Recently, I came across a video of her packing her younger children’s easter baskets and making one for Jayden. Now, easter baskets have no age limit, however what Brittany decided to include for Jadyn could serve as a good debate. Some of her basket’s content included a Nest candle, that range from 111$ to 250$, a 115$ bikini, a 94$ 100% Mulberry silk sleep mask, a 70$ skin mist, and not one piece of chocolate. After watching that video, I was quite frankly speechless. Fig3. Brittany and Jadyn Xavier. Not that I envied what she got, I was simply at a loss for words and uncomprehending why Brittany judged this as a normal easter basket, since last time I checked, an easter basket contained easter chocolates. And once this basket was gifted, Jadyn’s reaction wasn’t as enthusiastic as one would imagine after receiving such a generous basket, almost ungrateful. Thus said, constantly gifting teens costly items can cause these kids to regard this as a normal occurrence and possibly lead them to become less and less grateful with time. Briefly, receiving more lavish and exorbitant gifts as a teen can be fun however if they become a reoccurring event, these gifts could cause these teenagers to become greedy like Nicolette Gray or rather unfazed and practically ungrateful like Brittany Xavier’s daughter Jadyn. Since these gifts usually come from the parents, they should think twice before gifting their kids more high cost presents. Stay tuned for next week’s topic: “A Blast from the Past: How older generations’ past trends are coming back stronger than ever with the younger generations”. And if you like what you’re reading, subscribe to Gen F for more! Sources Nicolette Gray, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/@NicoletteGray Brittany Xavier, TikTok, https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMHrTjHJ/

Fig. 1 Celebrity picture at the 2021 Met Gala. I can’t remember a time without influencers. In fact, the first influencer dates to the 18th century when a potter named Wedgwood made a tea set for the Queen of England, specifically for the wife of King George III. However, influencers haven’t been taken very seriously until recently. The number of influencers surfacing on the internet has been on the rise ever since the pandemic, when everyone was locked inside with nothing to do but be chronically online. Ultimately, this has resulted in several influencers partaking in events that were once strictly off-limits. One of these welcoming sectors has been the fashion industry. As a matter of fact, they have opened their catwalks, front rows, and exclusive events to many influencers regardless of whether they’re relevant to the industry or not. Thus said, this blog post will be covering all that is influencers infiltrating the fashion industry, resulting in them realizing never-before seen collaborations. Since influencers have quickly been climbing the popularity ladder, the fashion industry’s senior staff has been making note of it by inviting influencers such as Emma Chamberlain and Liza Koshy to keep the relevance of their esteemed celebrations high even in the eyes of the younger generations. One of these events being the Met Gala, one of the most prestigious events a public figure can be seen attending. Fig.2 Celebrity-filled mirror selfie in the Met's bathroom. Every first Monday of May, New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is turned into a benefit gathering celebrities from actors to designers to high society. This infamous celebration used to be to be reserved for the A-list and industry professionals, that was until 2021. On Monday, May 3rd, 2021, the first round of influencers made it up the infamous Met stairs. Needless to say, this unexpected decision had the media in a frenzy. First-time invitees ranged from well-established, admired, fashion and lifestyle youtuber Emma Chamberlain to overnight TikTok sensations Addison Rae and Dixie D’Amelio, who don’t do much but reiterate unauthentic dances filmed on their phone. People were in shock that Anna Wintour (coordinator of the Met since 1995 and editor-in-chief of Vogue US) would even allow this type of change, especially since some of these new guests weren’t even fashion-orientated. Fig 3. Emma Chamberlain going up the infamous Met stairs during the 2021 Met Gala. Fig.4 Addison Rae at the top of the stairs during the 2021 Met Gala. Despite this, some people, including myself have seem to figure out why Wintour would make such a choice. According to an article written by Neve Fear-Smith for Hello Partner titled “Exploring Influencers Place at the Met Gala", she discusses “In short, the Met Gala and Anna Wintour, the event organiser since 1995, do not need to rely on influencer marketing to create hype around the event.” Fear-Smith was right on the nose with this statement, inviting influencers to the Met was indeed an act of pure marketing to attract Gen Z’s attention. To add, she also affirms “Gen Z influencers are shaping mainstream fashion more than some people may wish to admit.” This perfectly explains why Wintour would orchestrate such a stunt. On a related note, influencers aren’t just getting invited to events such as the Met but also runway shows. More specifically, young influencers but older ones too! An influencer has officially walked the runway, a never-before seen in fashion. Believe it or not, 70-year-old Qin Huilan was asked to walk the runway during Miu Miu’s most recent Fall/Winter 2024 show in Paris. Not only is she influencer but she is also a doctor and Miu Miu’s highest paying customer. The Shanghai woman stated in an article by Charna Flam for People Magazine “I seem to have opened the door to a new world,”. And might I say, indeed she has. Not only has she opened the door for more serious fashion influencers to possibly get recognized as she did, but also made a strong statement that there is no age limit to be an influencer. This goes to show that influencers are truly changing the ways of the fashion industry. Fig.5 Qin Hulan, 70, walking for Miu Miu's FW2024 show. Briefly, galas and catwalks used to be reserved for the A-list and industry professionals. With the plethora of Gen Z influencers rising to fame, the fashion industry has been changing its ways by including younger public figures not because they add a tremendous amount of value but because it’s in line with the current pop culture and ensures better acceptance of these traditional events by the younger demographics. On the flipside, older influencers are also getting recognized and invited to partake in these occasions just like Qin Huilan. These progressive actions are a clear result of the fashion executives getting more in tune with the digital era and the public figures that are coming out of it. Stay tuned for next week’s topic: “The battle of the Gens: How generational differences have impacted generational interactions and trends.” And if you like what you’re reading, subscribe to Gen F for more! Sources: Exploring Influencers Place at the Met Gala, Hello Partner https://hellopartner.com/2021/09/20/exploring-influencers-place-at-the-met-gala/ Doctor and Influencer Qin Huilan, 70, Makes Runway Debut at Miu Miu Show: 'Never Give Up on Your Dreams', People Magazine https://people.com/influencer-qin-huilan-runway-debut-miu-miu-paris-fashion-week-photos-8604826

If you have been present on social media in the past couple years, you should be aware of Millennials and Gen Z’s ongoing feud. In fact, they have been “beefing” since the first year after the height of the pandemic. And it’s safe to say that both parties have several points to bring up about one another such as, parenting styles and fashion trends. Moreover, these internet feuds have gotten taken so much attention in the media to the point where there is a clear barrier between the two age groups. One of the first most widely spread debates is nonother than jeans. As you may know, skinny jeans have been replaced by baggy, wider leg fit jeans since 2021. Even though I am biased to the baggy jeans, I can understand why some wouldn’t want to let go of their tighter jeans. Some prefer to be hugged by their denim rather than getting lost in it. However, Gen Z has severely flamed Millennials for choosing to not give into the change and that resulted in a pool of bad blood between the two. As mentioned in the article for Fashion Magazine titled “Gen Z, Please Stop Shaming Millennials” written by millennial writer Annika Lautens, “For a group that claims that fashion has no rules, you are certainly imposing many on your older cohorts. What happened to fashion freedom? What happened to embracing your own unique style?” This clapback perfectly demonstrates how tense it’s been getting between Gen Z and Millennials. Additionally, the writer also adds, “Also, aren’t you the generation that values sustainability above all else? How environmentally friendly is it to expect millennials to buy a whole new wardrobe every time you come up with another fashion ick?”. Fig.1 Bella Hadid seen wearing wide leg jeans. This shows how Millennials are trying to counter argue with their younger peers by using their supposed values and beliefs against them. Basically, because of ever changing trends such as denim styles, Gen Z is trying to get Millennials to adhere to the change in more ways than one, even if that means getting a little feisty with one another. A second wide-spread discourse revolves around hair partition. Yes, you heard right, your side part has been thrown out the window to be replaced by the middle part! Soon after the news broke out, Millennials were quick to put up their guards since their trusted side part was of remanence from their 2000’s days. Thus said, Gen Z has officially voiced side parts as part of the characteristics of being “old”. Likewise, Allure writer Nicola Dall’Asen argues “In the 1990s and 2000s, before some of y’all were even born, we looked for little ways to make ourselves stand out, or, in other words, rebel, from out folks. Maybe it’s just my experience, but having big, swoopy side bangs with the part to match used to enthrall me, specifically because it wasn’t what my parents were into.”. Put differently, some Millennials feel like their attachment to their beloved side part is linked back to their own teen days where they longed to rebel and set themselves apart from their parents. This is yet another reason as to why generational differences have impacted how these different age demographics interact with each other Fig.2 Lindsey Lohan rocking a messy side part in the early 2000s Briefly, this fiery feud between Gen Z and Millennials is far from over considering trends are coming in and out quicker than we can register. Whether it’s about keeping skinny jeans or switching to the middle part, there’s bound to be more internet roasting. Although it might sadden some to learn that even generations that are so close in age disagree so fiercely, it should come to no surprise since intergenerational disagreements are nothing new. Stay tuned for next week’s topic: “Why’d you have to ruin everything? How the young are trying to better their older peers’ unsustainable practices in the fashion industry.” And if you like what you’re reading, subscribe to Gen F for more! Sources Gen Z, Please Stop Shaming Millennials, Fashion Magazine https://fashionmagazine.com/style/genz-vs-millennial-style-tiktok/ Gen Z Teens on TikTok Says Side-Parts Are Ugly, But History Says Otherwise, Allure https://www.allure.com/story/millennial-side-part-versus-gen-z-middle-part-hairstyles-tiktok

Generational differences are nothing new, especially in the fashion industry where, in my opinion, lies one of the most diverse age ranges in the workforce. While searching for relevant examples to sustain this post, I realized what better way to analyze such a niche topic than by using niche movies? Thus said, I decided to turn to none other but two iconic 2000s fashion movies: The Devil Wears Prada and 13 going on 30. Present in these two cinematographic pieces are pertinent instances where things such as generational differences have played a part in the fashion industry’s corporate workforce. In this blog post, I will be analyzing  instances where these two movies have demonstrated the strength and hold generational differences sometimes have on the fashion industry’s staff. Essentially, The Devil Wears Prada follows the story of Andy a recent college grad with no interest in fashion. She ends up landing one of the most sought-after jobs as an assistant for the demanding but genius editor in chief of Runway magazine, Miranda Priestly. The entire story line is strongly inspired by the current editor in chief of the American Vogue, Anna Wintour [pronounced Win-ter], who’s been subject to several rumors of having a short temperament for incompetence and ineffective individuals. While re-watching this 2006 classic, I came across several exemplifications of these age gap differences and how they might impact the office. The first one worth mentioning is the iconic cerulean blue scene. As Andy is summoned into Miranda’s office, she gets caught chuckling at one of the stylists’ remarks about two cerulean blue belts looking so different while she saw them as utterly identical. Miranda proceeds to catch Andy in the act by asking “Something funny?” (23:00) Andy tried to defend herself by saying that those belts look the same to her but that she’s still learning about “this stuff”. Miranda then answers “This stuff? Oh, okay I see, you think this has nothing to do with you.” (23:19) She continues by scolding Andy on how the blue sweater she’s wearing that funny enough, is cerulean, is setting her aside from everyone else when in fact, it is directly linked to a 2002 Oscar De La Renta runway that showed cerulean blue gowns that Yves Saint-Laurent then took inspiration for military jackets. Then, cerulean was implemented in the collection of eight different designers. She continues by saying that this craze ultimately resulted in the color filtering down into department stores to the trickle down into “some tragic Casual Corner where you, (referring to Andy) no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.” (24:17) Miranda concludes her tirade by saying “However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs, and it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, when, in fact, you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room, from a pile of stuff.” (24:26) If you’re wondering how I will link this monologue back to my point on age gaps in the fashion industry, this is how: the older generation working in the industry is more acutely aware and knowledgeable of fashion’s past (seen when Miranda mentions Oscar De La Renta’s 2002 collection) unlike, the younger workers who, maybe not to Andy’s degree, don’t know every single little detail about the industry just yet since they are still new to the environment. Having different generations working in a sector like fashion is crucial for this specific reason. Fig.1 The Devil Wears Prada's iconic cerulean blue scene. Another movie that is crucial to understanding the importance of age gaps in the industry that is also a classic to fashion enthusiasts’ watchlist is 13 going on 30, a classic rom com with unusual circumstances. It’s the story of Jenna who just turned 13 and is feeling uneasy about it, as all 13-year-olds do. After getting caught by her mom when stuffing her bra with tissues, Jenna turns to a Poise magazine headlining “Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving”, all the things Jenna thought would make her satisfied unlike her 13-year-old self. But when she’s humiliated at her party by the mean girls, Jenna gives it no thought and wishes just that, to be thirty, flirty, and thriving. And not so lucky for her, it came true. Now in a 30-year old’s body, Jenna must adapt to her new life that coincidently happens to be at Poise magazine, till she can figure out how to reverse her wish. Tying this film back to my initial statement regarding the importance of age gaps in the fashion industry offices, this movie is the prime example of how younger employees can truly offer a fresher take and younger approach to the office as opposed to the older staff’s sometimes run down ways of doing. The perfect scene to illustrate this statement is when Poise is hosting an event promoting the magazine however, the party’s vibe doesn’t take too long to die down resulting in many attendees leaving. Richard, Jenna’s boss, runs over to her begging for her to turn things around by using any means possible. 30-year-old looking but 13-year-old thinking Jenna’s first reflex was to go over to the DJ and asks him to play her favorite song: “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. She proceeds to perform the dance in the middle of the dance floor, but quickly spots a long-lost friend and invites him to dance. Soon enough, Jenna has the whole party dancing to thriller. Richard passes her while dancing and yells out: “I adore you!” (40:33) This faultlessly demonstrates how younger employees can be an asset in the office due to their fresher take and newer approach. If it wasn’t for Jenna’s spontaneous and creative idea, that party would have ended sooner rather than later. It just goes to show that both younger and senior staff have a place in the fashion industry, despite having differences. Fig.2 13 Going On 30's infamous "Thriller" dance scene. Briefly, there is a significant importance to regrouping several generations of workers under the fashion industry’s corporate office’s roof. While the older staff be more knowledgeable on the industry’s past, what’s been done and what shouldn’t be, the younger staff offers a fresh take and more contemporary point of view. There shouldn’t be doubts on whether we should favor one over the other since all are valuable and contribute to the industry’s success. Stay tuned, next week’s topic is: “How influencers are impacting the fashion industry’s senior staff’s understanding of social media’s importance.” And if you like what you’re reading, subscribe to Gen F for more! To watch The Devil Wears Prada: Netflix, Disney + To watch 13 going on 30: Prime Video