The Communication Revolution and Development of Fashion - Assignment Example

The Communication Revolution and Development of Fashion How do you think the global communication revolution will impact on the development of fashion and fashion related business in the future? Fashion has always been an intrinsic part of our existence as human beings. While historical records show that beauty and enhancing the exterior outlook of an individual could have been done in many ways, items like clothing, jewellery and other accessories have been used primarily depending on the region a person was living in. however, as means of travel and influences from other cultures started affecting the size of the planet, fashion as well as communication showed us many revolutions. Of course it did not change clothing to the effect that we are wearing pants with four legs or shirts without backs but it did help bring influences from one part of the world to the next. While communications has brought different fashions together from around the world and it is now equally possible to see people wearing business suits as well as kimonos on the streets of Tokyo, the next revolution will come from the integration of communication with fashion. The central piece of human development that makes it possible is technology which allows integration of diverse arts into one field. Additionally, another example of how the communications revolution has affected the world of fashion is how communication tools can be converted into and used as fashion accessories. Music forms a central part of this revolution since music itself has exploded in various ways as the communication revolution has gone along its path. With billions of MP3 files being sold, shared and traded between individuals, MP3 players have become as second nature as mobile phones. As nosier has taken the position as the premier supplier of mobile phones around the world, so has Apple taken the position as a recognized brand name in the music, computer and now the fashion industry. Fashion because the iPod is more than an MP3 player, it is a fashion accessory for the hip and happening people in the 21st century. With several generations of the iPod it has shown its sticking power and as it has gained acceptability, people have found alternative uses for it. With millions of iPods and billions of MP3s there is little to object when a company and fashion leader like Levi’s decides to build on the popularity of the iPod and create a product line which integrates with the digital music player (ACM, 2006). Levi Strauss has created a line of jeans that incorporates iPod usage technology; it features a joystick control which is built into the jeans’ fifth pocket to enable the person sporting the clothing to operate an iPod without having to remove it from a specially designed docking cradle located in the side pocket. The name of this mix of technology fashion and communication device is the Levi’s RedWire DLX Jeans and they are currently available around the world. It also has a built-in retractable headphone unit to prevent wire tangles. Costing more than $200, it is certainly targeted towards the upper end of the market but the jeans can be worn, used and washed like any other clothing item (ACM, 2006). While MP3 players are more or less one way communication tools, the real device for communication has been the mobile phone which also is becoming more of a fashion icon than a brick which business people carried in the 80s. Nokia has launched a line of phones under the title of L’Amour which are sold at a premium since they are ‘fashion phones’ (Palenchar, 2005). With colours, bodies and skins to match the mood or clothes of the individual the phones become a part of the persona and the image the person wants to project. Of course it is well known that very few of the phone owners in the world actually need the phone but the ability to stay in touch with friends and family is not a luxury anymore, it is more of a necessity. Not only phones, but even phone accessories have been changed by the demand for people who need them to be more fashionable (Palenchar, 2005). As the first generation of Bluetooth headsets were little more than grey pieces of plastic being attached to peoples ears, the present generation is integrated into sunglasses by Oakley and into ear rings (Gill, 2005). As the integration of fashion, communications and technology goes on we can only expect to see greater developments in fashion as it relates to technology and communications in the future. The communication revolution is also a large part of the idea of the evolution of our civilisation as a global culture (Gill, 2005). Of course this means that certain ideas in fashion will also become common to all of us as individuals. I believe that as McDonald’s has become the international symbol for a fast food restaurant, a fashion brand like Levi’s, Nike, NEXT or any other major player can certainly take the position as a global supplier of clothing as well as the image associated with that particular brand. In conclusion, communication and technology are inseparable and as the historical use of belts had been a convenient location for placing tools and weapons, I believe that future fashion will integrate the tools and weapons from our daily lives as they become more common and acceptable. The image of wearable computers being geeky or nerdy might effectively be replaced by clothing which changes colour depending on the person’s mood or surroundings (Lalis, 2005). Of course that would not be seen as practical by many people but fashion and early adaptors for certain trends often have little to care about practicality. Years ago there was no use for having a mobile phone pocket in a bag or wallet, nowadays it is one of the first thing a person looks for. Similarly, a decade ago there was no use of an iPod dock in a jacket or a pair of jeans. Soon enough I expect that these will be the first things a person will look for. Project Proposal Since technology and fashion have both been of interest to me for years, I would like to take part in a project that allows me to peruse my interest in both the fields. Of course these fields have often been considered disjointed but now that we have things like fashion phones and ‘iPod enabled’ clothes, shoes and ties, it seems clear that they are coming to a union much faster that it had been anticipated in the past. Fashion is also a business and a company which does not make money does not last long enough to make an impact. While it is known that technology and communication devices have been integrated into fashion items, I would to work on topics which research into how these devices have succeeded or failed in the real world. Without making money, the future of clothes which integrate communications or other technology could be very dark. To judge this, I would like to research the fundamental reasons behind their success or failures. For instance, if the item failed, did it fail because the designers could not make it appealing enough to their target market? Was it unable to perform in terms of the technological promise it made to the client? If the item was a hit, what made the controlling factors for the purchase decisions of the individual? For instance, were there cases where people bought the RedWire jeans without having an iPod simply because the look of the product was attractive enough to justify the investment without the technological use? All these questions can have interesting answers and the results could have strong implications for the fashion industry as it goes towards the future. Moreover, I would also like to research and study why electronic products produced by a clothing manufacturer did not meet with the success they could have. For instance, Nike launched their range of MP3 players a few years ago which more or less bombed in the market while Apple’s MP3 player became the fashion accessory on every teenager’s Christmas wish list. It got to the point that Nike had to swallow their pride and produce shoes which can connect with apple’s iPod to record exercise and workout data. It does make a person wonder what would happen if an electronics giant like Phillips, Sony or Toshiba launches their fashion line for clothes. Would it tank? Or would it become a success? These are the subject areas under the field of technology integrating with fashion which is the broader interest for me as I plan to take this course. Of course the plans could change depending on what I find interesting as I take the course and what guidance is provided by the instructor but I believe that the topics outlined above will be important both for the business as well as the developmental side of the fashion industry as it develops in the coming years. It will certainly be an exciting period for all of us and I am glad to be living in times such as ours since the advances in technology as well as fashion have permitted us to combine many of the elements from both the fields. Supporting Statement My background and cultural influences had not laid much emphasis on fashion and it is only a recent interest of mine. Living in china during the 80s meant that fashionable was what everyone else was wearing. Standing out in a crowd or having a personal sense of style is still frowned upon in many areas of the country but the situation is fast changing. With the arrival of the 90s and the relative opening of the Chinese market, fashion has become important to many young people in china as has the idea of fashion. I believe that I am a part of that particular breed which values fashion and style in an individual sense. I managed to further develop and expand upon my ideas of fashion when I came to the UK and after living here for more than three years, I have managed to understand fashion as something innate. While we may take guidance from designers, celebrities or advisors who tell us what is fashionable and what isn’t, it is clearly our internal fashion sense which tells us what to wear at what time. While it may change with time and the zeitgeist, the development of this fashion sense takes time and effort to recognize what looks good and what does not look as good. I have chosen this course to learn more about the business, industry and the nature of fashion as it applies to us as a society. I am most interested in how things become fashionable one year and are out of fashion the next. Why certain products are sold at a premium in one season and why we can not seem to give them away a few months later. There seems to be a very complicated yet finicky method associated with this madness and I for one would love to figure it out if possible and if I can not figure it out at least understand how the system works in a broad level overall capacity. Presently I am working with a fashion brand called Boxfresh which produces clothes geared more towards street wear than anything else. I believe that taking this course will help me understand not only my clients but also the company itself since my marketing degree only goes a certain way in explaining why certain groups of people want certain things. With the knowledge I hope to gain with this course, I know that I would be more closely guided towards why my company produces what it does and why the clients of the company buy certain items while ignoring others completely. Finally, I believe that the knowledge I gain in the course will allow me to apply my education as it relates to the growing economy of China. The country is expected to be one of the economic giants of the future and there is a vast market for Chinese fashion which remains untapped. I would like to be part of the first wave of Chinese fashion giants who come up in the first half of this century and place china on the world map as a fashion powerhouse as much as Italy or France. While this may be a fantasy and a dream it can certainly come true if I remain dedicated and motivated towards a cause. Works Cited ACM. (2006). Denim goes digital. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 10-11. Palenchar, J. (2005). Phones Target Business, Fashion Segments. This Week in Consumer Electronics, 20(23), 30-31. Lalis, S. et. al. (2005). Ad-Hoc Composition in Wearable and Mobile Computing. Communications of the ACM, 48(3), 67-68. Gill, P. (2005). Mobile Headsets Spotlighting Fashion, Function. This Week in Consumer Electronics, 20(1), 52-53. Word Count: 2,169 Read More