MODA FASHION The Fashion Of Today
2000‘s, Fair Trade, 90s, fabric and more
Fall 2018 • MODA •1
2 • MODA • Fall 2018
CONTENTS letter from the editors...................4 closet rejects or hidden jems..............6 streetwear.....................................................10 90’s: flashback or flash foreward?......................................12 cheap vs chic.........................................................................16 styles of the noughties....................................18 the fabric of time........................22 conscious clothing..............24 fashion through the ages...28 fashion stats.............................30
Fall 2018 • MODA •3
Letter From the Editors Naiya Vasquez-Castaneda
Fact Check Editor and Feature Editor
Hey! I’m Naiya Vasquez-Castaneda, a freshman at LASA High School here in Austin. As a 6th generation Austinite, I have learned about the interesting history, the vibrant culture, and seen some of the most unique places this city has to offer. I not only love to visit different places in Austin, but I love to travel and try foods from all over the world, along with reading and of course, shopping. Some may hate it, but fashion to me, and the other members of this group is just as much as an art form as painting or drawing, which is why we chose to write about it. However, there is an unknown injustice in the fashion industry: the people who make the clothes we wear to express ourselves, are severely mistreated, underpaid, and work in unbelievably horrendous conditions. In an effort to bring awareness to both the injustices, and the methods people are using to change the way our clothes are made, I wrote my feature article on the importance of fair trade.
Zoe Dell
Photo and Graphics Editor Hi! My name is Zoe Dell. I’m a freshman at LASA High School in Austin, Texas. My hobbies include, dancing sleeping and shopping. I’m fascinated by fashion and the ever evolving trends. Even though I’m always too lazy to actually pick out a cute outfit, I still admire other people who actually have the energy to do so, which is one reason why I was so interested to work on this magazine. I love finding unique places to shop, which is what inspired my piece on vintage stores. Every person’s piece in this magazine is so unique which I think is so true to our personalities. We chose this topic for our magazine because I feel as though we are all interested in fashion and it’s something we all want to learn more about.
4 • MODA • Fall 2018
Katia Ortiz
Copy and Content Editor
Hi, my name is Katia Ortiz. I go to LASA High School. I am Russian-Argentine, and was born in Austin, Texas. I love to shop, play soccer, watch movies, and hang out with friends. I also enjoy eating mashed potatoes while watching the show Friends. I love keeping up with current trends, particularly the 90s trends, which is what I wrote my feature article about. I am also considering heading towards a career in the fashion and design field, which is one of the reasons why I was so interested in this magazine topic. We all chose this topic for a slightly different reasons, but also for one similar reason; we all love fashion.
Erin Earthman
Layout Editor
Hi I’m Erin I enjoy spending money on overpriced sneakers and eating. I try to create unique outfits everyday drawing from different era’s for inspo. One of my favorite eras of fashion is the early 2000’s (I know I’m that girl) which is what I wrote my feature on. In my opinion, Paris Hilton, low rise jeans and tube tops are iconic. Although the early 2000’s are a very hated time of fashion, I hope my article sheds light on the positives of this amazing era because it’s something I’m interested in. Honestly I feel like everyone was so deeply invested in their topic which I think adds so much to the quality of this magazine. We all care so much and have had so much fun researching for this magazine which is a huge factor on why we chose this topic. We really wanted to do something we would actually have fun working on, and I really feel like we’ve achieved this through Moda.
Fall 2018 • MODA •5
Floor display at Top Drawer. (Photo taken by Zoe Dell.)
Closet Rejects or Hidden Gems? Are vintage stores back on the rise?
Zoe Dell
6 • MODA • Fall 2018
A
Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers; these iconic second hand stores were the place people gave their closet rejects, not where kids went for a new outfit. While this may have been reality years ago, times have changed.
Flash forward to 2018, thrift shops and second hand stores are all the rage. Teens spend their weekends going from shop to shop, finding old polos and T-shirts. And it’s not just second hand stores, vintage stores are coming in high demand. The iconic mom jeans and baggy windbreakers are the trend of the year.
Vintage shopping has gained popularity through the year and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. And while there are many underlying reasons for this development, it can simply be said that vintage/ thrifting is better for everyone involved. “A lot less expensive, older stuff tends to be better made,” said EJ Anderson, owner of Ermine Vintage in Austin, Texas. Consumers get individual unique pieces for a significantly lower price, and the money used to buy that goes toward the company, and not manufactures paying their workers $2 an hour. Some may think these reasons are second to the overlying theme: that vintage is cute and not to mention trendy, but there are a numerous reasons why new rarely equals better. A large hub for vintage shopping is Austin, Texas. This city is known for being very out there, as well as hip and trendy, so it’s not surprising that thrift shopping has taken off. While chain stores are still common — and are not going away anytime soon — there's a large network of stores selling for the common good — Vintage stores. Not only do these stores do it for income, but they also do it to take care of the environment, and sell better quality clothing than chain stores do. So what exactly is a chain store? A chain store is a commercial retailer. Examples of chain stores include, Forever 21, Zara, H&M etc. These stores are multi-million dollar industries due to their cheap clothing, low wages for workers, and their ability to change the clothing they carry quickly in order to cater to the rapidly changing trends. This minute detail is a huge set-back for local stores. When one thing is no longer popular and/or isn’t selling well, they don't have the power to
Racks of clothing at Ermine vintage. (Photo by Zoe Dell.)
talk to the factory and change designs within the week. “For, me a local member of the community rather than big box store, buying stuff that's used, is less energy than buying stuff that's new.” Anderson said. Whenever someone buys a simple $6 T-shirt, they are supporting a million dollar industry that pays their workers far below U.S standard, not to mention they waste a huge amount of energy from shipping, manufacturing, and even something as simple as their store front.
While Vintage stores aren’t energy free, they certainly use far less than commercial stores. “It takes less energy for me to run my home washing machine than it does to, you know, power a factory,” Anderson said. Apart from just energy and costs, vintage stores also do good for the community. Top Drawer Vintage, a store nestled on Burnet Avenue, is a complete nonprofit store. All of their proceeds go to a charity they created, Project Transitions. Project Transitions helps people
Fall 2018 • MODA •7
Store front of Ermine Vintage . (Photo by Zoe Dell.)
suffering from HIV and AIDS have a better quality of life. “It was created about 25 years ago by a group of people that were concerned about funding for people that had HIV and AIDS and they created an organization called Project Transitions to help people with hospice care and housing for people who have HIV and AIDS. They created this thrift store as a way to help support the services” Mark Garcia, an employee at Top Drawer, says. The store is staffed by volunteers, with only three people being paid. “We don't buy stuff. Everything in the store has been donated by people in the community,” Garcia continues. By having such a unique concept, they have put another good name on vintage stores. Most vintage stores go through the process of choosing the clothing they sell themselves. “I go to the by
8 • MODA • Fall 2018
“Whenever someone buys a simple $6 T-shirt, they are supporting a million dollar industry that pays their yes. Yes workers far below U.S standard” I say bought this
the pound Goodwill outlet, which is really quite labor intensive, and it's overwhelming for a lot of people just in terms of the amount of work that it takes to filter usable stuff out of these gigantic bins. But also it's loud, it's big, it's great. There's crowds and it's not for everyone which is how I feel like I'm able to
item by weight so I didn't pay a whole lot for it, but I did have to go through the work to find it,” Anderson said. Meaning they can’t just go to the Goodwill everytime something isn’t selling.
Blue Velvet, another local business has a simple solution to this common problem for shop owners. “Since we are a very small shop, it's not hard to rearrange things or emphasize and de-emphasize certain items.” Jennifer Barker-Benfield,
employee at Blue Velvet, says. This is a common solution for small stores but for larger stores rely on research. “I've always been good at observing as details and I just, observe what people were wearing. And combined with my own kind of record keeping of what I sell, I'm able to kind of keep an eye on what's trending at any given time.”Anderson says. Garcia adds to this by saying: “Well, we read the magazines, fashion magazines, trend magazines, we talk to people that shop here and we just try to keep an eye on what comes through the store and what sells really quickly.” While chain stores might have this achievement to hold over vintage stores heads, vintage stores still save more energy and sell better quality clothing. The effort put in to producing the clothes you buy at a commercial store is far below the amount put into vintage stores.
Visit Ermine Vintage, Top Drawer and Blue Velvet! Ermines- 106 N Loop Blvd E, Austin, TX 78751 Top Drawer- 4902 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756 Blue Velvet- 217 W North Loop, Austin, TX 78751
Ceiling of Top Drawer. (Photo taken by Zoe Dell.)
Fall 2018 • MODA •9
Streetwear
What it is, how to wear it, and how it got to where it is today. By Erin Earthman Balenciaga “Triple S”
Balenciaga released a series of classic, saturated colorways of its Triple-s silhouette: a chunky, 900$ dadshoe with an oversized sole and faux- technical details.
Air Vapormax x Off-White “The Ten”
Virgil Abloh’s Off-White and sportswear brand Nike collaborated multiple times, one of which included a redone Vapormax silhouette with a transparent sole, clean white upper, cream colored upper, and various signature off-white accents.
Nike x Travis Scott Air Force 1 “Sail”
On August 10th, 2018, Travis Scott released a collaboration with Nike, creating an Air Force 1 with a gum sole, canvas upper, and removable metallic swoosh.
street·wear /’strēt,wer/
noun noun: streetwear; noun: street-wear a style of street fashion rooted in Californian surf and skate culture. It has grown to encompass elements of hip hop fashion, Japanese street fashion, and modern haute couture fashion.
1980 Shawn Stussy begins selling t-shirts with his iconic surfboard logo on them.
1994 A skateboard and clothing shop called Supreme starts in New York. 1984 The Air Jordan 1, a Nike colab with Michal Jordan, is released.
10 • MODA • Fall 2018
2006 Brands Bape and Billionaire Boys Club hit the VMA red carpet on celebrity Pharrell Williams with BBC founder NYGO.
Sources: https://thehundreds.com https://www.whowhatwear.com https://www.highsnobiety.com https://www.businessinsider.com
1. Skate Wear
2. 3.
An anti-fashion, nostalgic look centered around youth culture and utilitarianism. Brands include: Huf Thrasher Vans
2. Surf Wear
As a style that heavily influenced west coast style, surf wear is a minimalistic style that has been pulled into the mainstream in the past few decades. Brands include: Stussy Rvca Quicksilver
1.
3. Luxury Couture
High-fashion, luxury brands formerly associated with high society, but recently making its way into luxury youth culture, with expensive brands serving as a status symbol. Brands include: Gucci Balenciaga Vetements
2009 Kanye West mixes luxury and street wear when he releases his first ever sneaker, the Louis Vuitton Yeezys.
2013 The return of skate culture within street wear is at an all time high, with new brands like Diamond, along with classic brands like Vans.
2011 The Air Jordan 11 Concord drop made headlines, when causing giant riots and pandamonium across the nation.
2017 Supreme and Louis Vuitton collab on a capsule collection, known as one of the best collabs ever.
90s; Flashback or Flashforward? Katia Ortiz
P
eople from around the world. Go to shop at their favorite clothing and jewlery stores to find items that fit in with the latest trends. In the US today, they may find plaid jackets, large sweaters, tight overalls, plaid skirts, scrunchies and high top shoes. These all come from 90s and vintage clothing styles.
12 • MODA • Fall 2018
The 90s had a very different clothing style than any other decade. In fact, people loved the era so much that they have started bringing back some of the 90s trends.
Over the years, 90s and vintage clothes have become a new trend that is spreading quickly. This trend started small, but gradually grew as more people started noticing others wearing 90s and vintage clothing. People seemed to want to try out something new. “People seem to love the fabulous trends and designs that come with the decade,” says Jennifer Barker-Benfield, owner of Blue Velvet. The 90s had many different, vibrant colors, and had so many different styles within it. Though 90s and vintage clothing may seem similar, in reality they are very different. 90s fashion focuses on only one era and decade, while vintage clothing is more broad. Vintage clothing is not a trend not from any era in particular. The styles have built
up over time and are added onto. The nineties had many styles within its one trend. There were scrunchies, overalls, plaid jackets and skirts, hooped earrings, platform shoes and so much more. Overalls and a scrunchie gives off such a different vibe than a skirt and heeled boots, yet people seemed to alternate between these every day. There were so many different possibilities and combinations of clothes that people could choose from, and today some enjoy playing with these unique styles. With vintage clothing, not only are there different styles, but there are different patterns, materials and colors within the trend. “Vintage
clothing can be for anyone, because it comes in many styles”,
“People love the fashion timeline, and enjoy wearing the clothes from their favorite eras”
a Francesca’s employee said. Vintage clothes are usually made of different materials as other clothes. Vintage clothes can be made of silk and cotton instead of materials such as polyester. When walking on the street, some may see many women wearing scrunchies of cropped sweaters. This is one of the main fashion styles from the 90s. Many people enjoy these today, especially teens. Teens enjoy finding new trends in their favorite stores. They go and search for different types of clothing that will fit in with new trends, and that would also allow them to express themselves. Stores need to keep up with the
Valeria wears a plaid red jacket, a 90s fashion hit. (Photo by Katia Ortiz)
Fall 2018 • MODA •13
There are six scrunchies sitting on a gold plate. Scrunchies were one of the biggest hits of the 90s. (Photo by Katia Ortiz.)
Katia wears a scrunchie--a 90s trend-- and a t-shirt/jersey with the number on the front, another 90s favorite. (Photo by Valeria Ortiz.)
14 • MODA • Fall 2018
ever changing styles in the world of fashion. Large chain stores such as Forever 21 and H&M have added 90s clothes to their stores to fit current fashion. Smaller and local stores such as Blue Velvet have had 90s and vintage items in their store for quite a while, and there has been a significant increase in their profit as these clothes came
“This new trend is one that people love” back into style. “Sales went up significantly, and this shows that this new trend is one that people love”, Barker-Benfield says.
one year. Three years ago people may have been picked on or judged for wearing platform shoes or overalls. Now, these people are the new trend setters, and are the ones that many people may want to follow. People wear unique clothes from different eras as a way to express themselves. Many people love watching fashion evolve and love wear clothing from past decades. “Fashion has changed a lot over the years. It has gone from long flowy polka-dot skirts to very short jean-shorts and crop-tops. People love the fashion timeline, and enjoy wearing the clothes from their favorite eras,” says Barker-Benfield from Blue Velvet Vintage. From polka dots to plaid, and slim heels to platforms, the fashion world is always changing, and people have mixed opinions of the currents and past trends. For now, the 90s and vintage trends are the ones at the top of the fashion spectrum.
Although there are different opinions on whether this new trend is a great one or not, many stores and businesses agree that 90s and vintage items are making a comeback. “They certainly are making a comeback, and I’d like to see what other trends come in as well” a Flashback Vintage employee says. “Vintage clothing and accessories are definitely making a comeback. For example, five years ago, it was pretty rare to see someone wearing a scrunchie, but now they are pretty common” a Francesca’s employee agrees. Many of the nineties trends came fairly quickly, over the course of
Fall 2018 • MODA •15
Cheap vs Chic
Is it better to shop consiously or locally? Zoe Dell Do you shop locally or from chain stores?
77.2% 22.8%
Local
Chain
Chain
Workers are repeatedly being paid less than the minimum wage and sometimes workers only get paid for each product they produce.
Shopping at chain stores is only giving money to mass companies. These companies only give a small portian to the actual workers.
16 • MODA • Fall 2018
Chic (local)
Buying from local buinesses will actually help your local economy! Based on a Chicago study, for every $100 spent locally, $68 will remain in the city.
Do you perfer local stores or chain stores?
54.4% Local
45.6%
Sources -www. latimes.com/ projects/la-fi-forever-21-f actory-workers /?utm_source=ifttt# -www.entrepreneur.com /article/244839.
Chain
Fall 2018 • MODA •17
Style of The Noughties The trends, fashions, and influencers of the early 2000’s. By Erin Earthman
It’s a warm night in the summer of 2005. You get home from school in your Juicy Couture tracksuit, plug in your iPod and turn on some Avril Lavigne. You and check your Myspace page and update your Top 8.
L
The early 2000s were an iconic decade for fashion. With a boom in fast fashion and chain stores, trends came and went so fast, one could barely keep up. This allowed for an all over experimental and fluid style for the decade. The overall trends of the decade consisted of global and ethnic clothing, interpretations for vintage styles of previous decades, and clothes influenced by music culture. “I feel like it was really kind of a time of excess as far as fashion,” Sloane Lenz, a local fashion designer, said. During the time, there was a rise in the consumption of fast fashion, trends from the runway being manufactured and sold very quickly and cheaply at large chain stores. Stores like Forever 21, H&M, and Zara grew rapidly during this time because they were able to move high fashion designs quickly to consumers. This philosophy generated a rise in trendy clothing, with a new style being popular every season. This
18 • MODA • Fall 2018
created a lot of wasted clothing ending up in landfills because they were no longer on-trend. “When I think of the early 2000s I think of kind of a collage of textures and colors when it comes to the trends of the day,” Lenz said. This rise in fast fashion also molded the general style of the 2000s. The trendy nature of early 2000s fashion made the styles less classic and minimalist, and more flamboyant and excessive. This culture of trendy clothing also caused the mixing of vintage styles from previous decades. Peasant tops, once popular in the 50s, were worn with long denim skirts, which were on trend in the 70s. “I feel like early 2000s trends are definitely coming back around. Fashion right now I think especially is really reliant on referencing specific pieces of the past, and that weighs heavily on nostalgia and going back to the trends of when we were kids,” Samantha Plasencia, a fashion designer, said. The trends of the early 2000s are resurfacing within current styles. Brands such as Bebe, Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, and Juicy Couture are returning to the mainstream and the runway. The closer fitted T-shirt silhouette of Bebe
tops and trucker caps styles of Von Dutch are also appearing within the designs of other brands.
ten on the butt you know. You had juicy on the butt, we had whatever on the butt,” Kokinda said.
“Really low waisted pants were popular back then. And I think those still maintain their popularity,” Karin Kokinda, the manager at Top Drawer thrift store, said.
Tracksuits have been particularly popular in celebrity culture, appearing on celebrities such as
“The trends of the early 2000s are resurfacing within current styles.”
In recent years, denim trends have been focused on the high-rise, mom-jean silhouette of the 90s. But recently, flared and low-rise jeans have been taking the spotlight. Another trend resurfacing from the 2000s tracksuits, particularly velour and athletic style tracksuits.
“We still get Juicy Couture tracksuits. And, you know, that was also the time when everything was writ-
Kylie Jenner, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna. Even Kanye West included his own tracksuit in Yeezy Season 5. “Big hoops were popular back then,” Kokinda said . Large gold hoops, which were a trend in the 1960s, became popular again in the early 2000s
Nike’s Air Force 1 sneaker is pictured. The “AF1” is a popular shoe of the early 2000’s, and also symbolizes a rise in the respect for streetwear as a style. ( Photo by Erin Earthman.)
Fall 2018 • MODA •19
The Early 2000’s Style was influenced greatly by music of the time.
Scan this code to go to a spotify playlist will all the hits of
y2k!
20 • MODA • Fall 2018
after the more delicate jewelry popular in the 90s. These big hoops are definitely back in style currently, with classic chunky gold pairs, the clear acrylic pairs that have been on everyone’s Instagram feed recently, or the giant, shoulder-grazing styles that are reminiscent of Victoria Beckham, circa 2003.
Early 2000s beauty trends consisted of glossy, fruit-flavored lips, striped hair highlights, frosted eye looks, pigtails, and lots and lots
Another accessory that has returned to the runway are Large gold hoop earrings are worn. ( Photo by Erin Earthman.) micro shades, or super small sunglasses, usually with colored frames. Reof blush, bronzer and fake tans. cently, the cat-eye silhouette has been everywhere, as well as fra These trends were inspired meless acrylic glasses that are very predominantly by celebrity culture. reminiscent of the early 2000s. Trends like glossy lips and pigtails were popularized by Baby Spice of Tube tops, an early 2000s The Spice Girls, and the overuse of staple that consist of a stretchy bronzer and fake tans were iconic to band of fabric without straps have Snooki of the reality tv show “Jerbeen everywhere in the past few sey Shore.” years due to their simple design and availability. Elie Tahari, a designer The frosted eye looks and in the 1970s was the first to sell the stripey highlights trends were poptube top. Midriff-baring tube tops ularized by use on the red carpet. were popular in the late 90s and When celebrities such as Paris early 2000s paired with low rise Hilton and Jennifer Lawrence wore jeans and cargo pants. This same these on runways and on the street, combination can be seen today, consumers were hooked. with a more current high-waisted and taper-legged silhouette of cargo In general, Placencia depants. scribed the style of the early 2000s as “Carefree.” The early 2000s also made a significant impact on the beauty Carefree describes the styles world with many iconic trends. “I of the early 2000s because, with the couldn’t leave home without a lip availability of cheap, trendy clothes, gloss handy,” Placencia said. clothing became less of a functional
investment and more of a way to express oneself. In the past few years, the styles of the 1990s have been all the rage. But, recently, trends have begun to pull more and more from Y2K styles. “So many little trends coming together to create the 2000s look as a whole.” stated Lenz. These past and recurring trends were influenced from previous decades, music culture and cultures around the world. This created a cheesy, trendy and overall unapologetic style for the decade.
“Early 2000s beauty trends consisted of glossy, fruit-flavored lips, striped hair highlights, frosted eye looks, pigtails, and lots and lots of blush, bronzer and fake tans.”
An outfit inspired by early 2000’s style is worn, consisting of an animal print mini skirt and a textured top with Air Force 1’s and gold hoops.
Fall 2018 • MODA •21
1873 - Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis invent denim - Came in high demand for men’s factory wear
- Eli Whitney invents cotton gin - Revolutionized speed of cotton processing
Hilaire de Chardonnet
1793
The Fabric of Time
A History of the Fabrics That Make Up Our Lives By: Naiya Vasquez-Castaneda
22 • MODA • Fall 2018
1995 - Harry Wainwright invents fisrt “smart textile”
1935
- Can change color, light up, and even release medication
- First completely synthetic fiber to ever be used in consumer products - Invented by Wal lace Carothers
- Invented by Hilaire de Chardonnet - First man-made synthetic silk known as “Chardonnet Silk”
- Also made by American chemist Wallace Carothers Wallace Carothers
- Popular due to duranbilty and cheapness
1941
1910
s Sources: www.thoughtco.com www.blog.patra.com www.textileschool.com
Fall 2018 • MODA •23
Concious Clothing
A Fair Way to Sourcing the Clothes We Wear Naiya Vasquez-Castaneda
L
Chances are your favorite Zara jeans, H&M top, or Urban Outfitters hoodie was made by sweatshop workers across the country getting paid 13 cents an hour, working for up to 12 hours straight. So people may wonder “What is a sweatshop?” According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a sweatshop is “a factory that violates a minimum of two current labor laws.” A violation of those laws allows major companies to get away with paying their workers unacceptably low wages, forcing them to work more than seven hours and not providing benefits like health care, paid maternity leave and Social Security. Since one person can’t earn enough money to support their family, sadly, an estimated 120 million children worldwide are forced to work in factories that most likely make your clothing. Shockingly, a sweater that retails for $60 in the United States can cost 10 cents for the labor used to make it. What can others do to help? Well, there’s a simple solution to this problem known as fair trade, which Evan Streusand, creator of fair trade shoe company Fortress
24 • MODA • Fall 2018
of Inca, defines by saying, “It means that people that make our shoes are just as important as the people who buy them and treating everybody who is part of the process fairly and the way we want to be treated.”
Two textile workers hold up a sign to bring awarness to fair trade in the garment factory. ( Photo curtesy of Evan Brooke.)
Evan Brooke of Evan Brooke Clothing company, which employs women, especially who have come out of poverty and trafficking says fair trade is not just paying minimum wage, but paying a living wage, safe work conditions, respect at work, opportunities to move upward and of course, environmental
sensitivities. When an item of fair trade clothing, a pair of shoes, or even coffee is bought, “it’s certainly a product you can feel good about,” Brooke says. But in the United States, where much of the clothing is made overseas, she says American culture is so heavily influenced by the media and by advertising, so it’s definitely an uphill battle when it comes to reducing the amount of clothes produced in sweatshops. It’s easy to not think about where our clothing is from and the conditions in which people are making them. Amy Lloyd, manager of Ten Thousand Villages, a retailer focused on uplifting artisans in developing countries through retail says “We become so distanced from each other in this world that we really, really don’t have that connection to the things that are made.” Like a majority of customers, companies care about cost, not about how they have come to receive the clothing. Lloyd says, “It’s not our model in our country to look behind the quality and to see the conditions that go with the quality, I just don’t think it’s been built into
our business DNA.” Clothing companies make millions of dollars each day off the backs of their workers who earn next-tonothing and struggle to survive.
Especially in cities like Austin, where there is such a vibrant culture, fair trade stores like Ten Thousand Villages and Fortress of Inca have seen a
The vibrant inside of Ten Thousand Villages. (Photo by Naiya Vasquez-Castaneda.)
Fortunately, the latest generation has become more conscious about what goes into the products they are buying. Streasaund says he’s glad that people’s shopping habits are changing. And he thinks the changes are moving in the right direction and hopes the trend continues.” One of the biggest reasons why sweatshops continue to exist, is because, “You don’t stop and wonder where the clothes are made, or want to picture the people who were making it. We just don’t think that way. But the more we do, then the more the business will come around. I think it’s really up to us to build that interest in the story,” Lloyd said.
large increase in the number of people who care about their clothing. However, Streasaund said fair trade items are typically more expensive since everyone in the process has to be compensated and that means we have to charge an amount that will allow the business to be sustainable and to allow to be paid a fair wage for their work. Although the price may be unattainable for those who earn a lower income, Lloyd says the story that connects people draws customers to buy the product. “Those stories are very powerful and
Fall 2018 • MODA •25
Fair trade, pillows made from sarees, a traditional Indian dress are in baskets made of the same material. ( Photo by Naiya Vasquez-Castaneda.)
humans want to connect with each other, so we figure out our finances,” she said. With a higher cost, comes better quality, that will last for years, which can be seen as an investment. “We would prefer people buy one or two really great pairs of shoes that they can wear with lots of different things, that will also have a really long time, as opposed to buying lots and lots of pairs that are going to fall apart after six months,” Streusand said. Besides getting a product that will last so much longer than your
26 • MODA • Fall 2018
“Clothing companies make millions of dollars each day off the backs of their workers who earn next-to-nothing and struggle to survive.”
typical shoes from Zara, H&M, Gap or similar stores, people will also be supporting the people who made them. When someone wears clothing or shoes that are ethically sourced, “I think they should walk taller and prouder and feel better about what you’re wearing and what you’re doing,” saysLloyd. Not only are the conditions they work in improved, they can support their family and improve their standard of living. To ensure their products are ethically sourced, many suppliers go to visit the countries in which they are being made, like Nepal, Peru and Kenya. Along
with visiting the countries, some businesses only support groups that are certified by two organizations: the Fair Trade Federation and the World’s Fair Trade Organization. Although it is a lengthy process to be certified by either organization, it guarantees that a product is ethically source, which gives customers and retailers peace of mind. Even though there is still a long way to go as a society in changing people’s shopping habits and reducing the amount of sweatshops and factories children and people have to work in, buying fair trade is one of the first steps in ending the suffering of millions.
Fall 2018 • MODA •27
Fashion In the 1960’s, women wore skin-tight, kee length dresses, and also dresses with collars.
1950’s
In the 1950’s women wore long skirts, and knee length dresses with short sleeves. The main pattern on clothes was polka dots.
28 • MODA • Fall 2018
1960’s
1970’s
Women in the 1970’s wore colorful pants, some with flowy bottoms, and platformed shoes.
Through the Times By: Katia Ortiz
In the 80’s, women wore tight skirts, slim heels, hooped earings. People also wore large jackets and windbreakers.
1980’s
In the early 2000’s, women wore pantsuits, cropped tops, and denim material for pants and shorts. These trends are still around.
1990’s
In the 90’s, women wore checkered coats and skirts(almost to the knee), and Slim heels and high-heeled boots.
2000’s
Fall 2018 • MODA •29
Do you follow trends? Females
Males 41% No
50% Depends on what they are
8% Yes
What’s your favorite fashion era?
52% Depends on what they are
42% No
5/54
LASA students would rather wear uniforms.
Now 7% Yes
Y2K LASA students rate their knowlage of fashion history on average
3/10
Casual 63% Comfy 42% Sporty 20%
52%
Trendy 17%
7% 90s
7% 80s
11% 70s
Preppy 9%
How do you describe your style?
6% 60s
2% 50s
On a scale of 1-10, LASA students care on average 5.78/10 about how they present themselves. 30 • MODA • Fall 2018
15%
Fall 2018 • MODA •31