The Critical Pulse no. 2

THE CRITICAL PULSE JANUARY 2021 ISSUE NO. 2

A HUMANITARIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE FASHION INDUSTRY FASHION MASKS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN TEXTILES BODY AND GENDER IN FASHION

REVIEWS & COLUMNS: FILM: BLACK IS KING TV SERIES: POSE FLESH ON BONE FATNESS IN FASHIONTHE BEAUTIFUL SMOKESCREEN www.thecriticalpulse.com thecriticalpulse Artwork by: Julia Wargarden

Photo by: Michele Custovic

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EDITORS’ LETTER 2020 was a year no one predicted, and it has made us realise that the way we have been living is not sustainable for us as human beings or for the planet. We have not shown sustainability in how we treat each other, ourselves, animals, and the environment.

In our second issue, we have a humanitarian perspective on the fashion industry. It was not a planned theme, but it is something that we all feel connected and drawn to during these crazy times. While we can give up and say that COVID-19 won and decide to cancel 2020 (and even 2021), we can choose to look at this in a different light. What if 2020 has been a chance for us to reflect, react and change the current status quo? This 2nd issue is our attempt to evoke the needed change!

Despite a pandemic taking up most of our every day, we have faced a lot as a community. George Floyd’s murder had the Black Lives Matter movement come back to the light, with protests and demonstrations playing out around the United States of America and creating a rippling effect worldwide. Often seen as a hush subject, racism was now in the spotlight, and we will not and cannot forget the names of those who have been unjustly killed or harmed in the name of it. We have been able to wear our masks to protect ourselves while protecting the rights of others, and by customising our masks, they have been able to help us with our message.

Masks have benefited us as a collective and the fashion industry; in what many are calling exploitation of the pandemic. Fashion businesses have profited from the pandemic, making and selling fashionable masks, adorned with slogans, sequins, some even selling mesh masks. Despite the masks not being able to protect the wearer to the same degree as medical masks, brands are selling out. This is why, in an era of fake news and conspiracy theories, we must continue to be critical of all information and facts that we consume.

The Critical Pulse will continue to look at themes concerning the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will address sustainability from the common environmental outlook and a social perspective, such as social justice. We need to put topics such as inclusivity, diversity, and intersectional feminism on the agenda to create equality between and for all human beings. We want to see a transformation in the fashion system with decolonisation. The Critical Pulse Issues will include reviews of books, films, current events, and other relevant topics. As a Danish student-based team of young individuals with an academic background from the University of Southern Denmark in Kolding, we have spent time mapping out the fashion industry. Through studying the discourse of design, fashion, and economics, we want to empower and amplify marginalised voices, creatives and young professionals.

We will not be debating facts, engaging with uninformed opinions, we will only publish well-researched, and well-analysed information. We hope that our different views give you an objective and critical perspective of the fashion industry, creating a desire to push views, traditions, and conditions forward.

We hope that this second issue finds you in good health and spirits and that you join us in disrupting the current fashion world.

Sincerely, the editorial team of The Critical Pulse Bjørn Utoft Sørensen, Emilie Thomsen, Ida Fisker-Clausen, Josephine Amalie Grigoriou, Julia Wargarden, Kaya Folmer, Kimberly K. Petersen, Michele Custovic, Nana Sharif Korsgaard & Tea Ingemann Olsen Contributions by Sara Bay Panderu

Mentored and Inspired by Dr Kat Sark

Content 6

KNIT 2020

Photo by: Michele Custovic

WHAT IF WE OVERLOOK THE REAL PROBLEM

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THE BIRTH, DEATH AND REINCARNATION OF FLESH ON BONE

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MUSLIM MINORITY KEPT AS SLAVES IN LABOUR CAMPS BY THE CHINESE GOVERN

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FATNESS IN FASHIONTHE BEAUTIFUL SMOKESCREEN

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UNDOING “THE IDEAL BODY SHAPE” WITH DE

M?

NMENT

ELEUZE

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THE CATEGORY IS…NORM-DEFYING & FABULOUS

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CULTURAL APPROPRIATION: A QUESTION OF EXPLOITATION

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A VISUAL TRIBUTE TO AFRICAN CULTURE A REVIEW OF “BLACK IS KING” BY BEYONCÉ

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CHRISTIAN SIRIANO’S IRRESPONSIBLE ACTIONS REGARDING MASK MAKING

WHAT IF WE OVERLOOK THE REAL PROBLEM? By: Emilie Thomsen A lot of focus has been on environmental sustainability in the past years. However, what if the game-changers, and making a difference, are not in the category of environmental sustainability? What if we need to focus on the research and development of social and economic sustainability? Much focus has been on making materials less damaging to the environment, and on making existing materials better, but if they are so damaging, then why not look into the possibilities of making new ones. With scientific work and new technology, many different and alternative textiles emerged. With these new materials, it is not only possible to reduce the emissions of chemicals, co2, and other things, but it is also possible to rethink the way of producing and consuming.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?

To understand the problems within sustainability, it is crucial to understand what sustainability is and what it entails, and precisely, this is what many do not do. Sustainability is broad and affects many people. The UN’s and The World Commission on Environment and Development’s definition of sustainability is one of the most acknowledged ones. They say that “Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future”1. Environmental sustainability involves using renewable resources, minimizing emissions and pollution, and not using resources depleting materials. Furthermore, things as reutilisation and recycling are a part of environmental sustainability2.

Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future - UN The way materials are being produced both influ-

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ences the earth’s being (environment sustainability) and the workers behind the labor (social sustainability). This article will address how materials in the fashion and clothing industry have impacted the environment and the significance of research and development in the field. I believe that everyone has the right to textiles made of materials that do not harm us and nature, as we have a shared responsibility for nature. Sustainability is also “To contribute to the existence and development of human beings and nature in intruding harmony”3. We must consider all three forms to achieve this.

ARE WE JUST TRYING TO MAKE DAMAGING TEXTILES LESS DAMAGING? Gradually, most people are aware of the environmental impact of textiles like cotton. The production of cotton has a high usage of herbicides, pesticides, and water. It is terrible for the environment, the labor workers, and the consumers because some chemicals are still traceable in the clothes after production4. Processing 1 kg cotton requires 7,000-29,000 litres of water, similar to using a pair of jeans. Moreover, 16% of the world’s use of insecticides and 7% of the use of pesticides come from cotton production5. Therefore, an alternative has been created: organic cotton. Many people think that it is entirely free of harmful substances and good for the environment when it is organic. However, for organic cotton growing, both natural and synthetic pesticides are still used. Although it is in more moderate quantities, this does not mean that it is necessarily good for the environment. Much water is still used, although it is 88% less than non-organic cotton 6. Organic cotton has its advantages compared to conventional cotton. Some believe that natural pesticides are better, but natural pesticides can still be harmful. An example is Rotetone, a harmful pesticide used in cotton cultivationl7. Although it has

SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION, TEXTILES, TECH FASHION, MATERIALS

similar symptoms as Parkinson’s disease, it is not on the FDA’s list of hazardous substances. Further, The Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada made a study of four synthetic and two organic insecticides; it shows that the two organic insecticides have a higher toxicity level than the synthetic ones8.

ECO - Cotton plant

Photo by: Bjørn Utoft Sørensen, Edited by: Emilie Thomsen

When processing cotton, 7,000-29,000 liters of water is required for 1 kg of cotton, which is similar to the use of a pair of jeans

MAYBE EVERYTHING IS NOT AS GREEN AS IT SEEMS

By now, it has become normal with other natural and sustainable materials such as bamboo and soy fibers. As there has been a growing need for sustainable fibers, such fibers as bamboo have emerged9.

Making bamboo fiber is similar to making viscose; the materials are divided into smaller pieces and dissolved to then be compressed and spun. But during this process, it is very different what companies dissolve the bamboo in, and this does not appear in the clothing label. The chemicals used in unsustainable bamboo fibers are often corrosive as it saves time. When the bamboo is processed, Carbon disulfide, Sodium hydroxide, Sulfuric acid is used, which is harmful to the environment and humans as it is corrosive, and many of the chemicals end up in nature10. Therefore, in itself, clothing made of bamboo is not necessarily sustainable, but as with cotton, many believe it is sustainable. Bamboo also uses about as much water as organic cotton but more energy.

When the bamboo is processed, Carbon disulfide, Sodium hydroxide, Sulfuric acid is used, which is both harmful to the environment and human as it is corrosive, and many of the chemicals end up in nature Also, fibers such as soy fibers have emerged. Soy fiber is a regenerated fiber, which means that the fiber is made from other materials, either cellulose or proteins. The production of the fiber starts with extracting the protein from the woodchips/soybean by boiling it with a solution of, e.g. sodium hydroxide.

The process uses high heat, alkalis, and enzymes11.

Soy fiber undergoes this chemical manipulation to be transformed from plant to fabric. The process also uses formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic and harmful to humans and animals. That is why many companies point out that they recycle the chemicals and only use them in a closed system, but many people forget that this still affects the labor workers, since regenerated fibers are human-made and many of the chemicals end up affecting the consumer12. As with the other fibers, there are also benefits such as it can be made from by-products of food production, and it is a renewable resource.

Still, again, it also uses a lot of water and pesticides in production. Here too, sustainability depends on what you look at and how the fiber is produced.

As shown, there are several options for choosing between so-called sustainable materials. We have seen that there has been a focus on materials needed to be more sustainable. But the question is; are we just developing and enhancing textiles that have proven to be environmentally and socially damaging? And are we just settling for existing materials?

Materials such as bamboo, organic cotton, and soy fiber are sure enough sustainable at some points, and it is some action. But the question then is, are these the most effective ways of acting sustainably?

Are we just developing and enhancing textiles that have proven to be environmentally and socially damaging?

NEW EXCITING FABRICS CAN REPLACE THE CONVENTIONAL ONES

If it is the case that there has been too much focus on making harmful fabrics less harmful, is it enough, or are there other more effective solutions? Materials play a significant role in contributing to sustainability. They are the starting point for change and

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have an impact on both economic, social, and environmental sustainability13. If the focus on making our existing materials less harmful, has not been compelling enough, the focus of the future must be something else. I think many have overlooked the importance of focusing on manufacturing and researching new materials. What we have done so far has not worked, therefore something different must be done. Again, this raises questions: How can we make new materials? Are people ready to accept new materials?

pared to cotton that uses a minimum of 7000 liters

Anke Domaske only uses sour milk that is leftover from production17. Sour milk is often used in sour milk products like yogurt, buttermilk, etc. By beginning to think about alternative materials to make fabrics out of, it will be possible to use all or at least reduce the raw material waste, instead of throwing the remains that occur in the production process away. The most sustainable materials we have on earth are the things that are produced because Co2 has been used. Therefore, we must use all the usable leftover materials in production, so there is as litIf the focus so far, on making our existing materi- tle waste as possible. This also means that the conals less harmful, not has been compelling enough, sumer needs to be open to new ideas and try new things out like milk fabric and not just discard the the focus of the future must be something else idea because it is not what they are used to wear.

By doing this, it will be possible to create a market IT IS GOOD FOR YOUR BONES, AND IT IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT for alternative textiles and make it possible for more One way of making new materials is by using milk. prominent brands to experiment with new textile The contemporary sustainable problem in our so- ideas. Some brands are already experimenting with ciety has caused people to start thinking about al- bacteria for textile making. ternative ways to create materials. Originally milk fiber was invented in Italy in 1930 by Antonio Ferra- The most sustainable materials we have on earth ti. Milk fiber is made of the protein casein found in are the things that are produced because the Co2 has been used milk. From 35 liters of milk, it is possible to make 1 kg of fiber. Like soy, it has, for many years, not been possible to create the fiber without using different COULD THE SOLUTION BE TO USE chemical substances. Today most milk is still mixed RESIDUAL MATERIALS FOR with acryl, which results in the fabric not being NEW MATERIALS? completely natural14. However, German designer and biologist, Anke Domaske is thought to have found a solution to make it 100% natural. Domaske and her team have found a way to create the fabric without implementing chemicals in the production process, and therefore creating a new natural textile. Milk fiber is a more sustainable option than synthetic fibers and has the same attributes as natural and synthetic fibers. Compared to cotton that uses a minimum of 7,000 liters, it only uses 2 liters of water making it very sustainable. It only used 2 liters of water and compared to cotton that uses a minimum of 7000 liters, it is very sustainable15. This means that it is possible to produce 3,500 kilograms of milk fabric with the same water usage as one 1 kgs of cotton. Furthermore, it reduces the usage of chemicals that can damage the labor workers and the planet. Also, it has a pH value of 6,8, which is the same as the human skin. Therefore, it does not cause skin irritation for the consumer or the labor PiĂąatex Original - Natural worker16.

Photo by: Emilie Thomsen

From 35 liters of milk, it is possible to make 1 kg of fiber. The milk fiber only used 2 liters of water and com-

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Another way of producing sustainable materials is without using additional land, water, pesticides, or

fertilizers. This is possible with Piñatex. Piñatex is made out of waste products from pineapple trees18.

It reduces the raw material waste, as the pineapple trees already are produced. It is estimated that there are 40,000 tons of leaves leftovers each year, and most of them are burned. It is one of the few non-woven textiles made of natural materials. It imitates leather attributes but is better than leatherette because it is biodegradable and not made from fossil fuels. It is a lot better for the environment and humans due to the natural fibers. There is also less waste when cutting patterns because it does not have irregular shapes as animal skins19. It is also an additional income for farmers because they can sell their leftovers and do not have to rely on a seasonal harvest, which contributes to social sustainability.

Tanning of skin uses ca. 250 harmful chemicals and leatherette uses toxic chemicals in production and disposal20. Even the leftovers from producing Piñatex can be used as a biofuel 21, and the material has also received the award for Material Innovation in 201622.

that the way textiles are used has to change. Her intent was: “(...) to create a textile out of living material and to learn how to develop a real garment out of it.”29. The choice of mycelium was to create a textile that was flexible while being compostable. Hoitink would not make clothes that could last for a long time when it goes against our consumption. presently, 40% of the excess textiles end up in landfills, but MycoTEX is compostable and will result in less waste. The consumer himself can bury the clothes in the ground when they no longer want it, as the “fabric is not only 100% biodegradable, but can also serve as a breeding ground for other plants... mimicking our biological life cycle.” 30. Also, MycoTEX can be grown locally, thus reducing transport31.

She would not create clothes that could last for a long time when it goes against our consumption

There are many ways to use existing materials to develop new textiles, as seen with milk leftovers and pineapple leftovers. There is an opportunity to look at alternative ways of making materials as There is a need for new materials such as Piñatex, with mycelium. Nevertheless, the question remains which focus on already produced materials/resi- whether people are willing to accept the new matedues, the chemicals emitted, and the population. It rials and be open-minded to them? Besides, it also is research such as this that creates future materials. raises questions as to how to get these materials implemented in the clothing industry? And how to GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM inform the consumer about these materials?

WITH THE ROOTS OF MUSHROOMS

The idea for the material comes from the dynamic world there is. Consumption is high, and often people get rid of their clothes quickly. That is why Aniela Hoitink, the inventor/founder of mycoTEX, believes

Photo by: Emilie Thomsen

As the textile is grown, there is no need to spin a yarn or weave fabric, as the fabric is put into a mold and shaped. MycoTEX needs very little water and no chemicals

Samples of Piñatex

If you look at the materials of the future, significant developments are happening. A very different, and to many, a very distant material is MycoTEX. It is a way of “growing” clothes. The material is produced with mycelium (the roots of mushrooms) and is a non-woven material (like Pinatex) 23,24. Mycelium is the “vegetative” part of a fungus25. As the textile is grown, there is no need to spin a yarn or weave fabric, as the fabric is put into a mold and shaped26.

MycoTEX needs very little water and no chemicals.

Furthermore, it can easily be repaired by growing new, and it is possible to grow precisely the amount needed 27, 28.

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Why are we still discussing and fighting for diversity in fashion? Why is cultural appropriation still debated? If these are questions you have asked yourself before, you’ve come to the right place. Cultural Miss Representation is your one-stop-shop for all things regarding the racial and cultural misrepresentation in fashion; two topics regularly discussed but never given a proper conclusion or solution.

Aiming to work towards a collective solution, Cultural Miss Representation will educate you as a consumer and brand through the negative impact and larger ripple “small mistakes� have, and why diversity and inclusion are essential. Through case studies, book reviews, guest editors, and much more, Cultural Miss Representation hopes to widen your view on misrepresentation in fashion.

Written in a language accessible and engaging for all, Cultural Miss Representation wants to reach out to everyone and anyone, having discussions relevant for all. If Diet Prada was a 20-something-year-old-woman, who focussed solely on the exploitation of minorities and their cultural heritage, it would be this.

culturalmissrepresentation https://culturalmissrepresentation.wordpress.com

Artwork by: Magnus Seide

SUSTAINABLY, VEGAN CLOTHING LINE, UNISEX CLOTHING, STORYTELLING, AVANTGARDE

CHAPTER 1 The Birth, Death and Reincarnation of FLESH ON BONE

By Karolina Kimberly Petersen In 2016, in a childhood room converted into a studio, a young Magnus Seide works on the last pieces for his first collection, FLESH ON BONE. An artistic manifestation of a dark and primitive vision exploring the relation between art and fashion. A collection featuring oversized cloaks with hand-painted bio-mechanical prints, hand-sewn garments made of vintage workwear, and leggings made of bandages. The experimental collection gave a vision into a dark future, where the few survivors designed garments.

Designer Magnus Seide elaborates, “Back in 2015 when I started the idea for a brand, it was trendy to have your own clothing brand in my city, but I wanted to make something different... with a background of painting and sculpting, I implemented an artistic and experimental approach to fashion, with the intent to unfold a story or universe instead of a vibe or concept.” It was a thin line between fashion and art, challenging the common perspective on beauty.

It was not until 2016, when Magnus Seide partnered with Karolina Kimberly, that the brand gained public attention.

Kimberly understood how to promote and strengthen the brand as a company, and Magnus saw great potential in collaboration. “She has a natural instinct for marketing, branding, and photography. While I knew the story I wanted to tell through my designs and art, I was still lacking knowledge on the business part, so we naturally entered a process of collaboration,” Seide explains.

Kimberly photographed the collection with borrowed equipment from a friend. The shoot took place in the makeshift studio and was presented and sold through Instagram, where it quickly gained attention from the outside world. “I checked my email a couple of days after the release and noticed an email that stood out. It was from a company in New York wanting us to present a collection for NY Fashion Week later that year.” Admitting they did not believe it at first, but following an exchange of emails over the next couple of days, they came to understand the opportunity to showcase at New York Fashion Week was very real.

The partners were still students at the time. They decided to decline the offer kindly but remained excited over the public acknowledgment in no position to pay the fare or deposit of a hanger.

New York had to wait, but the brand kept growing under a new name; MAGNUS SEIDE. Over the next couple of months, the brand received many offers from influencers, models, and artists wanting to collaborate. However, while the production was limited, as everything was handmade, the number of collaborations stayed restricted.

Eventually, the brand moved into a bigger workspace and started developing a new collection, this time more accessible to the public. The new products were presented alongside art and launched at FindersKeepers design market in Aarhus 2018. The new products aimed to teach the preparation against a nuclear attack and featured manuals printed on the garments from the book “Protect and Survive.”

Simultaneously, the brand still took part in private showings at art galleries to present the runway pieces that were almost impossible to wear and were showcased as art.

After a while, the partners realised that they had to take a step back and better understand the profession and industry before taking the next step. They both applied to schools of design and got accepted at the same time.

It was resulting in the brand being sat on hold while the duo focused on their education.

Until now.

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CHAPTER 2 STATEMENT FROM FLESH ON BONE After a few years of silence, FLESH ON BONE is returning in 2021.

The relaunch of FLESH ON BONE will follow the brands’ footsteps while introducing new ideas and aesthetics to the universe. The launch will feature a new collection of limited garments, ranging from unique basics to avantgarde outerwear. We believe that clothing is our second skin; like flesh on bone, we need it to feel complete. The products from FLESH ON BONE are constructed from a resource-friendly perspective, as the products are made-to-order. No production will occur before an order is placed; this way, we will ensure no waste in materials and only sell by demand while still providing various products.

In our assortment, we will also offer some limited one-of-a-kind items made by recycled materials and second-hand products sourced in thrift and vintage boutiques.

Experience the collection at fleshonboneonline.com Stay up to date by following us on social media @fleshonboneonline.

Sincerely MAGNUS SEIDE KAROLINA KIMBERLY

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Artwork by: Magnus Seide

MUSLIM MINORITY KEPT AS SLAVES IN LABOUR CAMPS BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT By: Bjørn Utoft Sørensen The fashion industry sometimes feels like a fairytale when looking at the catwalks. So much creativity, so much innovation, beautiful textiles combined to create elegant, glamorous pieces of garment. But underneath this fairytale, there is a cruel and dreadful field of production.

claims that the constant violations of human rights in the Xinjiang region include “Coercive population control methods, arbitrary detention in internment camps, torture, physical and sexual abuse, family separation, and repression of cultural and religious expression”4.

The fashion industry is ancient, and we would, by now, think that the industry would have changed for the better. However, that is not the case. The fashion industry keeps ending up in unethical situations. This time, China is the root of the problem.

China has imprisoned at least one million Uighurs, a Muslim minority group in the Xinjiang region, and forced them into production work. They are held at government-managed camps, and sources say that this has been ongoing for the past few years1. The conditions at these camps are similar to those the Nazis had in the second world war.

Former inmates from the camps describe the conditions as deplorable and inhumane with political indoctrination and psychological torture being common practices

China has imprisoned at least one million Uighurs, a minority ethnic group of Muslims and other kinds of Muslims in the Xinjiang region, and forced them into production work The Chinese government claims that the camps are re-education camps designed with the purpose of countering extremism, but leaked documents show how guidelines for the camps are things like “never allow escape” and “Increase discipline and punishment of behavioral violations.”2 Other sources state that the Chinese government forces Uighurs to denounce Islam, learn Mandarin and that they are politically brainwashed to follow the communist ideology and way of life. Former inmates from the camps describe the conditions as deplorable and inhumane, with political indoctrination and psychological torture being common practices. Furthermore, they are held under strict rules for how they bathe, use the toilet, and much more. To ensure that everyone follows the rules, they continuously monitor the prisoners3. The US Department of state

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The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has identified 380 camps across the Xinjiang region since 2017, and it seems as if the camps just keep popping up. The camps are often co-located with factories, which also indicates the usage of forced labour as the reports also show. Much of this information is based on satellite pictures, as China is doing their best to hide the truth about the terrifying events that happen in the country5. Foreign journalists report that when they travel to the Xinjian region to document the things that go on, they are followed by the police, arrested, and ordered to delete their footage6. Nevertheless, just because the Chinese government impedes media documentation, it should not stop us. We must not blindly trust what we see can and cannot see! The conditions are documented not by the media but by all the evidence of the camps; therefore we need to take action and we need to do it fast. We need to do it fast because, no one should live under these dreadful conditions, and we should not accept anyone violating human rights.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S INVOLVEMENT

You might wonder why the fashion industry is involved and how bad they are involved in the situation. The Xinjiang region is responsible for 84 percent of the Chinese cotton production, which approximates 20 percent of the world’s cotton pro-

MODERN SLAVERY, CHINA, SOCIAL JUSTICE , COTTON PRODUCTION

duction. The cotton is partially used for clothing, and this is where the fashion industry enters the scene7.

This means that approximately one out of five cotton products are derived from China and possibly from the Xinjiang region. withIn the last year, huge brands have been called out for using suppliers from China that use the production from the camps.

These brands include well-known brands, many of which unsurprisingly are fast fashion brands with outsourced production: GAP, Nike, Marks and Spencer, Fila, and H&M, to name a few.

The Xinjiang region is responsible for 84 percent of the Chinese cotton production, which approximates 20 percent of the world’s cotton production

MARKS AND SPENCER INVOLVEMENT

A report published by ASPI in March 2020 called out Marks And Spencer for using suppliers connected to Uighur camps8. Marks and Spencer responded to the accusations and stated that “M&S does not source from Youngor Textile Holdings Co. Ltd., nor the Youngor’s Xinjiang company as claimed”9. They further said that they are aware of forced labor in the Chinese supply chain and focus on not using suppliers that exploit the Uighur people10. Admitting that they are aware of the problem and are doing something to avoid the suppliers that exploit the Uighur population sounds great; however, we as consumers need to remember to be more critical of what the companies tell us because can we really be sure that they have not used these suppliers? If so, why would reports show that they use them? There is a huge possibility that Marks And Spencer have been using suppliers that make use of the camps and immediately stopped the partnership when they got caught. There is even a possibility that they still use the suppliers. As previously stated, 80 percent of China’s cotton production derives from the Xinjiang region – Therefore we should be more critical of companies like Marks and Spencers’ statements.

statement in which they said they had no connection to Xinjiang operations. They said that they did have connections to one of Huafu’s other factories called Shangyu mill, which did not get sourced from Xinjiang. Nevertheless, H&M later announced that “While there are no indications of forced labour in the Shangyu mill, we have decided to, until we get more clarity around allegations of forced labour, phase out our indirect business relationship with Huafu Fashion Co,, within the next 12 months”11.

It is, of course, great news that H&M take action, and also that they take action so quickly. We must remember not to accept H&M statements as the full truth because they would never admit to using forced labour. Particularly after the constant criticism they have received over the years for their habit of using inhuman production factories in countries like Bangladesh, which they have never admitted to. When that is said, how is it even possible that we, as consumers and society, can accept that H&M wants to phase their relationship with Haufu within the next 12 months? We should not allow collaboration of a company related to forced labour, even if it is only for 12 months and facing out.

Of course, there is the economic point of view, and H&M needs products to make money – but is money really valued above humans? Is it valued higher than human rights? Is it above people’s well-being?

It should not be. Why is it that we, as consumers in the western world, keep justifying these kinds of actions? Is it because of a capitalistic mindset? If so, let us change this view and return to a society and a human vision that is not fixated on money.

We as consumers need to remember to be more critical to what the companies say

H&M INVOLVEMENT

Once again, the Swedish brand H&M is associated Close up cotton plant with the use of forced inhuman production meth- Photo by Bjørn Utoft Sørensen ods. The ASPI showed evidence of H&M using a Chinese yarn producing company, Huafu, which We should not at all accept a collaboration with has a factory in Anhui, where they source their a company related to the usage of forced labour, cotton from Xinjiang. Back then, H&M released a not even if it is only for 12 months and facing out

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The capitalistic system is rooted in our way of running companies in the western world. Companies with this ideology are also the ones that keep popping up and being mentioned in cases like these.

The capitalist system results in profit that often supersedes human life, social needs, and environmental problems. This capitalistic mindset is also the root of the problem with Marks & Spencer and H&M. The two companies mentioned are only two among 83 major companies called out; still, many have not responded to the critic or reacted, such as Victoria’s Secret and Fila12. Even though some companies have started to react, it is still a problem that they have been using these factories for the last few years. It should not be necessary to call out companies for them to have an ethical production chain.

The most significant problem is that many companies do not know their own value chain and instead turn a blind eye, caring more about revenue than humane conditions. The industry’s flaws are evident when incidences, such as forced labour reach the surface of our knowledge. It all comes down to a capitalistic production practice that does not think about the human behind the process but only thinks about making money and how the profit can be more generous.

must help enlighten the world about these horrifying things, now that the media cannot cover it. In this way, we can take action on behalf of those not able to.

It is our duty now to help enlighten the world about these horrifying things, now that the media cannot cover it The world needs enlightened consumers that know that these things are going on, and there is no good in having companies that deny their involvement and hideaway. We need them to take responsibility for their actions! Through this, we can change the industry for the better. An industry where all workers are treated with respect, paid a fair wage and provided a life worth living in the right conditions. We need transparency from the brands to the consumers and transparency from the suppliers to the brands, as well as actions to sustain acceptable standards for their workers in the value chain. By demanding more transparency and taking action to stop these things from happening, we can, as a unit, change the industry and make it better for everyone.

This capitalistic mindset is also the root of the problem with Marks & Spencer and H&M

WHAT CAN WE DO?

It is disturbing how we, as people allow things like these to go on when we can see how bad the conditions are. It should not even be possible for it to hap pen in the first place! Because of a nonfunctioning capitalistic system, this treatment of labour workers is allowed to happen. Incredibly, we in the western world close our eyes to the events going on in the east.

It is terrifying that nothing extreme is being done to help these people.

The fashion industry can step up and do theirs by ending working-collaborations with the suppliers who exploit the Uighurs. As consumers, we can stop buying from companies proven to have used Uighur exploiting suppliers and clothing that has a “Made in China” label.

As mentioned, almost all the cotton produced in China derives from Xinjiang, leading to a high possibility of it being produced by forced labour. We Cotton plan

Photo by Bjørn Utoft Sørensen

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Cotton

Photo by Pixabay

Artwork by: Julia Wargarden

BODYPOSITIVE , FAKE INCLUSIVITY, FEMININE SHAPES

FATNESS IN FASHIONTHE BEAUTIFUL SMOKESCREEN

By Julia Wargarden

When I first saw Ashley Graham on the cover of the world’s largest fashion magazine, I was thrilled. Finally, a big girl on the cover of Vogue! But my joy was rapidly tempered.

Upon closer examination, I realised that her powerfully curvy thighs had been hidden away by her arm. Although Graham has herself said that this pose was her own idea and that no-one told her to do anything to make herself look slimmer, it is still disappointing that the first time we see a plus-sized model on the cover of Vogue, she is hidden away by an army of slim girls, when she would be so much more powerful on her own. However, is she really so trail-blazingly different from those other girls? Ashley with her hourglass silhouette and supple skin is still considered normatively attractive. Her small waist and buxom wholesomeness still fly below the radar of controversy, because she reminds the world of wholesomeness and motherhood (as cemented by her solo cover where she is beautifully pregnant and clad in sun goddess robes). She is a typical Victoria’s Secret model, just in a higher volume.

The real controversy is in the curves of another type of woman. One who is not being heralded as a shining beacon of the commercialized body positivity movement. It is a girl who has no discernible waist, whose curves are not reminiscent of a smoothly sculptured Aphrodite gazing languidly at the sky in a Roman garden. A girl with sagging breasts, a derriere that is not a perky plus-sized peach emoji brought to life, but rather a flattened shrubby landscape, thighs full of cellulite that look like hills and deep rivers and stretch-marks like iridescent rain trickling down her skin. Why isn’t she being hailed as a hero? Where is her Vogue cover? Are models like Ashley Graham paving the way for bigger models, or are they merely part of a beautiful smokescreen, contrived to gracefully divert our gaze from the forbidden curves? Big bodies are finally being shown, yes, but only when they are desirable to men. Very few fashion brands and magazines are true allies to the movement. Savage by Fenty, Rihanna’s game-changing line of lingerie is one such ally, employing models of all sizes and shapes (even including plus-sized men in their campaigns), and thereby making waves in the fashion world, which will hopefully detox an industry inundated with a dangerously monotonous idea of beauty.

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On social media, the trend of ignoring “unmarketable” bodies continues. Every day we are faced with yet another example of the cringeworthy “Instagram vs Reality” challenge in which women with normatively attractive and slender bodies post a side by side comparison of two very different full-body pictures. In the first picture, the girl poses in a way that makes her body look as attractive as possible; sticking out her butt and raising her shoulders slightly so that her waist looks tiny and her bum looks firm and high. In the second picture, she is doing everything she can to make her body look as unappealing as possible by “relaxing” her belly (filling it with air and making it bigger than it really is) and strangely pushing her hips forward, thereby enlarging her thighs and sometimes even revealing a barely noticeable shadow of cellulite.

What is really so inspirational about a super fit influencer with smooth skin showing her traditionally hot body in a slightly slouched position, revealing a hint of a fat roll that gracefully vanishes once she stands up again? Often the “real” picture is a ruse since anyone with a scintilla of critical thought in their head can see that the “ugly” pose is not a valid representation of the body being shown. So what is the point of these posts? If you look at the comment sections, you will find a myriad of overhyped compliments. Followers are thrilled by the influencer’s “bravery” and indiscriminately praise her as a body-positive role model. Her profile has now garnered even more attention than before and has made her “relatable”. In her next post, she will likely be promoting a clothing brand or a skin cleanser, because that is what influencers do. They sell things. They do not care about making women feel good about their bodies, they are simply doing their job and making themselves more likeable so that they push whatever unnecessary product they are currently being paid a handsome sum to promote. This is why true fat activism is still a grassroots movement and not a commercial or popular one. The fashion world has yet to begin marketing controversial bodies, and therefore they are keeping them in the shadows. There is a reason why pictures of scantily clad fat bodies are deleted far more frequently than pictures of thin bodies in shoestring lingerie; social media is such a powerful marketing tool, and it chooses its saleswomen wisely. They are the ones who can appropriate the struggle of plus-sized women while remaining normatively attractive to the male gaze (a curious type of tunnel vision which can only accommodate figures under 120 lbs.) Inarguably, the real change is being brought to us by women who are not profiting off of us.

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Artwork by: Julia Wargarden Artwork by: Julia Wargarden

UNDOING “THE IDEAL BODY SHAPE” WITH DELEUZE By: Ida Fisker-Clausen

THE EXPLORATION OF BECOMING

When buying the latest trends, consumers conform to the common products accepted in society.1 These products have different meanings depending on culture and industry. Corsets, breeches, miniskirts, and hipster buns are some examples of the fashion industry’s trends. When we buy or wear these products, we symbolise someone who is “fashionable” (with all the connotations that follow). The fashion industry changes the trends often to keep its consumers buying new products. The same goes for how we conform to trends in terms of the body; the aerobic body in the 80s and heroin chic in the 90s are examples of some previous “body trends”. “The ideal body” is constructed e.g. through visuals and advertising channels in the fashion industry to keep consumers striving and buying. How many people can fulfil the criteria of a magazine cover model, photoshopped?2 even when they are photoshopped?

“With each repetition — of a feature, a thought, a desire, a way of dressing — one can make little changes and hence differ from what one was before.”3

Artwork by: Ida Fisker-Clausen

The fashion industry has norms on how we should look in terms of our body, the clothing we wear, the type of hair, makeup, and accessories we use. Should how we dress and express ourselves not be a sign of self, and creativity? Why can we not look like our true selves? The bodies that do not fit into this format; are they not “real” bodies?

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The French philosopher, Gilles Deleuze, looks at the body in terms of fashion and identity. Applying Deleuze when creating clothes or dressing helps blur the structurally set norms around the existence of an “ideal body”. His concept of becoming is in context with the world in which we live; instead of direct resistance, it coexists to evoke change:

This theory adds a different way of thinking about bodies, as it is a flexible way to change one’s appearance in small ways every day, and exploring what it can become. An example of becoming-woman is a man who uses a handbag; in the beginning, he will meet confrontations as it is not “customary” within our current society for men to have one, but with time he will move to the next phase of either acceptance or disapproval. There are unimaginable possibilities of what we can be; becoming is an act of finding personal expansion and a dynamic approach to one’s human form. For Deleuze, the interesting part happens in the interaction between e.g. a man carrying a handbag and the society; he does not become a woman, but he is fluent in his view of his body, clothing and gender. It is not about changing one’s gender or understanding of self; wear and display your body as you see yourself — not how it should be or look in terms of trends made by the fashion industry. This change is about supporting people who fight for the right to be themselves.

A FLUID BODY

Besides the size of the body, the silhouette also plays a big part in terms of body norms. The norm of a person with broad shoulders wearing pants equals

Artwork by: Ida Fisker-Clausen

GILLES DELEUZE, THE BODY, SOCIAL NORMS, GENDER, EVOKING CHANGE

a man, and in a dress with an hourglass shape equals a woman, needs alteration. The human body is not a predefined size and therefore, we need to evoke change. Deleuze explores the body’s shape with the theory of body-without-organs (BwO) and the fold.4 BwO covers the reorganization of how we give bodies meaning. It does not literally mean a body without organs but challenges the way we think the body should look. The viewpoint on how the body should look is defined by the cultures in which we live; therefore, it is created by the fashion industry and woven into the products it produces. Designers and creatives like Iris Van Herpen or Noa Raviv, who experiment with intangible shapes of garments push the idea of what the body should look like and wear as also illustrated in the pictures. This shifts the understanding of the body from something fixed with ideal male and female silhouettes into a dynamic view. When wearing clothing with intangible shapes, the body becomes the clothing, and it reorganizes the way we see the human body regardless of sex, gender, skin colour, physique etc.

which is the fashion system’s way to keep us in its consumption patterns. From the perspective of the fashion industry, BwO works against its idealization of the one “perfect” body shape that it wants us to strive for to profit on weight loss, beauty etc. products. Therefore, it is not in the fashion industry’s interest to make the exploration of different body shapes mainstream and acceptable or interesting to the average consumer.

The fold is the interface between the inside, the body, and the outside, the clothing.5 It is not an underlying feature of the clothing rather it is an object on its own, and it supports becoming as it is the material expression of it. In the pictures, I have tried to illustrate a playful approach to garments with Deleuze’s concepts in mind. The clothing’s materials drape, and fold in, out and around the body creating movement, and working against the notion of the limited body we see in the fashion industry.

Even though the average consumer isn’t wearing intangible shapes in their everyday life; when we see the different approaches to bodily shapes our perspective widens.

Artwork by: Ida Fisker-Clausen

UNDOING NORMS

BwO is not a mainstream fashion occurrence; we mostly see it in art or haute couture because it is the format where the fashion industry shows its innovation. It does not mean a body without organs; the BwO is a reorganization of the fixed form of our body and identity. The idea is to alter the way the body is given meaning in the fashion industry, the media etc. Significantly, it should become a part of mainstream clothing, as this would increase the awareness of the fact that there are not a specific set of bodies or genders in the world. In line with this, it could also end “dressing for a body type”

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We do not have to conform to what the industry wants us to look like; we can create how we want to look when exploring different shapes and states of becoming. If mainstream fashion incorporates the fold and BwO, the limits of the body, identity, gender, and clothing will be pushed and can even be dissolved. With the development of technology within clothing production, it is no longer difficult to produce these experimental and atypical shapes.

Mainstream fashion may in the future consist of more soft 3D printed experimental clothes, which can be used for everyday wear. If we resist the system, there is hope for this change. If we change the way we perceive the body and its shape, will this also change the way we think about humans? As previously stated, we navigate through the body in terms of what gender a person is (with hourglass shape or similar “female” shape equaling woman and broad shoulders and muscle equaling man); this would change if we started exploring intangible shapes e.g. with becoming, BwO or the fold as this will push our comprehension of the human body’s opportunities. Ideally, this will result in a more gender-fluid and accepting approach to humans. The exploration of the body’s shapes is the key to dissolving the social norms constructed by the fashion industry with its “idealized body types”.

Artwork by: Ida Fisker-Clausen

Time out podcast

Visuals created by: Ann Louise Flaathen

Our podcast TimeOut seeks to look at false inclusivity through promotion of false diversity in the world of fashion inuencers, in the hope of starting a conversation that could create solutions. This podcast can be listened to on Spotify, Anchor and Apple Podcast.

https://anchor.fm/kaya-folmer/episodes/1--Episode--Introduction-e8ua6m

THE CATEGORY IS… NORM-DEFYING & FABULOUS

By Julia Wargarden When I was pilgriming 400 miles through northern Spain last summer (ugh, even tendonitis sounds like bliss after 6 months of quarantine), I reached the strange little town of Oseira; home to a breathtaking monastery and not much else. After asking around, I found out that the town’s albergue was located INSIDE the monastery. It had been a particularly rough hike that day, and I felt no closer to spiritual absolution, inner peace or, whatever the hell the average neurotic white girl seeks on these trips. As I lay curled up in my clammy ice cold bunk bed, I just wanted to sleep and hopefully wake up feeling a little more enlightened and closer to whatever I had come to Spain looking for. However, a giant bleeding crucifix above my head made it difficult to relax. When I saw an actual bat flying in and out of a tiny window in the ceiling, I decided I wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. To stay awake and hopefully not be sucked dry by a Galician vampire in my sleep, I opened the HBO app and began scrolling through all of the current popular shows. My thumb halted as my gaze became transfixed by the image of a girl with big hair dressed to the nines in bedazzled Elizabethan attire. Her thickly highlighted cheekbones glowed louder than the sun, and the dramatic expression on her face was just like a painting I had seen at El Prado the week before. She also looked very Guy Bourdin with her show-stopping curls, and I quickly realised that whatever this show was about, I was already hooked. When I read the description and watched the trailer, it ticked every box for me. Set in 1987 in a glamorous and ruthless big city? Check. Beautiful and interesting people? Check.

Highly creative shade from a gorgeous black trans woman that is the very essence of icy feminine hauteur?

CHECK. I was saved. This newfound holy grail of aesthetic and cheeky marvels would distract me from the fact that I was about to spend the night alone in Dracula’s Spanish vacation home.

Her thickly highlighted cheekbones glowed louder than the sun, and the dramatic expression on her face was just like a painting I had seen at El Prado the week before.

We follow Blanca Abundance (soon to be Blanca Evangelista), a Puerto Rican trans woman who has just been diagnosed with AIDS and decides to rebirth herself as an independent house mother (a house is a family and a safe place for those who have no family/have been shunned by theirs), thereby breaking away from the house of Abundance and its cruel but illustrious leader, Elektra. With the help of her friend and brilliant MC Pray Tell (movingly portrayed by Billy Porter), Blanca founds a new house, the house of Evangelista (many of the house’s names are inspired by high fashion). The first member to join the house of Evangelista is Damon, a talented young man who has been kicked out of his parent’s home for being gay and has come to New York to chase his dream of becoming a professional dancer. He and Blanca are soon joined by a host of equally interesting and scintillating “children”. There is the ethereally beautiful Angel who is always dressed in dreamy materials and is often lost in a deep romantic fog (textbook Pisces), the charming hustler Papi and Damon’s boyfriend Ricky (who also dances like a dream). Together they build a safe, loving home and a house so fierce that it needs a trolley to carry home all the trophies it wins at the balls.

The pilot episode is a swerving nebula of heartbreak, alienation, awe-inspiring fashion, and fiercely dynamic Vogueing that leaves you wanting more. The house of Abundance is on a quest for royal frocks and feathers to ensure their next victory at the ball. They ingeniously hide in a history museum and after closing hours rob every brocade-clad, the sceptre-wielding mannequin in sight, then throw their precious findings into black plastic bags and break out of the museum, causing the alarm to sound and a police car

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TRANSGENDER, DRAG QUEENS, POSE, TRANSPHOBIA

to chase after them as they make their way to the ball. After they perform and win 1st prize, they elegantly give themselves up to the officers (Elektra iconically offering her hands to be cuffed, like a queen throwing coins to a beggar from her gilded carriage). In the same episode, we also learn of the outbreak of AIDS that brought with it panic and tragedy as the epidemic was widely ignored by the government, causing thousands of people to receive little to no medical help as they were left to die alone in closed-off hospital wings, then slumped into plastic bags and buried in unmarked mass graves. The juxtaposition of a harsh and unfair reality and a beautiful glitter-strewn fantasy provided by the ballroom scene is nothing short of breathtaking.

The juxtaposition of a harsh and unfair reality and a beautiful glitter-strewn fantasy provided by the ballroom scene is nothing short of breathtaking The show, however beautiful and poignant it may be, is not flawless. It can be a bit overly sentimental at times (emotional scenes are always accompanied by a redundantly saccharine theme), the acting isn’t exactly Oscar-worthy, and the dialogue is more 2017 than 1987 (which is irksome if you are a stickler for historical authenticity). But whatever can be said about this show, it is still culturally significant and a big step in the right direction for on-screen inclusivity. It is a representation that is long overdue and highlights a culture whose beauty has been blighted by transphobia, racism, ignorance, and violence for decades. We already have Rupaul’s Drag Race, yes, but Pose is not a high-speed reality show aimed simply to entertain us. It is a poignant and well-produced drama that also provides us with a much-needed insight into the everyday lives of trans women and what they have to endure daily. As we fall in love with Blanca, Angel, and all the other characters on the show, they make us want to listen, learn and open our minds to what goes on in their community, and how we can do better as its allies.

As we fall in love with Blanca, Angel, and all the other characters on the show, they make us want to listen, learn and open our minds to what goes on in their community, and how we can do better as its allies.

All in all, I loved this show. I loved it so much that I ended up using all my EU data to watch the first three episodes. I was finally able to close my eyes and floated off on a soft cloud of glitter and chiffon, safe from ghouls and bats for the rest of the night.

Artwork by: Julia Wargarden

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION: A QUESTION OF EXPLOITATION By: Sara Bay Panduro The fashion industry has always been a melting pot where different cultures and visual identities assimilate. How is this a problem in a capitalist society? Why do we still fail to credit the original creators of a visual identity? In this article, I wish to understand the historical upbringing of cultural appropriation and how this concept extends throughout the fashion industry today.

This analysis has a basis on the professor of Law, Susan Scafidi’s idea of cultural appropriation, which she defines as; Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission.

This is especially problematic when the source is a minority group that suffers from a history of oppression. It is a concept that mirrors all aspects of western culture, from food to fashion, where businesses are profiting from their exploitation, not only financially but also in promoting themselves as a popular brand.

THE HISTORY OF CULTURAL EXPLOITATION

To understand this phenomenon’s origin and why this is a problem today, we need to understand cultural exploitation’s historical context. Professor of Art History and Intellectual and Cultural Property of Law, Peter Shand, has published a study on cultural appropriation in popular culture. In this article, he argues that the initial phase of cultural heritage appropriation begins in the age of the Enlightenment and Imperialism, where the world had to adapt to Europe’s intellectual, economic and cultural requirements, and then the United States’. Imperialist colonization resulted in the indigenous people’s cultural heritage being looted, stolen, traded, bought and exchanged by colonists.

...looted, stolen, traded, bought and exchanged by colonials]

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Because colonists brought back these, at the time “exotic” cultures, and displaying them, they became available for appropriation into the colonizers’ culture who first removed them from their original creators.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The concept of appropriating frequently occurs in the fashion industry, where brands are prone to incorporating cultural expressions while failing to credit their original heritage. The argument for doing this is usually that the culturally appropriated items are simply an expression of appreciation.

This raises the question; how do we honour culture without appropriating them? One way the fashion industry can improve on this is by introducing intellectual property practice. The idea of “property” refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions and artistic works, designs and symbols, names, and images used in commerce. In light of this argument, it is of significance to assess whether or not it is possible to copyright cultural heritage.

CASE STUDY: LOUIS VUITTON 2012 MENSWEAR COLLECTION

In an effort to shed light on this problem, I will look at a Louis Vuitton collection and how it resulted in the Maasai people demanding justice for their culture being appropriated.

In 2012 Louis Vuitton presented their menswear collection, which featured the traditional Maasai shuka (a traditional tribal garment in shades of red and blue), formed in scarves and shirts. What makes this collection identical to the Maasai people’s traditional garment is the use of its distinctive red and blue plaid. In addition to the pattern, the scarf’s shape is highly characteristic of the traditional way the Maasai people wear this garment. How the garment is wrapped around the torso of a Maasai warrior characterizes them (FIGURE 1), seen wrapped

Cultural appropriation, fashion industry, intellectual property, visual identity

Artwork by: Sara Bay Panduro

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similarly on a model in the runway show (FIGURE 2).

These are all elements contributing to the fact that this collection illustrates how fashion brands appropriate the visual identity of indigenous people.

These garments were modelled on the runway and sold for up to 1000 euros a piece, but this economic profit is by no means benefitting the Maasai people.

It is not the first time that Maasai’s cultural identity benefitted major corporations in their marketing.

According to an analysis conducted by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Maasai as a brand is worth approximately 250 million dollars.

The continuous exploitation has resulted in the creation of the Maasai IP Initiative Trust Ltd (MIPI), where the Maasai People are taking control of their cultural brand by creating a precise and professional process for businesses to apply for the license to their intellectual property. This initiative demonstrates a way to ensure the recognition of cultural heritage and potentially benefit these communities economically.

DISCRIMINATORY DISCOURSE IN FASHION MEDIA

To fully grasp how this case of cultural appropriation also stretches beyond the garments, it is relevant to examine how the media portrays the collection. In an article by Tim Blank, published on vogue.com, regarding Louis Vuitton’s collection, the general discourse reveals a discriminatory tendency in the fashion industry. Tim Blank describes the collection as “WASP gone native...” while using the metaphor of “...wild alligator being tamed by a jacket and pyjama-striped pants...” “wild alligator being tamed by a jacket and pyjama-striped pants”

Art, more commonly referred to as the Met Gala, is a fundraising gala that celebrates the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition centred around a different theme each year. In 2015, the theme was China: Through the Looking Glass, a theme intended to celebrate Chinese aesthetics’ impact on Western fashion. The intention behind this theme has great potential to honour China’s visual identity, but sadly, the majority of the attendees failed to achieve this.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER’S HEADPIECE

There were plenty of problematic moments at this event. Actress Emma Roberts wore chopsticks in her hair. One that particularly stood out was Sarah Jessica Parker’s massive headpiece. Irish Couturier Phillip Treacy designed the piece that can best be described as a large crown consisting of tall, red spirals that resemble fire flames. On each side of the crown is a red tassel, which is the most prominent representation of Chinese ornamentation in western popular culture. The dress, designed by H&M, is made from black silk, which is supposedly meant to be a tribute to the Chinese cultural heritage. So how is this an example of cultural appropriation?

According to fashion journalist David Yi, this is an example of how the fashion industry fails to provide a decent representation of China’s visual identity.

He describes this look as nothing more than an interpretation of the Asian Dragon Lady Stereotype, which was initially referred to as a way of projecting Asian women as mystical villains in popular culture.

In light of this argument, Parker’s look is a poor representation of Chinese cultural heritage. The root of the problem of cultural appropriation on the red carpet is the lack of Chinese designers. If the Met Gala attendees used this opportunity to represent Chinese designers, the aesthetics would likely have been more representative of their cultural heritage.

It is interesting to witness how many companies and influential people in the fashion industry fail to do the elementary research before launching offensive clothing in their collections and on the red carpet.

These are both statements rooted in imperialism’s ideology, where the white people represented the cultivated and civilized while being superior to the primitive and savage indigenous people. The point here is that cultural appropriation is part of a much greater problem, embedded in a common consideration of the west being superior to the rest of the EUROCENTRIC IDEA OF FASHION world.

These are not exclusive examples of how cultures are being appropriated in the fashion industry; this is a mistake that is continuously made. So why is it CASE STUDY: THE METROPOLITAN that cultural appropriation continues to persist in MUSEUM OF ART A prime example of how cultural appropriation is the fashion industry? Once again, it is of significance represented in the media is one of the most influen- to glance back at history in order to comprehend tial events in the fashion calendar. The annual Cos- the issues of today. In 1904, sociologist George Simtume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum Of mel published an article, in which he argued that

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Photo by: Sara Bay Panduro

Maasai Tribe in Tanzania March 2018

fashion can only exist in western, capitalist societies.

This Eurocentric presumption of fashion still exists to this day and is arguably the reason why western societies seem to think less of fashion that originates outside the west. This attitude is exemplified in the major fashion house Burberry. Their signature plaid has long been a brand trademark, which has enabled them to protect their design against exploitation. It is interesting to observe how society values and understands the concept of intellectual property when it comes to cultural heritage originating in the west, but fails to do the same outside the west. Why is it possible to protect the Burberry plaid and not the Maasai plaid?

THE PROBLEM WITH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

When bringing the question of intellectual property into the discussion of cultural appropriation, it seems to reveal another problem; is it possible to copyright cultural heritage? According to diplomat Erica-Irene Daes, this is an inadequate and unsuitable solution to the problem. She presents the argument that many indigenous peoples do not view their heritage in terms of property. To them, cultural heritage is a bundle of relationships rather than a bundle of economic rights. This means that the “object� has no meaning outside the relationship. Many of the matters subjected to cultural appropriation are part of long-standing traditions and practices that are sacred to its original creators. Therefore the idea of trademarking and commercializing cultural property can be viewed as offensive and disrespect-

ful.

HOW TO DO BETTER

Lastly, the question remains; how can the fashion industry do better? As previously established, cultural appropriation is essentially a case of businesses trying to profit themselves. It is therefore unlikely that the industry will change on its own initiative.

In a utopian universe, the concept of devaluing a culture’s existence to nothing more than a costume would never take place. However, in a capitalist society, where money ultimately holds the power of change, the solution must be found outside the executive office of Louis Vuitton. It is important to advocate the power of the consumers, because at the end of the day they are in a position to hold the companies and institutions accountable for their actions. It is crucial that consumers continue to educate themselves on this topic, so that they can identify issues of exploitation and refuse to support the brands that do so. Hopefully, this could inspire brands to engage in a dialog with indigenous cultures and collaborate with designers who are tied to these. This could result in a change that forces the industry to respect and honour cultural heritage instead of turning it into a commodity.

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A VISUAL TRIBUTE TO AFRICAN CULTURE A REVIEW OF BLACK IS KING BY BEYONCÉ By: Kaya Folmer & Tea Ingemann Olsen Black is King is a visual album by Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter that portrays political problems through fashion, music, religious references and the relationship between what it means to be black or white. The visual album is a reinterpretation of Disney’s The Lion King and therefore draws references to the story about Simba, The Lion King.

Black is King was released on July 31st this year on Disney+ and came in the offing of the killing of George Floyd, which created a shock wave throughout the American system and society, and reignited and revolutionized the Black Lives Matter1 movement in America and big parts of the western world. The Black Lives Matter movement articulates the American society’s hatred for the black man, and the self-hatred it has caused among “Afro-American” men. Beyonce touches upon this by articulating the problem and elevating the black man as something majestic, almost godly. She enhances the godly perspective by drawing references to the biblical story of Moses the prince of Egypt who freed the slaves, just like the Afro-American society tries to free themselves and their culture from the aftermath of American slavery. She reclaims America, as something built upon slavery by portraying the American flag in Pan-African colours and therefore as their country.

Photo used with permission from: Breston Kenya

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BLACK IS KING, BLACK LIVES MATTER, BLM, BEYONCÉ, (THE LION KING, DISNEY)

Photo used with permission from: Breston Kenya

Black is King is not just a visual album, but a manifestation of glamorous and flamboyant high fashion with respect to the African culture. The clothes are an explosion of vibrant colours mixed with animal prints and matching headdresses, it is almost as if you are watching a haute couture show, because of its otherworldly standards which distance it from everyday norms. The references to the African culture is also showcased through the use of bodypaint and ornamentations made by minerals from nature which can be found in African countries but is associated with western wealth even though it is not from the west. The use of fashion in Black is King serves as a marker of black success through the extravagance that serves as a statement, and seeks to close the systemic idea of a gap between white and black success.

Black is King is a history of development from naivety and alienation from African culture, to revelation of finding oneself, getting back to the roots and rediscover the beauty in black history. The visual album is a rebirth of African cultures, which seeks to highlight the importance of creating a better world for future generations. Black is King is about reminding people about the forgotten black culture and the importance of knowing and remembering where you come from and who you are.

Our personal takeaways from Black is King is that there is not only one history but many, which we in the west are ignorant of because we have been presented with a eurocentric perspective on history. This has erased other cultures from world history, which has alienated people and cultures from who they are and what they could be, while striving for the western standards and culture.

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CHRISTIAN SIRIANOS ACTIONS REGARDING MASK MAKING By: Josephine Amalie Grigoriou Back in Spring 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, and forced people into the first wave of global lockdown, Christian Siriano hit headlines for his great work at donating fabric-masks to healthcare workers.

“What began as an impulsive Can-do gesture helped set off a chain reaction of good Samaritans, transformed Siriano’s fashion atelier from a nonessential business into an essential one, and put his small staff of sewers back to work.”

Was Siriano acting like a wolf in disguise while ethical washing his brand? At that moment, one could say that Siriano seized his chance to exploit an untapped market. A market that was subjected to global confusion, and an early beginning economic crisis. One that could be treated as a blue ocean of opportunities without consequences.

Twitter Post

Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

To understand the situation, I will present the first framework of Siriano’s actions at that time.

Then I will examine his products concerning research and guidelines made by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The conclusion will draw overall thoughts on the topics to understand the product and its intentions behind mask production.

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO THE GOOD SAMARITAN:

In the Spring of 2020, Christian Siriano’s company based in New York City began making fabric masks locally and then donated them to medical staff workers. Before 2020, Siriano was already an established designer brand, with Prized titles like, “Designer of the Year” at the 2016 American Image Awards and won the “Couture For A Cause…” acknowledged for his “...whimsical and show-stopping designs…”.1 The lockdown, lack of events (and orders), a team of spare staff hours and hands, made Siriano act on the global mask shortage. Siriano’s actions received praised from governor Andrew Cuomo himself and later described in the New York times as:

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Since Siriano is creating necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for free with 100% of all donations are going to health workers in and around New York3. He has been featured in articles, podcasts, and various media platforms.He describes the purpose as “mass production of face masks and health care materials to be given to emergency and frontline health care workers.”4 I will argue that to understand the underlying suspicion regarding Siriano’s masks, it is essential to understand why and how these are made, and what categorisations fabric-masks should fit into as a possible new common good in society.

Desperate times calls for desperate fits of curiosity

My suspicions regarding the means of Siriano’s actions, were triggered by this CNN interview in March 2020 with Governor Cuomo where Siriano stated: “We simply make them in white and grey, nothing fancy, they don’t have any labels in them, but they

Christian Siriano 2020, Medical Masks, Fashion Mask, Branding strategy. Ethical masks.

“In the beginning, we were only making white masks, but then I was like, ‘We need to have colour.’ We have done almost 15,000 masks, and your eyes are bulging out from looking at the same thing.”6

Please consider that these fabric-masks launched in March 2020, were at that time not recommended by the WHO. The public was informed that fabric-masks should not be used as a safety precaution by anyone in society. Fabric-masks do not have a similar safety level to medical-masks, which were asked to be left available for health-care workers.

Initially, Sirianos surgical-mask was created from cotton scraps, that started as white which was considered the easiest colour to bleach and boil, regarding getting all the bacteria out. In April Sirano added colour, which does not work well with the maintenance bleaching-procedure.

Christioan Siriano in his studio, preparing coral-coloured masks

Version 1 - The Surgical-pattern masks

Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

Siriano created two categories for his masks: 1. A simplified mask designed from the surgical-pattern (figure 3) which was donated and could arguably be perceived as a discount-version.

2. A high-end designer mask with a safer pattern style (the Olson-pattern seen in figure 3), but with over-embellishment that lessens the mask’s safety level.

The “Olson pattern” Mask draft 3 days after the first tweet about making masks

FABRIC MASK ANALYSIS

Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

This meant that Siriano’s mask production had the primary goal of being simply designed, easily maintainable and as reusable as possible. However, he then went from a form-follows-function design to instead making masks that should be perceived as colourful, well-styled, and as a piece of fashion.

This was the first step of Siriano’s journey to a slippery slope of poor design and product decisions, revealing lacking awareness of the products’ minimum requirements. There were little to no description of usability-instructions, materials, or maintenance-guides to accompany these masks (Pictures from Soriano’s personal Twitter account, show the evolution of the fabric-mask).

A picture of a “surgical-style” mask prototypes taken in the same morning as the tweet

But not more than a month later, he changed his statement:

Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

do have the mandatory bendable nose bridge (…) you can wash it, and bleach it from home.”5

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The WHO stated at this point “Wearing a mask of any staff ’s risk to catch illnesses. His acts gave the false type, is not recommended! Wearing medical masks sense of security when using the donated homewhen they are not indicated may cause an unnec- made fabric-masks. essary cost and procurement burden, and create a false sense of security, that can neglect of other essential prevention measurements”.

At this point the Centre for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) recommended the use of masks; however, none of them was made in fabric, while the institution of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (DMPHP) expressed their worrisome thoughts on homemade fabric-masks for the public. “These homemade masks would provide the wearers little protection (…) As a result, we would not recommend the use of homemade face masks as a method of reducing transmission of infection Outcome Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou from aerosols”.11

Did Siriano strive to make his

The statements did not slow Siriano’s mask-produc- masks safer, with the updated tion down. Even though many experts were cau- changes implemented tious about recommending fabric-masks, Siriano into the second version? continued donating homemade-fabric-mask in a lookalike surgical style to professional health-care workers. “they speak volume (…) and we still have a label in every mask saying, we can’t guarantee anything, (…) this is only to help, and it’s not full protection gear, but we hope to get there one day”.

So why are Siriano’s masks not just an act of a good-hearted designer?

Since 2015, a study from Vietnam has revealed a much more disturbing effect of using masks incorrectly. An examination was made, called “The cluster trial showing the fashion masks prevention level...” which investigated the effects of masks used by trained staff. They sorted participants into three categories for masks usage: medically approved masks, fabric-masks and then a control group with no mask or no specific instructions on the mask use. The conclusion was that all infection outcomes were significantly higher in the fabric-masks, “Caution against the use of cloth masks. (…) reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection.” 13 The results revealed that those who used masks made from fabric, had a much higher risk at catching illnesses, than both the control group and the medical usage.

The new mask showcased Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

Version 2 - The Olson-pattern mask The Olson-pattern mask launched in May 2020, is recognised as a better fitted solution for fabric masks. The pattern consists of a pocket for interchangeable filters, an attribute that helps support the intention of creating a safer product15. HowevThis could very well mean that even though Siriano er, the Olson-pattern takes a longer time to be conwas trying to act as a kind-hearted Samaritan, his structed, and could therefore be perceived as Sirigood intentions are more likely to increase medical ano’s version of a luxury mask.

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The buyable masks

Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

These masks were branded as “100% donation products” where the income went to support the making of more version 1 masks16. All 100% of the 456 USD income does not mean that it all goes straight to the materials which create masks; theoretically, it allows the company to cover all the operating costs first, with the excess/remaining balance (if any) going to the donated version-1 masks to health-care workers16. This strategy could have been the main reason for Siriano’s brand to stay afloat economically under the first lockdown. Therefore, the project could easily be perceived as an ethical washing for funds since the luxury version 2 mask acts as bait for donation money, which funds his company while making an unknown amount (if any) of his version 1 masks.

Though Siriano claims that the brand is aware of the lacking abilities to produce approved PPE, he continues to design less safe masks, and are bought and used by the general public, even though they are not recommended: “The use of non-medical masks in community settings, had not been well evaluated. And there is no current evidence to make a recommendation for or against their use in this setting”.

The WHO even described the fatigue about delivering masks to non-trained people/staff which could lead to a “false sense of security, leading to potentially less adherence to other preventive measures such as physical distance and hand hygiene” which also leads to ”self-contamination that can occur by touching and reusing a contaminated mask”.

Furthermore, this luxury edition is not created as a simple reusable and safer mask, as it features ornaments like sequins, beads, pearls, and print. This triggered my earlier suspicion regarding Sirianos purpose for making masks.

Therefore, the luxury version-2 masks could easily be interpreted as a product with an ethical washing agenda, an action to lure funding into the company to survive the covid-19 pandemic lockdown in Spring 2020.

Firstly, Siriano is highly aware of his unique selling position to make effortless income from small, overpriced objects, especially when looking at the “retweet counter” on his posts. The numbers clearly show that this product’s interest lies in a need to be fashionable and is branded with scarcity.

This also reveals that there are two types of fabric-masks, both with different agendas built in. It works as a simple fabric mask, which functions as a temporary plaster on a wounded supply chain for medical PPE and is accepted as a quick fix by some medical departments, lacking better and proper equipment. While the other mask should only Secondly, the luxury version-2 masks are accessi- be perceived as a fashion-mask, in which fashion, ble to everyone and made solemnly for non-med- trends, and taste are the primary rulers, dictating ically trained people since the embellishment does what is right and what is wrong. not support the wash maintenance procedure. This proves that the goal of making masks as safe as FABRIC-MASKS possible has now been neglected to make stylish ACCORDING TO THE WHO masks for society. Furthermore, these embellished If we look at the recommendations specified and put version-2 Olson-pattern masks are unacceptable for in order by the WHO from January 2020 to Summer donation, since they go against the minimum crite- 2020, fabric masks’ requirements have continuously ria for masks made for institutions all over the Unit- been updated for consumers to navigate through. ed States of America.

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Overall fabric-masks have since the 5th of June 2020 been approved for “source control,” when one meters distance to others is impossible to uphold, the minimum criteria for fabric-masks to be accepted as protective, is when constructed as so: The mask materials should consist of a non-elastic, non-coated and non-knitted fabric, with three layers as the bare minimum. All the material should support filtration efficiency (FE) with a minimum of 3% FE. For maximum protection, the outer layer should be made from a polyester blend. The middle should consist of a layer of non-woven and non-Elastic filtration fabric, that can enhance the filtration. For the inner fabric, a cotton blend with high density spun or woven fabric is recommended, for both filtration the air and supporting the absorption of droplets from the moist area.

If possible, it should be washed after every use between 60-125 degrees celsius. If washing is not possible, it should be steamed, boiled, or soaked in chlorine for 1 minute and rinsed. The reuse of a damp or dirty fabric-mask can harm the bearer with self-contamination of bacteria and virus.

tifications. This information helps future consumers navigate in the market-ocean of masks. One thing for sure is that though Siriano’s journey of creating masks is clear to see, the brand has become more transparent in its mask-making process, than at the beginning of the year.

Siriano has thereby taken part in evolving the mask culture, after adapting the 1983 whiteboard t-shirt trend set by Katherine Hamnett (a shirt expressing her disagreement regarding a political cause). Siriano adopted this slogan-trend and let his mask become facial-whiteboards for political slogans. His newest Collection 37 is called “trunk show” and features an outfit named “VOTE” that seeks to inspire more people to vote in the US presidential election 2020.

SIRIANO’S MASK VALUE

In the beginning, I was sure that Siriano’s purpose was to exploit the situation by feeding the hungry market with products that had little to no regulations while earning free publicity and claiming no responsibility or offering any transparent information regarding his mask products. If we had to consider his products to be compared with approved We must likely consider the fashion element in PPE, he would have failed earlier. Nevertheless, fabric-mask, as a possible disadvantage, that can maybe the value is found elsewhere and not just compromise the level of protection built-in. Fash- in his masks’ material attributes but maybe a more ionable elements such as coatings or prints have a immaterial value delivered to society. Maybe masks significant disadvantage on a mask (according to should not just be compared with their material the WHO). Furthermore, these elements can lead to limitations, but instead investigated for its symbola much damper area and air escaping from unwant- ic value. These small wearable designs are crawling ed gaps. their way into being everyday agents for discourses as fashion, political, medical, and cultural indicators The WHO also highlights that it is necessary to be of conspicuous consumption. aware of potential enterprises, seeking to exploit the market; however, the WHO accepts that masks For some, Siriano’s actions could be perceived as might influence a new cultural expression element him exploiting this economic downturn and fashto society globally. ion eventless time, as an opportunity to get some free and effortless viral publicity while keeping up with income. Alternatively, maybe society should SIRIANO’S FASHION MASKS Regarding Siriano’s products for sale on the web- get a general global definition of masks made from page, he has since spring taken down the version-2 fabric. So that cloth/fabric-masks are agents for masks and created a third version. This type of mask safety. At the same time, fashion-masks are agents is branded with a “buy one donate one” concept, for expressions; therefore, these two should not be making it easier for consumers to grasp how much compared (especially regarding more and more their purchases are helping. The third version sells countries requiring the use of masks in public spacfor approximately 35 USD per mask. He has even es without any specifications). updated the description to consist of both materials, maintenance recommendations, guidelines for Siriano’s way of acting should be considered as a deorientation between mask types and needs, and yet signer rethinking the industry while making some he still highlights the lacking FDA and NIOSH cer- mistakes on the way, he heedlessly jumped into a

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new market, without any training and or knowledge of the requirements that followed, when blindly trying to help in a global crisis filled with confusion.

Some would call Siriano a reckless and spontaneous designer. However, for fashion-statements, his prod-

ucts live up to all the minimum expectations. Though, for health and safety reasons, consumers should go around and find other alternatives since his products do not live up to recommended attributes/ abilities in a face-mask recommended by the WHO.

The Siriano Collection 37 “trunk show�

Screencrab by Josephine Amalie Grigoriou

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