Got Me Thinking
8 years ago by
“.. If you tried to recreate it now, you couldn’t. It would be too expensive. “
That quote, from Edie Parker designer Brett Heyman, really struck me. She’s speaking specifically on an acrylic bag – a stunning multi-colored glitter acrylic one, with gold accents… a purse that included a magnificently designed powder mirror, lipstick holder and of course, cigarette compartment.
I’m not sure, it was almost a ping of sadness. This quick realization that simple, good craftsmanship of decades pasts is no longer possible because our industry is so focused on “fast fashion”. Products can no longer be quite as beautiful without costing an arm and a leg, and so are forfeited for lesser quality, quickly produced goods.
It’s something that’s always in the back of my mind when I make it to the shops. I’ve made a rule not to buy any cheap shoes, and it’s just MY rule by the way, I’m no pusher man. Not because they aren’t designed well or even made with decent materials, but because I would rather save up and purchase that one pair I know I’ll wear for years. The pair I know I can get resoled and will look like new.
It’s a question we’ll keep facing: will our need for new take precedence over our need for the luxuries of old?
Found on The Thick.
You may also like
Style
The Rounded Bag
Style
In The Bag
Style
The Balenciaga Shopper
Style
La Clutch
Features
Would You Like a Bag?
Features
Totally a Tote Girl
Lifestyle
A Lunch with Roger Vivier
Style
The Suit
Lifestyle
Baggage!
La réponse est oui. Impossible aujourd’hui (ou presque) de trouver du fait main, de la bonne qualité, des choses qui peuvent durer 30-40-50 ans, sauf à y mettre quelques dizaines de milliers de dollars/ euros. Fran Lebowitz l’expliquait très bien dans une interview (http://www.elle.com/fashion/personal-style/interviews/a27447/fran-lebowitz-style-interview/) où elle racontait que ses lunettes lui avaient coûté le prix d’une voiture…
Et les chaussures de “bonne” qualité aujourd’hui ne valent pas du tout celles d’il y a 20 ans…
Voilà, je parle comme une vieille c—e, mais n’empêche que le surdéveloppement du fast fashion fabriqué en Chine a détruit les industries traditionnelles que l’on trouvait en Europe, aux US, etc.
Un Let’s Talk About vraiment intéressant ! Merci !
Part of the PROBLEM… are ECONOMICS & COUNTERFEITING of products. The Financial system needs to keep running…so counterfeiting takes place. I remember seeing this CRAZY documentary where counterfeiting is explained: even chicken eggs can be produced much cheaper thru cheap synthetics/chemicals….as well as medicines!! MESSED UP/UNHEALTHY/GROSS! The average woman before the year 1950, had an average of 10 pieces of clothing in her closet only…the average modern/millenial woman buys an average of 60 pieces a YEAR! Hence…the pollution, conterfeiting, burnout, stealing of intellectual property,…ETC. QUALITY is expensive. BUT…by choosing this and shelling out more money: you give craftsmen quality of life & you get a exclusive gorgeous item that lasts a lifetime. It feels AWESOME to work hard, save your money and get to EARN something!! PLUS, you SAVE the environment from pollution. F%&! high street fashion/Ikea! High end designers, need to create LESS items per collection to give OTHER designers a chance to SURVIVE… end the vicious cycle. LET’S GROW UP…..instead of down.
I agree that as a society we need to move or shall I say return to being more mindful of what we own and buy. Buy less and better quality that will last longer, and that we will use more than 1 or 2 times a year. and yes it might be more expensive on an item basis but in the long run it will be cheaper, also it will allow good craftsmen to get a decent wage for their labor.
It most noted though, that expensive and brand names does not equal great craftsmanship and quality. Some time yes, many times unfortunately no. So, I guess, we also need to learn how to recognize great quality to be able to value what deserves the price tag and what doesn’t, without basing our judgement on the faulty markers of quality we currently use. Not to say they won’t be room for luxury brands (great quality or not), the bread and butter of these lines is exclusivity and to facilitate the human need to set themselves apart by having that which the masses can’t have.
Fast fashion exists because people consume things at such a rapid pace. When social media did not exist, when the internet did not exist, things were slower. fashion trends lasted half a decade. Designers were able to spend time creating something special. I wince whenever I think about how this point in time will be described, defined and remembered by future generations.
I really like the idea about not having too much stuff and not buying too much stuff.
But sometimes it’s so hard to resist! And it’s not always true that a more expensive piece is actually worth so much more. So you really have to think.
It makes me really sad when I think how much time and effort was put into making things at one time and now the only thing that matters is “fast”. And of course not only in fashion.
I actually hope that re-using, re-making, mending, re-doing, making things yourself will all become more and more popular. And I hope that more people will understand that you can still be very stylish that way, too.
One thing I really recommend: get rid of all the stuff that you don’t need, like, use. It does feel good.
https://sofaundermapletree.wordpress.com
Hmm, please tell me which expensive shoes last! I bought a designer pair of shoes and had to have resoled three times and it was still worn out in a year. I bought a pair for 25 at target and had it resoled…but it lasted me for 3-4 years. If only price were a marker of quality, then we could all make better choices!
YES Besides the waste, poor cut and design, right wing parent companies, pollution and human rights issues of fast fashion, this is why I shop mainly vintage, designer sales, and consignment on my very tight budget… For certain designers I know its better made. – For vintage my reasoning is if already lasted 30-40 years I can get another 15- 20 out of it. My grand mother left me a beaded jacket from Henri Bendel’s in the original box with the note carefully emblazoned on the box “Cost $200 in 1928, Would cost more now”. LOVE.