Influencers realised they could turn themselves into a business by charging hundreds or thousands for posts, they appointed managers and this led to the ascent of blogger agencies signing talent to work with brands.
Suzanne Carbone
We all know that fashion bloggers and style influencers love fashion events. And why wouldn’t they? So do I. It is the chance to connect with people who live, work and breathe the fashion blog and fashion industry. To literally dive into the arena of fashion, design, styling, and the creative minds behind the expression of the runway is what keeps these events alive. The passion and enthusiasm abounds at events such as VAMFF. My most recent fashion fix. It is also a buzz to talk to likeminded fashionistas whose minds connect through the vehicle of fashion passion. Like all industries however, events like this do come with their problems. It was noticeable to me this time, the passive aggressive feel that lingered across the entire week around the subject of who could be seated in “The Frow”. So called because it is so easy to be seen with a frown!
When did attending a runway show become so stressful? Where one feels undervalued if they are not chosen to sit front row? And, what, if anything, constitutes the right to sit front row? Unless of course, you are, in all seriousness, a serious lover of fashion, who will, during the event, after the event, work generally, consistently and diligently, towards the growth, success and support of the fashion industry?
I would have to question why there needs to be such an unhealthy fixation with sitting in “the frow”, but do agree that the people who do sit on in “the frow”, should have adequate influence in order to create ‘good’ from their premium seating.
In Suzanne Carbone’s article this month in The Age, leading up to VAMFF, she says that “450 bloggers and influencers have applied for accreditation compared with 200 traditional print and broadcast media”.
I would argue that if The Blonde Salad, Gary Pepper, or Rosie of The Londoner was at VAMFF, sure, give the girls the best seat in the front row! With nearly 8 million Instagram followers between them, they obviously rule the blogosphere. Yeah baby! Wouldn’t that just be too cool for the galaxy of Australian fashion!
I do think however, for a reasonably small event, at least on the world scale, with not quite several hundred fashion bloggers across the country, we should even out the distribution of these seats a little more evenly across the general sector of attendees.
That would mean, VIP’s, fashion buyers, bloggers, journalists, magazine editors, and devotees. Surely there is enough love to share around?
I know quite a few bloggers and style influencers who were not invited to events this year, and were disappointed. Their disappointment in many cases meant they did not attend at all. This I thought was a great shame. It is the bombardment of these faithful devotees which makes these events more interesting, more attended, more photographed, more publicised and generally more successful.
I do think it a shame that invitations on mass cannot be sent out, but I do understand from a costing point of view, that these expensive events need to be carefully curated and funded.
My individual passion is such, that I often pay to attend these events. I am often very fortunate to be able to attend and not pay, but I make sure that I pay back in kind. In the form of a great article, in response to what has been gifted to me. It is fact of life that everything we do, costs money. We all know that nothing is free. Nothing. I do wonder at times, why bloggers think it is their right to be invited to events for free, and even though I am a fashion editor/blogger myself, I recognise the need to support these events with real dollars. This currency, like it or not, is the only way these designers and all other people who are involved in the industry survive. That is the reality.
It is the world we now seem to live in where everyone feels ‘entitled’ to receive something for free. There is a total lack of interest in who pays, as long as we are assured that we don’t have to.
We are drowning in a sea of self importance, and narcissism. We expect our hands to be held in every way, without pulling out the stops, and working ethically towards building one’s following through the vehicle of what used to be the norm. Just sheer hard work.
I love to be invited to events and shows.
It does not equate however to me showcasing someone, or not.
Paying for tickets keeps events going. It support industries. It keeps people in jobs. It allows growth. And secures a future.
If we really believe in our local fashion industry, no matter where it happens in Australia, isn’t it worth buying a ticket?
If we can encourage people, consumers and bloggers alike, to understand why this is such a necessity, then we will sure up a wonderful strong future for the industry we all love, and loose these “tickets on ourselves”.
Well. Here I am in Melbourne. March 2016. VAMFF. Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. It’s been a hell of a week for a few different reasons. Travelling interstate for a week of fashion frenzy is, for any seasoned fashionista, and I guess I could call myself that, a hard slog. The “four seasons in one day” Melbourne weather took us from an unprecedented heat wave at the beginning of the week to full on rain a few days later. A pleasant but unexpected development. But! I have to say … well done Melbourne! What a great week. I moved gallantly through the week, albeit with moments of exhaustion, with equal doses of sheer determination and pure adrenalin. I have attended eight events, with some more to come, the last of which was Discovery Runway. I love the established designers, and I truly feel that nobody could love designer clothing and our amazing home grown designers more than I do. (I mean, really, who writes about this subject more than I do!) However, anyone that knows me well will know that the support and nurturing of emerging designers and their creative teams is where my true passion lies.
Anyway, back to VAMFF. Tonights Discovery Runway was a selection of eight Melbourne emerging designers who were invited to showcase their collections in the foyer of the Melbourne Museum, the new home of VAMFF. Four of tonight’s emerging designers have recently been showcased by Label Ministry as a vehicle of support and an offering of virtual love!
ASSK, Article. by Courtney Holm, Amxander & Lois Hazel stood out for me tonight, of course, as I have been pouring over their interviews and collections for weeks now. Not only that, I have developed a rapport with these designers and have read with interest and affection their perspective on the world we live in, and their representation of it through the creation of their fashion labels. It is always an honour for me to interview these designers, as for the most part, they are grateful, respectful, and genuinely humble in their quest for support. They speak with honesty and transparency about the struggles of being an emerging fashion designer, where larger egos, and unsympathetic ears are often the mainstay of their business interactions. They share their hopes and dreams, the stories of their educational journeys, and how they aspire to design in the same vein and success as their industry icons.
I hope my voice, both in the literal sense of the word and in the form of my editorials brings them the kind of support which is so desperately needed for their guaranteed success. It is extremely heartening to me to hear of their gratitude, and be on the receiving end of their heartfelt thanks.
The love of their trade, their genuine concern for the future of our planet, and their continued efforts to shape a world in which we can all co-exist touches something deep inside me. Draping ourselves in beautiful fabrics, and accessorising ourselves in ethical and sustainable product because of the efforts these young people is something I feel immensely proud to be part of.
I hope that my work becomes their very own public relations voice.
One that is loud. One that is heard. One that makes the difference.
To everyone who participated in the Discovery Runway tonight.
ASSK is an anagram of the designers initials. Sarah Schofield and Agatha Kowalewski. The girls have been living in Paris working in the fashion industry for a few years. Sarah was working at Louis Vuitton, and Agatha was working as a stylist when they started ASSK in 2013. Their business and studio are based there and they have press offices in Paris and in NY.
Both girls are originally from Australia, and Melbourne especially has remained really important to ASSK.
They sell through Distal Phalanx in Melbourne, and have a really strong base there.
Their label has been heavily influenced by technology and internet culture.
The internet has always played a big part in the ASSK brand. Agatha and Sarah first connected on the internet and worked with Melbourne artist Oliver van der Lugt over the internet for two years before they met.
Their first four collections were sold via the internet over look books to people they didn’t know. In places they had never visited.
This interconnectivity through technology has been very important to them.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
Lois Hazel graduated from RMIT’s Bachelor of Design in Fashion with first class honours in 2012. She then left Australia to work for the New York design house, Marchesa, and Iris van Herpen in Amsterdam. Lois returned to Australia, and her home town Melbourne in 2014. She launched her first capsule accessories range, and then her debut collection “Frayed” in 2015. She is passionate about ethical and sustainable practices, and hopes to bring positive change to the fashion industry by donating five percent of her profits to One Girl Australia.
She loves the fashion industry, but unfortunately feels that it does have its ‘fake’ moments. She says “only a small percentage of those involved really get the credit they deserve. I really want to make sure that in my practice people get the credit they deserve. I want to show my consumers not only where everything is made, but also that they can see it is a team effort”.
I have always been a fan of designers who tackle the menswear side of things. I feel that menswear is a part of the market, particularly in the emerging sector, which has been, and still is, under represented, at least by local designers. Talent like this, I haven’t seen for some time. It’s wonderful to think that the dressing of the modern man is being catered for so beautifully. The main thing I love about this label is just simply it’s wearability. No fuss, manly, well tailored, nicely detailed, tasteful and well, I think pretty close to perfect.
It is a privilege for me to be able to write with such genuine enthusiasm about the talent of these young, upcoming, positive, talented, gracious, emerging designers. It is the red passion which fills my veins.
I just had to ask Mr Amxander himself, the questions that were burning a hole in my fashion week head.
Courtney graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Technology Sydney and her debut at L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival in 2013 led her to re-locate to Melbourne. It’s not hard to see why I loved interviewing Courtney, a young, dynamic, talented designer, who seems to have boundless energy. Not only is she putting a collection on the runway at VAMFF in a couple of days, she also got married a couple of weeks ago. And I thought I was busy!
She is described by NJAL (Not Just A Label) as “the designer and director of sports-luxe Australian menswear label”, and that her “label is distinct for its assimilation of pop-culture street styling, elemental sportswear and tailoring details”, which is “designed and hand produced in Melbourne, injecting a fresh equilibrium of functional, high-end fashion into a niche menswear market”. And, “her use of varied materials, such as polyurethane plastics, luxury knits, sportswear and hard-wearing materials with quality cottons, silks and wool give each piece inner softness with an overriding masculine exterior. The amalgamation of high fashion detailing with sportswear and street style makes a bold statement while the prevalence of functionality, style and fit ensure a wearable outcome for a discerning customer”.
Article. by Courtney Holm. The interview by Label Ministry.
With a philosophy grounded in a desire to create timeless pieces of quality, texture and intricacy, Lois Hazel, aims to bring honest pieces with a unique touch to her customers.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
Lois Hazel graduated from RMIT’s Bachelor of Design in Fashion with first class honours in 2012. She then left Australia to work for the New York design house, Marchesa, and Iris van Herpen in Amsterdam. Lois returned to Australia, and her home town Melbourne in 2014. She launched her first capsule accessories range, and then her debut collection “Frayed” in 2015. She is passionate about ethical and sustainable practices, and hopes to bring positive change to the fashion industry by donating five percent of her profits to One Girl Australia.
LM
How would you describe your label?
LH
Timeless, textural pieces with unique detailing.
LM
I believe you find inspiration in “subversive art”. What does this mean for your garments and your collection as a whole.
LH
I think for me it helps me build my collections around a concept. Starting with a point of interest such as pleating, a certain texture or maybe even just a point of inspiration taken from the world around me. I feel I am able to really push my boundaries as a designer and come up with something unique and original.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
LM
Do you believe that fashion and art belong together on the runway?
LH
Definitely, I feel the runway gives designers a platform where they get to create a world. To show their pieces in complete fullness and how they were envisioned. It gives us a way to draw our audiences in and let them see into our world.
LM
I believed you have worked with Marchesa, Iris Van Herpen, Marianne Kemp and ByBorre. Was there a common thread of inspiration that developed your fashion ethos?
LH
I wouldn’t say there was a common thread, but rather through each of these experiences I discovered more and more about who I am as a designer. Every single one of these designers and artists let me see how they worked. I was able to discover so many different techniques and systems. I found ways to do things and also found ways to do things that in theory shouldn’t be done. From everything I learnt I was able to create a practice that worked well in and that I was proud of.
LM
Describe your time and experience at the Paris American Academy.
LH
My time in Paris was truly magical. It is such an incredible city and to be able to study there was amazing. I was able to learn from people who had worked for one of my idols, Madame Gres, and learned to appreciate what couture has brought us in fashion.
Relating back to the question about art and fashion, I feel my time in Paris really let me appreciate the art that has gone into and still goes into fashion.
I do believe fashion is a form of art, especially when you truly take the time to appreciate the aspects of design, construction and even the mathematics involved.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
LM
What do you love about the Australia fashion industry?
LH
One thing I really admire is the community we have here. I am very lucky to be surrounded by such a creative community where so many are willing to help and share ideas with each other. Helping each other out is extremely important. Being invited to show at this years Virgin Australia Fashion Festival as part of the Discovery Runway indicates the support Victoria has for young designers.
LM
What do you feel we could do better?
LH
By bringing more production and manufacturing back to Australia. I would love to be able to contact industrial weavers from Coburg, or work with local milling companies.
I remember when I was living in Amsterdam I caught a train to the Tilburg Textile museum. I received the opportunity to learn how to weave my own fabric, and how to use knitting mills and other incredible machinery. During my time in New York I was blessed to learn about pleating, beading, fabric dyeing, as well as enjoying the broad choice of available fabrics.
LM
Do you feel that the Australian consumer could better support emerging designers?
LH
It’s always hard with new labels, as people don’t really know much about them.
Obviously I would love everyone to support emerging designers and buy our stuff straight away.
But I do understand it is essential to build trust and a good rapport with consumers.
In saying that though we are lucky to have individuals like yourself.
LM
Thanks Lois! Glad you appreciate my work!!! Very sweet!
For everyone who would like to support emerging designers, follow Label Ministry!
Other people who support the emerging market are, The Fashion Journey, Broadsheet, and other publications who are helping us get our names out there.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
LM
What does Melbourne mean for you?
LH
My Home. I really love Melbourne, it is a beautiful city and has a lot to offer. I feel very lucky to live here and have it as my base.
LM
Your designs have a freshness and an innocence to them. Have you deliberately designed your collection in this way?
LH
I wouldn’t say I have. For me I let my designs just happen. It’s always very free at the beginning and then once I have a concept in mind I just go with it and see where it ends up. I don’t have a set direction that I want to take my collections in but rather just see where they take me. Maybe that sense of natural wondering brings this innocence and freshness about.
They slowly evolve out of a random thought, an image, a beautiful textile or a moment of clarity.
LM
Where do you source your fabrics?
LH
I mainly source my fabrics from a New Zealand company called Wall Fabrics who have an office in Melbourne. I was also lucky to find an incredible fabric store in Bali last year. It was there that I found a lot of the silks seen in “LINEAR”. I hope one day to go back and find some more of these beauties! One day I hope to be able to create my own textiles working alongside world renowned weavers.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
LM
What is your opinion on ethical and sustainable fashion?
LH
I think it is extremely important, and I am happy that it has become an important topic for discussion. As a designer I have a responsibility to look after all my contacts. Fashion is such a powerful and influential industry. If any of us were to disregard the impact it has on us environmentally and socially we would bring much harm to the world around us.
Ethical and sustainable fashion practices are a necessary discussion for both individuals within the industry and consumers.
LM
Where are you garments made?
LH
I am proud to say that all Lois Hazel garments are made here in Melbourne. I am lucky to work with a variety of different companies as well as have the time to produce a number of styles in house here in Fitzroy.
LM
Who is the Lois Hazel women?
LH
I like to see her as fun, and wanting to invest in her wardrobe. She is aware of the world around her, and takes interest in the effect her choices have.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
LM
What defines the Lois Hazel label?
LH
I would say a desire to create timeless pieces with unique detailing that were developed and produced in a sustainable and ethical manner.
LM
Do you believe that Australian women dress well?
LH
I do, and I love how here in Melbourne you see so many different styles.
LM
If you could bring about any particular changes within the Australian fashion industry, what would they be?
LH
Bring more production back to Australia. Not only in manufacturing but also in fabric production, dyeing, and weaving.
We have so much potential, talent and live in such a unique land.
Model | Sarah Baxter | Photographer | Kim Mennen | HMUA | Emma Gillett
LM
What is your view of fashion collaborations?
LH
I think they are great! There are so many people out there with different views and talent! Being able to work together really allows for things to mature and evolve.
LM
What do you see as the future of the Australia fashion industry?
LH
I see consumers becoming proud to wear Australian made goods!
I also hope to see the recognition of more of our talent around the world.
We are lucky to have individuals like Ellery, Zimmerman and Maticevski paving the way.
LM
Who are your favourite international designers and why?
LH
I wouldn’t say I have a solid favourite, but I admire the works of a number of different designers. I love the couture collections from fashion houses such as Dior, Chanel and Valentino. Their work is inspirational.
LM
Do you see yourself as expanding to overseas markets?
LH
I do, and I hope that this year I’ll be able to start the journey.
Photographer | Anthony Tosello | Stylist | Julia Sarteschi | HMUA | Brooke Pearson | Creative Direction | Violette Snow
LM
Do you think raising the awareness of the Australian consumer would help to ease the difficulties of being an emerging designer?
LH
Definitely. Consumers are what really run this industry. Their support of emerging designers would go a long way to helping us achieve more faster and easing the pressure we feel in the early years.
LM
If you could suggest ways to support emerging designers as a whole, what would they be?
LH
I think making the time to go to events like the Discovery Runway or keeping an eye out in the Fashion Journal for us, and any blogs that focus on introducing emerging designers to the public.
LM
Yes! Yes! and Yes! Bring it on!
LM
What is your view of social media. Do you see it as mostly positive?
LH
I think it is great! Especially Instagram which has already brought me so many great opportunities and linked me up with a variety of different people.
As a emerging designer my budget is limited for marketing, so having a platform like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is wonderful.
Photographer | Anthony Tosello | Stylist | Julia Sarteschi | HMUA | Brooke Pearson | Creative Direction | Violette Snow
LM
What is your opinion of people who describe the fashion industry as fake?
LH
I love the fashion industry, but unfortunately it does have its ‘fake’ moments. Only a small percentage of those involved really get the credit they deserve. I really want to make sure that in my practice people get the credit they deserve. I want to show my consumers not only where everything is made, but also that they can see it is a team effort.
LM
How do you feel about fast fashion, and the impact it has on a label such as yours?
LH
My hope for fast fashion is to see it become more sustainable and ethical.
Obviously it does make it harder for me when something can be offered at a more affordable price, but I feel as an emerging designer I have the opportunity to do things differently and create a uniquely diversified product.
LM
So my lovelies, the next time you’re thinking of buying something, check out Lois Hazel.
I have been talking recently about the rising talent of some emerging menswear designers in Australia. They are the new breed of emerging talent, and I feel the shift of greatness realigning our current industry. At least as we know it. It feels like I have stepped on a veritable goldmine of dynamic, enthusiastic, talented, passionate and downright savvy artists who have decided that the business of dressing men, needs … well, addressing.
Quite literally.
And how lucky are we that they seem to sitting right in our backyard.
Downunder.
Melbourne actually.
Ready for the upcoming fashion festival in Melbourne, VAMFF.
The spotlight for this article, is Courtney Holm. The name behind the label known quite simply as Article.bch.
Courtney graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Technology Sydney and her debut at L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival in 2013 led her to re-locate to Melbourne. It’s not hard to see why I loved interviewing Courtney, a young, dynamic, talented designer, who seems to have boundless energy. Not only is she putting a collection on the runway at VAMFF in a couple of days, she also got married a couple of weeks ago. And I thought I was busy!
She is described by NJAL (Not Just A Label) as “the designer and director of sports-luxe Australian menswear label”, and that her “label is distinct for its assimilation of pop-culture street styling, elemental sportswear and tailoring details”, which is “designed and hand produced in Melbourne, injecting a fresh equilibrium of functional, high-end fashion into a niche menswear market”. And, “her use of varied materials, such as polyurethane plastics, luxury knits, sportswear and hard-wearing materials with quality cottons, silks and wool give each piece inner softness with an overriding masculine exterior. The amalgamation of high fashion detailing with sportswear and street style makes a bold statement while the prevalence of functionality, style and fit ensure a wearable outcome for a discerning customer”.
Perhaps I should start this piece by sharing what I thought was a wonderful piece of her wisdom.
Support other brands by being a nice human and treating your fellow colleagues with respect, share contacts with them and collaborate.
I firmly believe in supporting local industries. As long as we have a Melbourne manufacturing industry and I am a part of the Melbourne community, I will support it.
LM
Firstly, I LOVE your menswear label. What inspired you to design for men?
ABCH
Thanks Jade. I started the menswear journey at university. I was studying fashion design at UTS which is primarily targeted at teaching womenswear design. In my third year we did a menswear subject and everything kind of fell into place. I’d been struggling to find any satisfaction in womenswear design, but as soon as I began designing clothing for men, it felt right. I decided to major in menswear in my honours year. From there, I just knew that was what I was good at and I wanted to pursue it. I started my label a few years later after working with some amazing designers such as Romance Was Born and Strateas Carlucci.
LM
Why sports-luxe, and what is the finer definition of this term in your view?
ABCH
I have been championing this style since before I graduated but for Article. by Courtney Holm, sport-luxe is not just a catchy phrase. It’s a timeless way of styling and designing. I design high-end fashion, but it is heavily influenced by the things in my world. One of those things is health and fitness and a love for the comforts and technicality of sportswear, such as technical fibres, compression panelling, elasticated waistbands, pullovers and drawstrings. I weave these things into high fashion garments to make them the ultimate wearable goods. To me, this term means a sense of quality and durability.
Article. by Courtney Holm
LM
I believe the production of your garments is in Melbourne … has that been challenging for you to maintain?
ABCH
Yes, all my goods, apart from a t-shirt which is manufactured in Sydney, is produced in Melbourne. It is definitely a challenge, especially for keeping costs down. That is the hardest thing. I firmly believe in supporting local industries. As long as we have a Melbourne manufacturing industry and I am a part of the Melbourne community, I will support it. I feel sad that so many industries are seeing manufacturing go offshore, fashion included. I believe that soon there will be a return to local manufacturing and buying, but if we lose all our skills here in the meantime, it won’t be good news for our fashion labels in the future.
LM
What do you see as the main challenges for an emerging designer in Australia?
ABCH
The main challenges I have faced are finding the right stockists for my niche non-traditional menswear market. Also, Australia has so many amazing designers, but often they are forced to go overseas and prove themselves offshore before they are fully embraced by our country. I find this annoying if anything. It’s also a challenge when starting a fashion business if you don’t have a lot of capital upfront, you have to wear so many hats for a long time until the business is profitable.
LM
Do you believe that the Australian fashion industry as a whole is supportive of emerging designers?
ABCH
I believe that in Melbourne there is more support for emerging designers than in other cities in Australia. I have lived in both Brisbane and Sydney, but the support in the Melbourne community has been outstanding in comparison. I still think we have such a long way to go if we compare ourselves to what other countries do to support their emerging designers, including fashion business specific grants, championing local manufacturing, industry contacts and mentoring. Fashion is a massive industry with huge potential in Australia, but often fashion businesses are not treated with the same respect.
LM
If you could change three things about the support structure of our current industry, what would they be?
ABCH
More pathways to funding/investors for fashion businesses
More support from Australian media/PR agencies for emerging designers
Initiatives that reward and champion local manufacturing. Reinvent “Made in Australia”. This should be something to be proud of.
LM
Do you think it is more difficult to design for men than women?
ABCH
No. I find designing for men much more satisfactory and it comes more naturally to me.
LM
Is the market of male consumers easier to please on the whole, or do you think it is more challenging than the womenswear market?
ABCH
I think it is more challenging in Australia, as men dress much more conservatively. What you see is really either formal/corporate or casual street/surf wear. It’s a small market of men who are truly “fashionable” in this country, however it is growing! Overseas the market is larger, but the competition is greater.
LM
What is your view of the importance of showing your collections on the runway?
ABCH
I think it is so important to show the world that Article. by Courtney Holm is not going anywhere.
We are here to stay, and are a reputable brand who intends to grow! I think it’s important to keep being involved in runway shows as at this stage, it’s the best way to get your collection “out there” and I am using this runway to launch my latest collection which I am so excited to reveal on Thursday!
LM
I understand you use a lot of technical fabrics. Could you please explain what this actually means and how these are fabrics produced?
ABCH
Technical fabrics utilise modern technology to create a fabric that is somehow enhanced or gives a greater performance than a woven or knitted natural fibre in the traditional sense is able to. I use coated waterproof fabrics and zippers, super lightweight membranes that weigh just over half an once per metre, ripstop fabrics that don’t tear under duress and compression fabrics that improve circulation. Mostly these fabrics are produced with technical yarns woven into the fabrics. Some are coated. Nanotechnology has allowed man-made fibres to be modified beyond what used to be perceived as cheap polyesters and the like. Now these materials are highly technical in their molecular makeup and refined for specific performance use in mind. It’s quite fascinating, especially when you start to mix these with natural fibres.
LM
What are the benefits of creating these fabrics?
ABCH
It’s the future!
Imagine a lightweight fabric that is as strong as armour? Or a material that releases smells, sounds or temperature changes? Imagine clothes that can change colour on their own to reflect your mood? The technology is already here, it’s just a matter or time before they are readily integrated into our clothing. Some things will be incredibly useful and powerful, other things will be purely for aesthetic and fun. The materials I use in my collections are just scratching the surface of what is possible.
LM
Who would you describe as the Article. by Courtney Holm man?
ABCH
He’s a guy who loves to dress for himself. He doesn’t mind colour, cool fabrics or standing out. He is a creative and a thinker, he is into fitness, health and technology. However, ultimately he wants the clothes to feel amazing on his skin and last for a lifetime of use.
LM
How do you believe the menswear market differs in Australia to international markets?
ABCH
I mentioned earlier that the Australian market is more conservative, I think there are a greater number of guys overseas dressing to stand out and to make their own statement. I think in Australia, these statements are made by wearing socks with suit pants, or having one unique accessory. We are much more conservative and slower on the uptake of trends. It’s gradually changing and I do see more guys dressing with some interesting ideas especially as new menswear labels pop up and gain momentum here.
LM
Do you see yourself growing and expanding to other markets and if so, where?
ABCH
Yes, my hit list is Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and London.
LM
What is your view generally about ethical and sustainable fashion?
ABCH
I believe every fashion business has to make a choice about whether they will go for the cheapest option, or the more sustainable and ethical option. Sometimes these two things align, but often they don’t. Everyday choices towards wastage, how you treat people in and outside of your business and research about where your products come from and the people involved are what make you sustainable and ethical.
You can’t claim ignorance in our current climate, it’s just not good enough. We have all the resources at our fingertips, and it takes a lot of work and time to investigate the various options we have in sourcing, manufacturing and delivery but I believe that it’s essential to ensure our future.
LM
Where does the inspiration for the designs on your fabrics come from?
ABCH
Various things that take my interest. Body parts, photos I have taken of my drape work, sketches and more. Usually it’s a very literal thing that I will manipulate over and over until I get an abstract result that I am visually excited by.
LM
Please tell me more about your love of pop culture, street styling, and elemental sportswear?
ABCH
I love sportswear, I am also a pilates instructor and personal trainer, so active clothing elements are always are part of my designs. I love styling. I have quite a knack for it and feel I can take the garments apart and reconstruct them in many different ways to achieve various looks. The street look is what I am aiming to promote through the label. Pop-culture icons have inspired me as I love the way an individual can champion a look and the two can become almost inseparable.
LM
You describe your garments as ethical. What does this entail across the entire process of production?
ABCH
Minimise wastage in development and cutting.
Engaging manufacturers that are legal, treat their workers fairly and don’t outsource without your knowledge – this is much easier to do if you live in the same country you manufacture in!
Treat your employees well and fairly, this includes your sub-contractors and your interns.
Don’t claim ignorance. It’s really hard to know where everything comes from, especially fabrics. Keep searching and investigating all that goes into your brand and make everyday improvements.
LM
Do you love what you do?
ABCH
Yes.
LM
What advice would you give to emerging designers? I recently read an article which claimed fashion design is a ‘false dream’. What do you think?
ABCH
It’s hard to say without reading the article personally. Fashion can seem glamorous and all, but it’s really a hard slog. I think people realise that the hard way a lot of the time. If you go to a good university, they should prepare you for that. In saying that, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something or that it will never work. They might be right, but they might be wrong. Take all the feedback with a pinch of salt, and think critically of your own work.
LM
What do you envisage for the future of the Australian fashion industry?
ABCH
I envisage a return to local manufacturing and the revitalisation of our industry.
I’d love to see (or create) a hub for fashion designers to develop, grow and emerge into the world from the design studio space. A space which offered manufacturing, printing, knitting and dyeing capabilities and a place where designers are truly supported by the local government and media.
LM
Where would you like to see yourself in five years from now?
ABCH
Running a financially lucrative business that is able to continue to pioneer new styles in menswear around the world while also supporting the local industry. Creating new jobs and helping to develop other emerging designers.
LM
What are you most looking forward to in the showing of your collection at VAMFF?
ABCH
Hanging out with all the other amazing designers, seeing my clothes come down the catwalk for the first time and launching what will be our biggest year and collection yet!
I’m sure some women DO shop because they actually need clothes, shoes and bags … I just don’t know any of them.
As a long time lover of designer fashion, and a stylist of many years, I have been thinking a great deal lately about being a woman.
As a woman I love being able to enjoy gorgeous designer labels, makeup, perfume and all the lovely things that are so readily available. I take enjoyment from such things every day.
This started me thinking a lot about the various roles that we have as women and I noted just a few.
We are mothers, friends, wives, girlfriends, mentors, colleagues, nurses, cooks, ironing ladies, confidantes, step parents, counsellors, sports coaches, taxi drivers, stylists, decorators, gardeners, CEOs, marketing directors, volunteers, and ambassadors.
Often we are all of these things in one day. I know I have been, sometimes 365 days in a row.
Women have so many varied roles to play in their lives. No wonder we often feel pulled in many directions and struggle to get it all done.
I thought I would share some information from a group of women I know about WHY women shop.
It will make you laugh.
I certainly found myself in this list. Maybe you will too …
Women Shop because
They are premenstrual.
They have their period.
They are turning 50.
They are turning 40.
Their husband is turning 50.
They found a grey hair.
Their husband is turning grey.
They dented the car.
They need glasses to read texts.
Their husband lot his job.
They found out their child is gay.
They found out their partner is gay.
It is the first day of the school holidays.
Their mother is here from London to stay for a month.
It is the last day of the school holidays.
They are having a fat day.
They are expecting a baby that wasn’t planned.
They just ate a cake in the middle of their diet.
Their mammogram appointment is tomorrow.
Their husband just bought a chainsaw when you are desperate for a holiday?
But what has caused this great herd of humanity to suddenly veer off and have a red-hot branding iron seared onto their arses?
Greg Bearup
Inked. Yep. It looks like tattoos are here to stay. Or so it seems.
When the day arrives and tattoos are no longer fashionable, I guess we might see a lot of people heading to the place that removes tattoos. Whatever that place is.
Cosmetic surgeons or beauty salons with laser machines? Or maybe people will go back to the tattoo parlour they went to in the first place. If I was enterprising in a different kind of way, I would be thinking about opening up a tattoo removal shop, because if my predictions are anything to go by, I reckon the tattoo removalists are going to get busy. Really busy.
How long can tattoos remain on trend? We’ve been looking at them for a long time now. The eastern influence of yin/yang and the Asian symbols became popular with people travelling through South East Asia. The colourful sleeves of full bodied, big bottomed, busty, scantily clad girls on Harley’s in full colour. Red and blue flames rising up the back of people’s calves, and birds on women’s feet carefully placed in such a way that suit their Haviannas are now common place all over Sydney and indeed all Australian cities. How about the long verses of text up the inside of arms, (Angelinga Jolie style), or across the back of the neck. When I see people with these kinds of tattoos I feel compelled to stop them and say “look, if you are going to sport that tattoo, as least pay me the courtesy of not racing past me. I would like to read what it says, and at the same time ask you what on earth possessed you to paint essentially, what I would have just written in my journal, all over your body? Of course I don’t do that. I hope I don’t sound patronising, because I am genuinely interested in people’s motivation for getting a tattoo. Whatever it is, and however many. I respect their decision to have one or ten, but I have to be honest and say the widespread prevalence of them is now causing me irritation.
It’s not because I don’t like tattoos. I actually find them quite artistic and interesting. I don’t happen to have one myself, although I have thought about getting one in the distant past. Had I decided to get one, it would have been very small and most definitely hidden away from the public eye. My lack of tolerance for them now is because they just seem to be everywhere. And I mean everywhere, and on nearly every body. At least that is how it appears. I don’t go anywhere anymore that I don’t see them on literally every second person and consequently they now seem so… overdone. Furthermore, it seems to me that the tattoo wearers choice of fashion has also been forever changed. When I find myself in shopping malls or city streets, I am reminded that a significant part of the population seems to have forsaken their choice of wearing a full coverage of clothing, in order to show off their body art. There is a sea of skin showing out there, open tanks on men and women, the shortest of short shorts, midriff and crop tops, low slung trousers, and super short minis.
It’s increasingly common to see multiple tattoos. Arms, legs, necks, stomachs, torso, shoulders and backs. The other day I even saw someone with tattoos on each eyelid and also each ear. I mean really. Doesn’t that constitute some sort of health risk? I guess there isn’t a law against stupidity. I wonder what these tattoos will look like when the person ages a little and their skin is no longer taut and youthful. What happens to the man with the tattoos on his eyelids when he gets a little older and his eyes follow suit. I sincerely wonder what we will see in the future when some of these tattoos are removed, and what then? Will people then be covering the previous areas of their tattooed skin because they are sporting a scar? Will they regret their decision of deciding upon tattoos all those years earlier? Very probably. I hear that the current cost for tattoo removal is around $350 per session and usually takes around 8-10 sessions. That’s a lot of money for something that may have only cost a couple of hundred dollars at the time, and you could hardly call it an investment. Well maybe an investment in looking like you used to.
And now we have the legalisation this week for the allowance of eye-ball tattooing. This really has raised the bar in terms of permanent body work, and seems to me to add a completely different dimension, which is humans looking more and more unhuman. According to the article published in The Sydney Morning Herald, eyeball tattooing can lead to infection and blindness.
Greg Bearup, is a writer for The Weekend Australian Magazine. In 2013, he interviewed veteran tattooist Tony Cohen from The Illustrated Man, the most iconic tattoo parlour in Sydney. He says that he “keeps waiting for the tattoo bubble to burst, but it just keeps getting bigger, more colourful, more lurid. Australians are getting inked at a phenomenal rate – skin specialists I contacted say that 10-20 per cent of their patients have one or more tattoos”.
Based on what I see most days, I would have thought that number to be somewhat higher. I have been wondering for some time when this trend might slow down but it stands strong. It occurs to me that this is in fact no longer a trend but something of a prolific societal statement. But why? Why do so many feel the need to get a tattoo, when really it is no longer a unique thing to do. It seems Greg Bearup was thinking along the same lines when he asked the following question. “But what has caused this great herd of humanity to suddenly veer off and have a red-hot branding iron seared onto their arses? It is a yearning for belonging, according to Adam Geczy, an artist and academic at Sydney College of the Arts, who has studied tattoo culture. Traditionally, tattoos were a marker of initiation into a tribal society or a sect, like the Yakuza, or the mark of a man of the sea. “We are now living in a culture where people don’t know where they belong,” he muses. “Generations X, Y and Z are constantly in contact on Facebook and Twitter, thinking it is a community, but it is a void. If you go out and choose a Maori tattoo you have the luxury, and the shallowness, of initiating yourself. You are not being initiated into a clan, you are initiating yourself into yourself. You are giving yourself a kind of fetishised sense of belonging.”
Geczy says the great growth in the number of people being tattooed, particularly women is also part of the pornification of society, which has come with the internet age. He argues there is a strong link between body modification and porn. “So you have a prim girl who has a small rose on her shoulder – it’s a wink to say, ‘I have desires’.” He continues: “Look, most people work in pretty boring jobs and have a problem with being interesting and having interesting identities.” They see a tattoo as a way of making them seem more interesting. But it is all built on a false premise, he argues, and in time many people who have tattoos will live to regret their decisions. “Besides, it all looks hot when you are young but when you’re an old man you look like an ageing stud.” And, he ventures boldly, “There has never been, on a woman who is middle-aged, a tattoo that looked any good.”
My husband recently showed me a video he thought would interest me. … what an understatement!!!
I loved it!
And I’m pretty sure you will too. With over five million views already, I guess I’m not the only one who thinks it hilarious. To all the wonderful Instagram Husbands out there, I’d like to thank you, for lots and lots of laughs.
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we appreciate you and love you … our Instagram lives would not be the same without you!
I was so intrigued and fascinated by the way the video was produced, I just had to find out who was behind it’s creation.
Michelle and Jeff Houghton, a married couple from Springfield, Missouri in America’s mid west, are the ingenious creative minds who birthed the concept. They are parents to their little boy, Elias and Michelle is also a counsellor and an artist.
Her Instagram husband, Jeff, is a comedian and talk show host. Jeff creates a syndicated show called The Mystery Hour, which is what Instagram Husband was written and produced for. Michelle also writes and performs for the show.
“we thrive on keeping things interesting and are driven by a desire to connect with others and chase after our dreams. I am an avid Instagrammer and I love tacos, philosophical conversations, indie music, podcasts, and creative expression”.
Their Instagram account is the “official account bringing support, comport, & praise to all you human selfie-sticks out there …”
It is truly brilliant and hilarious. Quite simply, I’m hooked!
I hope you love this piece as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it.
LM
I absolutely love what you are doing … how did you start Instagram Husband?
IH
Jeff, my husband, came up with the Instagram Husband concept and wanted to do it as a video for his show, The Mystery Hour. He thought of it last summer, after having a lot of experiences where taking a pretty photo got in the way of experiencing the moment in both our lives and the lives of our friends.
LM
Is Instagram Husband a collaboration, as often I see many things that are posted by different people?
IH
In some ways, yes, it was a collaboration, in other ways no. We have a group of writers who write for The Mystery Hour and we collaborated on the video for that entity. The idea of Instagram Husband was Jeff’s and everyone who was involved was doing it for the show.
LM
How has Instagram changed your life?
IH
I have a lot of good friends who I have met through Instagram, actually, which is the greatest impact it has had on my life.When I find a new Instagrammer from my area who has similar taste, I follow them and then start commenting on their posts out of mutual respect and admiration. Often that has lead to online friendships which have lead to hanging out in real life. Some of my closest friendships started that way over the last five years. Instagram has also enhanced my connections with my friends because we have access to knowing what is going on in each other’s lives. It starts conversations about things we otherwise wouldn’t know about, and I love that.
LM
Do you feel we have created a problem of “oversharing” on social media in general? Do you feel that Instagram specifically has created an aspect of “oversharing” in our life?
IH
I think we do have a bit of “oversharing” going on in our culture, but I don’t think it is unique to Instagram. I am a counsellor and work primarily with adolescents. To them it’s not Instagram, it’s Snap Chat. For others, it’s Facebook. Regardless the medium, we do go to ridiculous lengths to provide interesting and appealing content related to our lives. I think we are going to look back in 50 years at this time period and see a lot of good things that have come from social media, but we will also recognise a lot of mistakes we have made culturally with regards to our obsession with it. We cannot learn those lessons until we go through them, however. I do see a lot of individuals online who go to extremes to get “likes” and ultimately gain validation from that, which creates a culture of comparison, and as Theodore Roosevelt said …
“Comparison is the Thief of Joy”
– Theodore Roosevelt
LM
Are you addicted to social media?
IH
You know, it sort of depends on what lens I am looking through to say whether or not I am “addicted” to social media. There have definitely been times in my life where I have spent more time on it than others. Also, compared to some people who are rarely online, I am definitely addicted, and yet compared to those who very obviously check their phones every few minutes, I am definitely not. I probably check my Instagram and Facebook feed a few times a day, but I don’t let myself get sucked down the rabbit hole of spending a chunk of time there as much as I used to. I really enjoy photography and curating a space which exudes my asthetic, so Instagram tends to be my “addiction” more than other mediums of social media.
LM
Do you believe that people lead “fake” lives through Instagram, as is often suggested?
IH
I have a hard time saying what is “fake” and what is “real”– with social media, because I truly see a movement toward people sharing the rawness and realness of their lives online. This is probably in response to all the curated lives we are seeing others live through the social media lens. I think it takes a real balance to share authentically what is happening in your life online, because you don’t want to make things “too” pretty or you are not relatable, and yet you also don’t want to over-share your struggles or the not-so-pretty side of things, because if you’re doing that all the time it can come across as humble-bragging, which is equally off-putting. In the end, I think we all want people to see the best in us. It just happens to be on a different platform and a different level with social media.
LM
What was your motivation for starting “Instagram Husband”.
IH
We started Instagram Husband because we thought it was a funny concept. We really enjoy making people laugh, and Jeff has a knack for coming up with relatable concepts to do that. It just so happened that this video connected with a lot of people.
LM
What do you feel are the main differences between Facebook and Instagram and are you fan of both platforms?
IH
I like both Instagram and Facebook. I tend to lean towards using Instagram more because I am such a fan of art and photography, and I follow a lot of people who use Instagram to showcase their work in both genres. I like Facebook to hear about what is going on with family and friends.
LM
What do you see as the positives of Instagram. And, the negatives?
IH
Instagram positives: good photography, platform for people to connect, photos often convey concepts in an easily-deliverable way where people connect to an image, community, and inspiration. Instagram negatives: tends to lead us to compare ourselves with others (just as all social media platforms do), FOMO– personally I have a hard time seeing vacation pictures of other people or people around the world in beautiful places if I’m spending my hours at work feeling uninspired and unmotivated.
LM
What is your opinion of buying followers and likes?
IH
I don’t really know anyone, (well, at least to my knowledge) who “buys” followers and likes– to me it seems like another marketing ploy mostly for businesses or brands wanting to seem culturally relevant. I would be very suspicious of individual people who do that for personal accounts but I haven’t really dealt with it.
LM
What is your view of people who share a difficult personal moment on the Instagram platform?
IH
I sort of answered this in #7, but I’ll add to it by saying this– I heard a podcast where Elizabeth Gilbert interviewed Brene Brown, author of Daring Greatly and Rising Strong among other books about shame and vulnerability. She asked her about sharing personal stories in what she writes. What she had to say about it really resonated with me. She said that she never publicly shares a personal story that she has not already fully processed. Her rule of thumb being that if her healing is contingent upon what others say about that story, then she should not share it. She says she’s shared her story before she was ready, and learned a lot of lessons from that. When you share a difficult story before you have healed, it is not giving and generous to the people hearing it, and can actually be abusive to yourself. Attempting to gain deep healing from a wound in a public arena is just not the way to go about working out your issues– that is what close friends and therapy is for.
She missed another job interview today because the light was “just perfect”
“Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world”.
– Brene Brown, in her podcast, Big Magic
LM
Do you believe that social media is responsible for people having poor interpersonal and social skills in real life?
IH
People throughout the ages have had poor social and interpersonal skills in real life, so I don’t think social media is to blame. In my career as a counsellor I work with a lot of people who have poor social skills, and there isn’t one specific set of circumstances that lead them to be that way. Some have manipulative or abusive upbringings, some have disorders like Autism where social interaction doesn’t come as easily, and some are just downright introverted, which is fine, but is not always valued in our culture. I know some very inward people who are also successful bloggers or Instagrammers. Just because they are less likely to wow someone in person than online does not mean that blogging is what caused them to be introverts. Blogging, social media, and writing may just be the platform they feel the most comfortable socialising on.
LM
Do you believe that Instagram amounts to modern day narcissism?
IH
I think Instagram can portray a sense of narcissism, yes, but I also believe most people don’t go out and create Instagram accounts because they want validation and “likes”, and thus are essentially narcissistic. I think to some extent we all want positive social interactions, and naturally that is a healthy thing. When someone spends an inordinate amount of time curating a space online that looks nothing like their real life in the hopes of gaining followers and likes, however, that crosses the bounds of healthy living.
LM
What is your view of Instagram advertising. Do you feel that it is effective?
IH
Every form of advertising is effective if it gets people to buy things.
LM
What has been your personal response to Instagram Husband?
IH
My personal response to Instagram Husband? Wow, there’s a lot in this one question. I’ll start by saying that I have been a supporter of my husbands show since he started it in a crappy basement of an improv theatre 10 years ago. It has been his dream to consistently showcase his talents of writing, acting, hosting, and performing on a large scale, and Instagram Husband got him, as the creator, a lot of the attention he deserved because the video was such a big hit. My biggest response to it therefore is just sheer happiness. Mostly because of the story of our struggle. For him to be doing what he loves in a very obscure way.
Personally, I’ve had a lot of fun posting the Instagram photos on our @ig.husband account, and have had a great time connecting with people all across the world who relate to the video through that, through interviews, and with people reaching out after they saw it. It’s weird that so many of us have had this phenomenon in our lives– asking our husbands (or wives or girlfriends or friends or sisters or whatever) to take our photos so we can later post them– and we didn’t have a term for it up until this point.
LM
Do you enjoy your food less when you are always wanting to photograph it in it’s untouched state first?
IH
Heck no! I enjoy it MORE! I love anything that is well presented, and especially food! It’s fun to snap a picture of it before it’s all gobbled up. Obviously the line of “we used to eat our food, now we just take pictures of it…” is a comedian’s take on prolonging eating things when we are taking pictures of it– but I promise I would never sacrifice tasting food for a photo!
LM
Do you feel a certain pressure to constantly find new and interesting material to post?
IH
Yeah, to be honest, sometimes I do. If it’s been a few days since I last posted a picture, I start to think about what I should post, or why I didn’t post. To me, snapping an iPhone picture of a scene or a person or a thing that happened during the day is a way to look at it with a focused lens– to not miss the beauty of that moment. If I am just going through the motions of my days and I don’t stop to REALLY look at my surroundings, I notice because I generally don’t have any pictures from that time. Now, of course, it CAN go the other way, where you take so many dang pictures that you miss the moment entirely, but I do think there is some balance. There is always something beautiful right in front of you, you just have to take a moment to really see it. I just happen to do that sometimes with snapping a photo of it.
LM
Is your husband generally interested in Instagram?
IH
He’s so-so about it. He definitely doesn’t spend much time on it– a lot of his pictures are of our son or of something funny he sees and wants to share.
“Vacations make the best Instagram posts…”
– Michelle Houghton
LM
What do you think of the selfie?
IH
I have so many mixed feelings about the selfie!! I have only recently upped my selfie game, realizing that people who follow you like to see YOU, but before that I mostly felt self-gratuitous and weird about taking them. It was when I read an article somewhere about how selfies actually promote people LIKING themselves (gasp!) when I started to see the logic in how it could be a good thing. We’re often so down on how we look or who we are. I don’t think its a bad thing if you like the way your face looks in a particular light to take your own darn photo.
LM
Do you believe we are over the selfie and the duck face?
IH
I am so over duck face. I’ve always been over it. That and women standing with their hand on their hip and their butt curved out. WHO STANDS LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE!?!?!
LM
For people who are looking for followers, what is your advice of increasing one’s following on Instagram?
IH
Offer something unique, special, genuine, and worth following.
LM
How often do you personally post to Instagram?
IH
I post to Instagram about once a day or every other day. It depends on what is going on in my life at the moment and how busy I am.
LM
Do you believe that posting to Instagram at a certain time is important? Why?
IH
I never really took the time to think about what time of day to post to Instagram for maximum exposure until I started curating the @ig.husband account — then I asked my friend who curates a famous blog about timing, and she gave me some tips. If you want to reach your audience, you need to think about when they are going to be online. So yes, I think it is important. Is it the be-all-and-end-all? No.
LM
What is next for Instagram Husband?
IH
There are some things in the works for what is coming next, but at this point we can’t share what that is. For now, we’re just trying to focus on putting out quality work with The Mystery Hour, and are having a ton of fun doing it!
LM
Where do you see yourselves in five years from now.
IH
I HAVE NO IDEA! As an artist, I just started selling my artwork online and in local venues, so I am hoping to get more exposure with it and incorporate it more into my life. I also LOVE counselling, I am planning on starting a private practice and other ventures where I share my expertise on a community platform. While all that is going on, The Mystery Hour is also a huge part of my life, and I hope that my husband and I continue to work together on the show or in some capacity to put out comedy to the world. Jeff is so incredibly talented and I LOVE working with him in that arena.
LM
What is your greatest dream?
IH
My greatest dream would be for Jeff and I to both be simultaneously employed doing what we love. “Chase your dreams” has practically been the motto in my house for a long time, but it has not come without sacrifices. More than anything I want us both to be happy creating unique things to contribute to the world, and to do it while providing for our family.
LM
What is your favourite food, country, and fashion designer?
IH
Food- tacos. Hands down.
Country- Croatia. I visited there last summer and FELL IN LOVE.
Fashion designer?? Hmmmm… to be honest I’ve never been able to afford designer labels, but if I would name a few that speak to me I would say Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Rachel Comey. I tend to shop H&M, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Need Supply, and Madewell the most.
LM
Have you ever visited Australia? Do you intend to?
IH
I haven’t, but its definitely on the bucket list. I’ve heard that it’s breathtakingly gorgeous, and I’ve never met an Aussie I didn’t like.
LM
Lastly, what subject do you believe makes the best Instagram post?
Anna Whitehouse “This photo took 15 minutes of her standing in front of that wall with the kiddo writhing like Gollum to get out of her grasp. It took 45 more minutes just for the little one to stop snot-crying”.
We have birthed a modern day crisis. The social media kind. Is our addiction to social media ruining our world? Have we officially entered the age of over sharing?
A couple of years ago, I was talking to a Gen Y about social media. I was interested in what they thought of people’s obsession with celebrities and communicating with the new type of human. A screen. It seemed to me that the world had changed forever and I was right. Their response fascinated me. They told me that young people did not know how to communicate, even with their friends. Their screen addictions were their answers to connecting with the rest of the world, their peers and their families, through largely pubescent and anxious eyes trying to carve out a future for themselves. What I found most bizarre was their obsession with communicating online, email and even text when their friends lived close by. Their behaviour was the same with their family members also. My own child used to text me or request that I email him even when we were in the same house. Sometimes even in the same room, if the time I had chosen to speak to him did not suit. I thought a great deal about this and like many, watched the development of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with interest.
We are now addicted to a barage of everyones’ images and perceptions of life through social media platforms. Their new G string, a picture of their dinner, their new hair, their latest visit to the nail salon, and their morning coffee. It is this obsession with the finest details of everyones’ life which I find most worrying. All under the guise of fashion.
This is not fashion.
It is modern day narcissism and it’s prevalence amongst our youth and even those who are not youthful is extremely worrying.
I am not against social media at all. Nearly all of us use it now to broadcast our voices and ideas, not to mention our work. I am worried, however, when I notice that social media platforms, particularly for young women and men, has become a way for them to advertise themselves in scantily clad clothing in the name of fashion. When did fashion become a vehicle for soft porn and why do our societal values now seem to be almost entirely shaped by what is tolerated on social media. It seems that we have entered the time of “everything goes”, and a world of “over sharing”.
I am all for women and men, regardless of age, making the best of themselves. I think there is nothing more pleasing than someone who is carefully presented in every way, including their choice of fashion. I love to see anyone who wholeheartedly embraces their sense of self and has the courage to be the beautiful individual they are.
My point of difference however is that it seems that young women and men, and society at large has lost its way. Our obsession of self and the hidden, albeit epidemic, levels of self-loathing have become one of the most serious and worrying aspects of health in our modern society. The silent rules of acceptance of ourselves and others and our engagement with others are deeply entrenched and unmistakably linked with narcissistic tendencies encapsulated within the world of fashion. We have entered unchartered and dangerous waters. These are territories we have not visited before and I for one, feel great trepidation as the world of fashion as we know it, has changed forever.
I read an article not so long ago on Reddit about a blogger who described in the greatest of detail, a day where she started her menstrual cycle and was not prepared. The entire post was dedicated to every detail of her discomfort, her appearance and her various emotional responses. All for the world to read, and for complete strangers to empathise about. A strange phenomenon I feel, about a topic which would once, have been extremely private if nothing else. Feel free to google period stories on Reddit and like me, you will find a whole sub Reddit dedicated to the topic. Am I the only one who thinks it strange?
And then, we have the “over the top”, over publicised, and over documented story of the instafamous Essena O’Neill. The story of a just turned 19 teenager, who describes herself as having a “career on social media”, and who apparently has quit all social media because it is fake and making her unhappy. I could write a whole post on this kind of ridiculousness which pervades every day of our lives, but I won’t. I simply can’t be bothered. I will say a few things however, that I feel are necessary for the general population to think about for a nano second.
First of all, this teenager claims to have had a “career on social media”. Can someone please tell me what that is? What teenager has a career? And what constitutes a career on social media? She says she is a model, a social media influencer, and surrounded by the most famous, wealthy and successful people. According to Essena these people, even though they are enjoying phenomenal success, are all miserable, depressed and disillusioned about the representation of their lives on social media, “because social media is fake”. Whatever that means. I think we all know that social media is not the real world, don’t we? How very frightening if we don’t.
So let me get this right. She spent hours taking photos to find one that she was happy to post, used these images to endorse brands, for which she was paid, and then posted the photos for likes and followers. Apparently, this is a career in social media. Really? Is that it? By her own admission, brands will often carefully stipulate exactly what needs to be posted, when it needs to be posted, how often it needs to be posted. Her “career” is driven almost entirely by brands deciding that their newest form of advertising should be through the vehicle of the blogger to reach the young demographic of current spenders.
I watched a 17 minute video of explanation, crying, drama, swearing, and gesticulation exclaiming that social media is evil and that the lives represented on it are fake. Well, I post often on social media and I am not fake. I connect with many other people on social media who are not fake. My life, my posts, my opinions, my connections, and my line of work is not fake. It is in fact, extremely valuable and of great benefit to many in my industry. I don’t have 500,000 followers on Instagram, nor do I have 260,000 YouTube followers. The truth is I don’t care. How normal. My self worth is in tact. I am not miserable or depressed about my own, or others, social media.
And here’s the reason why. Social media is “part” of my life. A very small part. I can and do, connect and talk to real people. I have real life meetings. I understand that whilst I may form a connection on social media, it does not define my value, my judgements, or my self worth. I understand that social media is a platform that can be used for good, but is not always. Social media does not affect my ability to life my life fully in other ways, and I don’t sit around waiting for people to follow me and like my posts. If Essena believes that her social media career is causing her grief then I applaud her decision to ‘quit’, but it seems to me, she hasn’t quit. She has in fact received more publicity than ever, and feels quite comfortable in using the biggest form of social media, the Internet, to gather momentum for her next venture. I counted more than 40 accounts on Instagram in her name and when I finished writing this article, I set about as I always do, to find some great images to accompany it. It fascinated me that I could not find one image of Essena O’Neill which I was allowed to use commercially for this post.
She has now launched a website called, “Let’s be Game Changers” where she asks people to support her newest quest for self expression, but also tells people to please support her by donating any amount they feel appropriate to pay her rent. Hello? Yep. You heard me. Pay … her … rent. Gosh, I would love someone to offer to pay my rent! What planet do these entitled, narcissistic, children come from? If you ask me, any girl at nineteen who has had so many opportunities should be feeling, at least, incredibly grateful but mostly just downright blessed.
Quit social media eh? I don’t think so … my final word on the subject? What a spoiled brat!
Kelly Hume, a writer for news.com has written her own article on Essena O’Neill. In it, she says, “I’m under no illusion that O’Neill has an agenda: with the launch of her new website, Let’s Be Game Changers, which requests money from her readers, it seems her change of heart was, at least partly, a publicity stunt. But she did succeed in raising the issue that social-media influencers, who are paid to promote products by showing off their perfect bodies and perfect lives, do create insecurity in young women”.
Yes. It certainly does. And young men. A social media influencer? I think not. A young, confused teenager with more attention and success than her emotional age and maturity can handle would be an accurate assessment. Young people, any people, do not need this type of influence. And if we are going to accept the evolution of “the social media influencer”, for God’s sake, please make it someone who has some wisdom to share! What we need is not to make social media the evil one, but to understand that it is a tool to be added to an already balanced set of skills and opinions.
This ever growing obsession with taking pictures to portray and indulge in the perfect life, the perfect body, the perfect hair, the perfect teeth, boyfriend, car, apartment, travel itinerary and stylish brunch, lunch, and munch has become a joke. It is a fantasy and should be exposed as such.
As Kelly Hume continues in her article, “this age of the selfie isn’t healthy. Why are we measuring our self-worth by the way we look and the number of likes and followers we have?
Earlier this month, an Australian Psychological Society survey on social-media usage and FOMO found that one in two teenagers felt they are ‘missing out’, while 48 per cent felt worried if their friends were having fun without them, and 42 per cent were anxious if they didn’t know what their friends were doing.
I’d rather that we focused our energy on being well-rounded individuals, learning to be kind and considerate of others, being intelligent, and having a varied skill set. Instead of taking selfies, why don’t we learn to cook? Why don’t we read more? And why don’t we interact and have a proper conversation for once?”
