The role of journalism and social media in encouraging throwaway culture in fashion was discussed by an expert panel at an event hosted by the University of Westminster on 31 March.
Fashion is among the biggest polluters on the planet, yet novelty, fast satisfaction and cheap clothes are being endorsed constantly and consistently by various media.
Hosted by Dr Anastasia Denisova, Senior Lecturer in Journalism from the School of Media and Communication, the panel also featured Lucy Siegle, an environmental journalist and broadcaster, and Dr Ameerah Khadaroo, Lecturer in Psychology, University of the Arts London - London College of Fashion.
During the event they debated about the format of the ‘access documentary’, which limits journalistic objectivity as it can be used by fast fashion companies to control the narrative.
They also looked at the role of identity formation and the ‘ideal self’ that young people often create based on media messages. Being bombarded with the imagery from influencers and celebrities, they may lose what is most important in defining one’s style – creativity.
The panel went on to talk about how strong the ethical aspirations are among young people nowadays. They also delved into how tabloids and fashion media promote the idea of reproducing a celebrity’s style using cheap and not long-lasting clothes, the language of Silicon Valley (‘upgrade/update’) in fashion coverage, and how fashion journalism is making important steps towards sustainable coverage, but may be restricted by conventions and business models.
Speaking about the event, Dr Denisova said: “Fashion journalism is one of the strong influences on the way we see each other and what clothes we choose. Having three speakers with various expertise has allowed us to come up with new insights. It was brilliant to look at the psychology of creativity, the confusing vocabulary of some fashion coverage, and the overarching ideas of how circular economy should be prioritised in media messages.”
The event follows the recent publication of Dr Denisova’s policy brief ‘Fashion Media and Sustainability’ that looks at 10 patterns of unsustainable fashion coverage across media, including in magazines and Instagram (the brief is free to download).
