There's Power in More Ways Than One

Micah Oliphant

Who knew fashion could be so culturally competent? As the fashion industry progresses and designers continue to open their minds to new innovations, trends and ideas, the garments released are beautiful and creative testaments to the growing industry. I noticed this with how designers are choosing to represent their cultures and cultures that they have had the opportunity to experience.

In October 2022, Doja Cat, a world-renowned popstar and media influencer, attended the Vivienne Westwood womenswear Spring 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week. Doja Cat's stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, dressed Doja Cat in this bohemian-esque gown with eclectic patterns on the garment, accessorizing her with gold jewelry, a coral-colored headwrap, a dark makeup look and a dramatic wing to tie it all together.

So, what is Bohemian Culture?

According to BBC News, “Bohemian" was originally a term with pejorative undertones given to Roma people, commonly believed by the French to have originated in Bohemia, in central Europe.” People who claim to be Bohemian are often described to be eclectic, eccentric, carefree and irregular spirits, often in touch with spirituality. Social media colloquializes a Bohemian lifestyle and describes people who have an “earthy” aesthetic. However, true Bohemian culture has roots that date back to the 19th century and often tie into one's political and religious beliefs.

Within fashion, the Bohemian style is classified as a micro-aesthetic, with outfits including natural colors, flowy fabrics and subtle, yet dramatic accessories. Colors worn within the Bohemian aesthetic include earth tones like green, brown, white, beige and are paired with lots of gold jewelry. According to Vevano, “Bohemian styles are defined by a lack of structure, opting instead for carefree layers of pattern, texture and color. While there are some common practices with the Bohemian look, there are no hard and fast rules”.

Doja Cat wearing a Bohemian-style garment to Vivienne Westwood's show has a deeper meaning than we are led to believe. Westwood is often referred to as an

Google Arts & Culture says, “Vivienne Westwood has always used her collections and catwalk shows as a platform to campaign for positive activism. She has spent many years tirelessly speaking out about the effects of climate change and overconsumption and has mobilized international attention around ecological crusading.”

Doja Cat wearing a high-fashion garment with heavy influences to an aesthetic that is known to have liberal outlooks on life is, in turn, a respective tribute to the work of Westwood. It goes to show how much influence Westwood has had on Doja Cat, or even Doja Cat’s stylist and is an impeccable example of the impact that folk culture has on fashion.

Doja Cat is just one of many celebrities who have appreciated different cultures and wear them to fashion events. Badu is a great example of a celebrity who brings culture to fashion. Badu's sense of style has been so revolutionary to alternative black people to this day, creating some of our favorite micro-trends and aesthetics.

I would describe Badu’s style as a mix of alternative, neo-futurism and Bohemian, with influences from luxury African cultures. Badu’s ground-breaking sense of fashion was revolutionary. Not only was she one of the first to respectfully appreciate different cultures through fashion, but she also was comfortable breaking away from gender norms, wearing androgynous outfits and being as masculine as she wanted to be.

Being able to appreciate culture and not completely appropriate is difficult. However, some brands have found a way to do this without offending anyone for instance through the use of culturally significant textiles or voicing the importance of culture within their brand themselves. Style and the Gang have a wonderful list where they name five small but up-and-coming luxury brand houses that are actively preserving culture within their high-fashion title.

As an industry, it is important that culture is represented through clothing. The more we highlight people who take risks in appreciating culture, the more we can become more inclusive of individuals of different cultures and backgrounds as a whole.

On Jan. 22, Miners discovered an abundance of electrically charged stones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These stones, dubbed the real-world equivalent of vibranium, a fictional material in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have gone viral. Both videos show workers holding rocks with a metallic luster that could illuminate a small light when connected to wires. The initial Instagram post with these videos received more than 10,000 likes.

Individuals have asked, "If the DRC has the leadership ability necessary for such a discovery?" B.A. Kinsley, a multi-published author, said, "With the discovery of Vibranium (Electrically charged stones - Lithium), the Democratic Republic of Congo has no excuse to be poor. Report says the country is one of the poorest country in the world despite large mineral deposit with global demand. Leadership syndrome!"

Many distinguished people have stated their theories on how these stones are electrically charged. Daddy Mo, a renowned scientist, said, "Apparently vibranium in the black panther movie is based off of coltan, which can be found in abundance in Congo, Africa."

I must be pretty captivating cause I got you to read this far.

Well, I have something to tell you.

I lied. Multiple times, actually.

Here's the truth. There have been no electrically charged stones discovered in the DRC. This is yet another example of social media's ability to spread false information and how gullible society can be. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about the spreading of falsehoods found that "false news stories were 70 percent more likely to be retweeted than true stories were." Even more surprising, "it wasn't bots spreading most of the falsehoods, they found. It was real people doing most of it. Usually ordinary people, too."

Falsehoods are 70% more likely to be retweeted than the truth. In an effort to help lower this number, I'm going to break down two ways "my article" above should have indicated something was wrong and how to look out for these issues in the future.

1. My Source

The only actual source I gave was a singular Instagram post. A variety of sources is essential for credibility. It's crucial to see different news sources to ensure the information you're obtaining is accurate. The link I attached was from an Instagram account called "National Black Guide." This page did not provide any source or indication of where they received this video from. I actually could not find the original source of the video. It's imperative to be skeptical when identifying the way information is spread. Always ask, "How do they know this?" and "Why should I trust this?"

2. My “Experts”

I validated a quote from B.A. Kinsley by stating he was a published author. However, I did not mention that his works are about Nigerian politics, self-improvement and poetry. My “renowned scientist,” Daddy Mo, is actually not renowned in his field. His "renowned" status is due to his large following on his personal Twitter account. I couldn't even find his real name; Daddy Mo is his Twitter handle. These details make it impossible to use these individuals as expert sources, invalidating their agreement and support of the discovery of the electrically charged stones. An expert source should check at least two of the four: authored works that have been reviewed by multiple credible sources, affiliated with a reputable organization, recognized as an expert in their area or a position of authority due to their employment. Ask yourself, “why should this person's opinion matter and carry weight?”

Social media has allowed misinformation, half-baked ideas and batty 2 A.M. thoughts to be amplified. It's of utmost importance to think critically about the information pumped out.