What do you Want to Know About the Fashion Industry? | Future of Fashion | British Vogue

Calling all inquisitive minds and future employees of the fashion world! Vogue has dispatched Contributing Editor Alexa Chung to investigate the state of fashion today from the inside, and she wants your input. Over the course of the documentary series Chung will be talking to everyone from current fashion students to the heads of major design houses, via journalists, buyers and all the workers in between. Her goal is to find out what the future holds for this multi-billion pound industry, how the next generation will get careers using all the tools available to them.

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Alexa Chung: What Do You Want To Know About The Fashion Industry? | All Access Vogue | British Vogue

[artificeish]

Why does the fashion industry at large consider itself exempt from addressing large issues that plague the world? One thing I'd like to see fashion houses participating in - or even leading - is sustainable and fairtrade production lines. We see the elitism of designer brands - exorbitant prices for clothing that doesn't reflect the cost of its production. So why can't huge brands use their power to influence the creation of clothes by supporting ethical factories? The glamour and, as you said Alexa, the indulgence, is sickening in the face of how our clothes are made. Can brands shift their expenses of items such as champagne to instead increase wages and living conditions in the factories they outsource to?

[iamnesia]

What I would really like to see in these documentary series it's the people behind all the beautiful collections shown in media and fashion events. Not the models, photographers or makeup artists, but the people who make the clothes next to the big fashion designers. Their daily work, how they take decisions, find inspiration and make it happen.

[MR-wzzw]

I have a bunch of questions! So many many questions!

What's your opinion on fast fashion? How will it impact the fashion of the future? How can we learn to use materials more sustainably?

What makes a city a fashion capital? Are there any new emerging fashion capitals in the world?

What gets us all falling for fashion faux pas e.g. wearing crocs? What ever got us to think that they were fashionable?

Do you think there's a merging of east meets west in fashion? I personally think there's more Eastern concepts showing up in every day clothing items. From the change in silhouettes and how we accessorise, etc. Is it a reflection of how our society is becoming increasingly globalised?

What's your stance on globalisation and it's affect on the fashion industry? Could there be like a segment on exploring the good and the bad? There's so much bad in media understandably with the environmental impacts and sweat shops etc etc. I kind of want to see the creative aspect though. How has globalization affected us creatively?

Lastly, when it comes to a wardrobe series on the Vogue channel, could there be some just focused on shoe closets? BTW, since when did we all become obsessed with shoes?

I should probably stop now. Hahaha. I think this is a good start. So many questions. So many many questions...

Thanks Vogue! :)

[EmmajaneFXx]

Why are there brands that constantly use fur in their pieces when it's really not necessary to kill animals? I love fashion and developing styles but I honestly don't understand this desire to have a sort of false superiority by wearing the fur of a skinned, innocent animal.

[KellyLeeFitzpatrick]

I would love to see a behind the scene of trend forecasting companies, like WGSN.

[erinnicholas]

Fashion is on of the most competitive industry's out there, and young people (including myself) are planning on going to a good fashion school, with tuition at £9000 for fashion journalism in CSM. Do you think it's worth doing such an expensive course and then having the chances of not being able to get a job in fashion?
Erin. xx

[cbrownes]

Thank you British Vogue and Alexa Chung for including the readers and followers in this quest for more knowledge. Truly appreciate the effort put into this! 

I was wondering about the opportunities for social scientists in the world of fashion. Having a BA in Business Communication and studying for my MA in Cultural Anthropology my mind is constantly seeking for the valuable mix between the two and how it can intersect with my desire to work in the fashion industry.

Reading BOF, seeing articles such as '“The True Cost” Explores the Global Impact of Fast Fashion' pop up on Style.com and noticing the globalisation and important role of fashion on different levels (whether it's Justin O'Shea travelling to Japan or shows being inspired by feminism and activism, Lineisy Montero on the Prada runway and the stir surrounding the acceptance of natural hair or Leandra Medine describing ManRepeller.com as a microphone for women) I'm constantly wondering what positions I can hold for fashion companies and which valuable assets I have to contribute. 

I recently read about Adidas and how anthropologists made Adidas see what drives the consumer, and the discovery of the role of Adidas products in the daily lives of people. To their surprise they stumbled upon very different results that previous big data seemed to gloss over. This seems to be the case for more companies. To quote the article: "Google, for example, hired an ethnographer to ferret out the meaning of mobile. Intel has an in-house cultural anthropologist, and Microsoft is reportedly the second-largest employer of anthropologists in the world". 

My question would be if a company such as British Vogue or other major players in the industry are interested in people with an academic career such as mine and what type of positions I should keep in mind. As some other people mentioned in the comment section there is much mystery surrounding the different jobs that are available in the fashion industry. So perhaps I'm not even aware of the 'perfect' fit! I realise that there are many alternative routes to take. But threads of advice and experience can provide an invaluable road map for starters such as me.

Either way, I'm very much looking forward to these series!

[SA-jqnh]

I would love to know more about the marketing and communication side of the industry. It's not something people talk about a lot. Everyone thinks working in fashion is just about styling or designing but I've always been interested in the other side of it

[schwamme]

In fashion everything changes so quickly - styles, shapes, trends, looks. How do you stay current or even one step ahead of the game - be it designers, photographers, editors, models?

[lolasodipo]

How do you get work experience in the fashion industry if you are under 18 ?

[stephaniehamilton]

How do fashion designers or any creator in the fashion industry decide what type of look or style or idea they will convey and bring into the next season? Is there a pattern? Do they figure out what people want or go with whatever inspires them?

[kayleymonn]

Do you ever believe there will be a time where women of all shapes and ethnicities will represented in high fashion?

[kenzieisom]

Super excited for this series! Love Alexa Chung!! X

[kiamanawatini]

I am really enjoying the British Vogue & front person Alexa Chung Series about fashion industry, fashion in general and all the gifted /creative /driven people within the fashion Te Ao (world) ...FYI my mum and maternal nanny were the kick starters for me and my siblings (brother n sisters) Thank you! xo

[rafiki]

I'm so looking forward to this film Alexa! I would love to know any personal stories from designers as to how they chose their new hires, specifically assistant designers.

[givepeaceachance]

I look forward to watching this series!

[olivia]

I'm actually really excited about this documentary!

[jamesshirley]

Alexa, I absolutely loved the first series it was so eye-opening and informative! I am a first year Fashion Business & Marketing student and I would love more information and advice on internships!

[Sofoca]

How and who decides what are the trends for the next seasons?

Can't wait to watch the serie's episodes! Brilliant idea! Love u Alexa

[Ardianax]

What do you think about the utilization of animal products to make clothes?