When Did Fashion Begin and What is the Future of Fashion?
The world consumes around 80 billion items of clothing a year. Fashion and clothing have become intrinsic in our culture and society. It can be a way of expressing yourself, a method of identification or even a status-symbol.
The Past
Around 170,000 years ago, the modern humans started wearing clothes. The clothes they wore will have been produced for practical reasons rather than style, likely made from the only resources that could be gathered.
An upgrade to needles made out of stones and bones dating to around 40,000 years ago were discovered. These needles were likely used to produce clothing that was more form-fitting, a step-up from the animal skins humans would use to wrap around the body
There is plenty of evidence of clothing and garments being used in ancient cultures and civilisations as a status symbol or a way of flaunting wealth. In Ancient Egypt, for example, wealthier households would style themselves in bright and vibrant clothing designed and made for them. Whereas the poorer households would wear dull clothing that they would have to make themselves.
Fast forward a few thousand years to the birth of Charles Frederick Worth in 1825, who was likely the world’s first fashion designer. Charles Frederick Worth was a British gentleman who was the first individual to use live models to display his clothing, by proxy creating the first fashion shows.
Charles Frederick Worth was one of the founding fathers of modern fashion design, paving the way for others who followed. His designs were not only incredibly beautiful, but also relatively wearable, a combination that was unheard of in the 1800s.
The history of fashion and design has rapidly evolved since its origin, becoming a widely appreciated industry that we all play a part in to this day.
The Future
One of the front runners of fashion hubs that has developed throughout the years is “Fashion Week”. Fashion Week has been the home of the upcoming fashion designs and trends since 1943. Beginning in New York and eventually branching out across the globe, Fashion Week has been a place of design, expression and culture.
Although fashion has become a way of bridging a cultural divide, it is not without its discrepancies. In a recent study, it was found that 68% of people had experienced discrimination within the fashion industry based on appearance and religious beliefs. A shocking, but sadly unsurprising, statistic.
There is the added issue of fashion becoming faster and faster, in an attempt to keep up with current trends. The global fast fashion market is predicted to grow to $99.23 billion by the end of 2022. The impacts on the environment are immense.
Fashion has evolved and changed since clothing began. We know that is has already re-shaped culture and society, so there is a hope that it will continue to evolve into a more accepting and sustainable industry. More brands are standing up against fast fashion and inequality within the industry.
From a tool of self-expression, to a way of connecting with people, fashion is and always will be at the forefront of our society. It is here on INT.EXT you will learn how to harness fashion and use it to express yourself and embrace history and culture. Follow us for more content like this and top tips.
