This month, Head of LCF Professor Frances Corner OBE has launched a new book, Why Fashion Matters. To celebrate, LCF has been asking fashion thinkers everywhere to talk to us about why fashion matters to them.
The first of the three tweet chats happened yesterday, and things quickly took off with questions, opinions and passionate responses flying onto the hashtag: #whyfashionmatters. So, why does fashion matter to the individual?
Conversations centred on how we express our inner self through the exterior clothes we wear, and how we can subvert people’s expectations by choosing to create our own style:
@LCFLondon Fashion is a visual expression of our hearts and minds. That’s why it matters.
— Rob Phillips (@RobPhillipsWork) April 16, 2014
#whyfashionmatters @LCFLondon we can use clothing to challenge perceptions and stereotypes of how we should look #disability
— Cat Smith (@cat_sierra) April 16, 2014
Tweeters also considered how we tell our personal story through our clothes – not just by choosing to wear them, but also in how they are crafted and where they come from:
@LCFLondon My clothes tell a story of reuse and recycling. I'm fond of vintage clothing and swishing/clothes swaps #whyfashionmatters
— Lori Smith (@lipsticklori) April 16, 2014
@LCFLondon @sustfash @CraftOfUse is it to do with the origin of the fabrics, the craft, the hands that have brought the item into being?
— Frances Corner (@FCorner) April 16, 2014
With clothing we carry around the patina of lived experience -sometimes with visual evidence! http://t.co/7N9up4jv8N #whyfashionmatters
— Craft of Use (@CraftOfUse) April 16, 2014
The conversation turned to a tricky question – is fashion about showing your allegiance to a group, or is it about standing out from the crowd? This threw up all kinds of ethical dilemmas:
@LCFLondon @sustfash @FCorner @Mrrobphillips @CraftOfUse @cat_sierra I refuse to wear 'uniform' fashion. I follow my own tastes.
— Models Of Diversity (@ModsOfDiversity) April 16, 2014
@LCFLondon @FCorner @Mrrobphillips @CraftOfUse @cat_sierra @ModsOfDiversity Amour and as 'uniform' showing connection, signal collaboration
— CSF (@sustfash) April 16, 2014
to someone who was born behind an "iron curtain" fashion is where I can voice what I think beyond political correctness #whyfashionmatters
— Albina Zhakan (@albinellaj) April 16, 2014
Tweeters also discussed their style icons, fashion and ageing, and how fashion can celebrate diversity. A massive thank you to all the passionate and insightful tweeters who joined LCF and Frances Corner yesterday.