Losing Its COOL at the Mall

This article was published on the New York Times website on April 22, 2009.  The article is about teenagers' spending habits, and how they are rapidly changing.  Studies have shown a direct correlation between the struggling economy and teenagers' shopping.  One teen in the article says that labels are not as big of a deal at school anymore, and that many teenagers are shopping at bargain or discount stores.  The article states that because of this, many malls are suffering.  The once "cool" Abercrombie and Fitch is seeing a huge decline in sales, because as one teen said "This stuff is too expensive".   Many people think that the recession is actually a good thing for these teenagers, and that their spending habits will be shaped by the fact that they are growing up during an economic recession.  I think that this is true, and I hope that in the future these kids will be more responsible than their elders have been with money.  If people can learn early enough in life how to manage and spend their money, we can hopefully avoid such major economic crises in the future.

Trust Me. You'll Look Cool in This.

The article I read was published on the New York Times website on April 8, 2009.  It is about the new Topshop store in Manhattan.  I thought that the this article was very interesting.  The main focus on the article is the style advisors that work for the company to help young women experiment with fashion.  The reporter interviewed one stylist that was flown over from the flagship store in England.  It was interesting to me to read about these people that have a job that I would one day love to have.  The article also related the Topshop concept to the ever changing ways of young 20 somethings.  The stores sell super trendy clothing and accessories, things that one wouldn't want to wear in a month.  This concept may be new to those not familiar with such rapidly changing things such as Facebook page updates, and iPods, says the article.

Russia to Ban Hunting of Baby Seals

This article was published on the New York Times website on March 18, 2009.  The article is about the ban of hunting baby seals by Russia, which is one of the world's largest hunting grounds for seal fur.  The article also discusses the European Union's consideration of banning all seal products, similar to the one the U.S. adopted years ago.  The ban that is coming just weeks before hunting season begins could save as many as 35,000 seal pups.  I thought this article was really interesting because I had no idea how hugely certain economies are affected by the selling of fur.  It is going to be very interesting to see what happens to these countries, such as Russia, due to the banning of hunting baby seals.

Michigan is the Latest University to End a Licensing Deal with an Apparel Maker

This article was published on the New York Times website on February 23, 2008.  The article discusses the University of Michigan's announcement that they will be ending their licensing agreement with the Russell Corporation.  This is the 12th university to end their agreement in response to the company's decision to close a unionized factory in Honduras.  The University of Michigan has announced that their agreement with the Russell Corporation will end March 31 because Russell violated the university's code of conduct calling on licenses to guarantee the basic rights of workers.  Russell reportedly closed the factory due to economic considerations and not because of the presence of the union of the factory.  The executive director of the Worker's Rights Consortium said, "Over a period of 2 years, Russell engaged in the systematic abuse of the associational rights of its workers in Honduras, thereby gravely and repeatedly violating the universities' codes of conduct."  

I think this article is very interesting to me.  I really admire the fact that the University of Michigan, among others, has decided to take a stand against a big corporation.  They are trying to set an example for their students and really for the rest of the country.  I think it is extremely important to stand up for what you believe in, regardless of an agreement.  Hopefully the stand that these universities have taken will be a wake up call to the Russell Corporation as well as so many other greedy companies.

Has the "Obama Effect" Come to Runway Castings?

This article was published on the New York Times website on February 13, 2009.  The article discusses whether or not runway shows are beginning to feature more diversity.  The article references the "Obama Effect", saying that now that we have a black president, we are going to see more black models on the runway.  Even fashion shows in Europe are featuring black models.  Marcus Lloyd, and 22 year old black model says, "I remember my agent was like, 'if Obama does become president, there's going to be a lot more work for you guys."  It seems like Mr. Lloyd's agent was right, according to the article.  

I think that this article is extremely relevant to this class.  It is very important to note that the fashion industry is finally catching up to reality.  It is unfortunate that it took a black president to make people realize that all people should be represented, not just the white population.  

The Make or Break Season

This article was posted on the New York Times website on February 5, 2009.  The focus of this article is the impact of the recession on New York fashion week.  Usually, fashion week is a haven for fresh, new designers, but this year seems to be a bit different.  While a quarter of the 200 labels being shown next week are less than 5 years old, the age of the young designer may be coming to an end.  The article states that stores are ordering 20 percent less for fall 2009, and that this take a major toll on many young designers without financial backing.  Also, a number of designers with financial backing are losing support from investors, and facing uncertain futures.  The article talks about Buckler, a young design company that is really starting to feel the brunt of the recession.  Andrew Buckler, the designer, says that stores are paying for clothes much later than usual, and some stores have even gone out of business without paying for clothes that were ordered.  Because of this, he has had to lay off a third of his staff.  Many young designers, such as Buckler, are having to resort to showing their collections in other ways since they cannot afford the estimated $100,000 needed to show at fashion week.  

This article is very eye opening to me.  I am a design student, and although I have no future plans of starting my own line, I would like to work for a small design company.  It seems a little bit scary to me that so many of the young designers that I love so much may not be around by the time I graduate.  I just have to keep hoping that by the time I graduate in 2010, the economy will be in a much better state than it is now, and I will be able to work for that perfect young design company.

With This Dress I Thee Wed and Wed and Wed

This article was posted on the New York Times website on January 31, 2009.  It is about the growing popularity of buying cheaper, used wedding dresses, as opposed to spending a fortune on brand new dresses.  The article states that these women are not only being more frugal, but are also trying to be eco-friendly.  People are finding cheap, gently used wedding gowns on websites such as woreitonce.com  and savethedress.com.  

I think that this article is relevant because it really speaks to the economic state that we are in right now.  It is actually becoming stylish to be frugal and save as much money as possible.  Ten years ago, people would have been ashamed to say that their wedding dress is used, but today it is a cause for celebration.  I think buying a wedding dress that has been worn before is a step in the right direction.  After all, you only wear it once.  In a time such as this, it is unjustifiable to spend so much money on an item that hangs in the closet for its entire life.  It is about time that we stopped being so careless with our money, and concentrate on what is really important in life.