Fashion Design Essentials

I NVENTO RY

31. Miscellaneous Markers

In fashion, everything revolves around the new

and the unexplored. Like anything else, even

the fashion industry can fall in to a rut, and only

random wild cards are able to shake things up

and shift the fashion landscape just enough to

infl uence change. I n truth, they deserve their own

custom, sometimes complex, label, but because

it is difficult to fit them into a category, these

fashion flares are usually filed under "Miscella­

neous." Their randomness should not belie their

importance in terms of inspiration and direction.

Now that virtually everyone has a blog of his

own, the blogosphere's impact seems diluted and

commonplace. However, the blogging landscape

is still a place where diamonds in the rough can

be found. These undiscovered gems reflect facets

of fashion that may not have been on anyone's

radar until one of these writers chooses to focus

on it and spread the word. Some are described

as being on the front lines of fashion, so tapping

into the right combination of online voices will

provide insight, resources, and inspiration for the

fashion designer.

Blogs are just one example. Movements toward

sustainability and fair trade have been build-

ing momentum in the fashion industry, but

they rarely gain traction in the high-end fashion

world. However, in the June 2009 issue of Vogue,

Cameron Diaz was featured wearing a pair of

eco-friendly/high-end fashion shorts by Goods

of Conscience, a fashion label created by Father

Andrew O'Connor, a Catholic priest based in

the Bronx, New Yo rk. The unexpected source

certainly generates interest, but the business

model and the message lay the groundwork for

the evolution of an industry.

Designers need to be looking for signs of the

future on all fronts-who is shining a light on a

different perspective and how that will fuel their

creative process.

68 Fashion Design Essentials

Father Andrew O'Connor,

(right), created Goods

of Conscience in answer

to the needs of several

communities. The company

employs both Mayan Indian

weavers and underemployed

Bronx sewers, supporting

local production in both

locales. The line uses a soft,

lightweight material made

of organic cotton, called

Social Fabric, which is made

in the Guatemalan tradition

of back-strap weaving. The

manufacturing of the fabric

and garments takes into

account important issues of

sustainability and fair trade

that face the fashion industry

as well as the consumer.

� I

(^0) -;
� n
(^0) c �
-; � �
-<
� co
(^0 0)
(^0) �
-- � n 0
z � n
S2 r;;