Fashion Flow Theories: Misconceptions

Written Exam Fashion Flow Theories The Instrument of Meaning Exemplified as an instrument of meaning, the fashion system is a menagerie that takes meaning on an arduous cycle. One that sheds light on how its products are idealized, produced, adopted, and then finally discarded after serving its utilitarian or ideological purpose. Mass communication and other conduits of information dissemination play a role in channeling meaning from its origins to the consumer (McCracken 1986). The fashion system flows from one end to the other.At its starting, is the creation or invention of meaning, undertaken by influential individuals or groups that capitalize on their stature or celebrity status. Their influence help reshape ideologies of cultural categories and principles. Fueled by imitative appropriation by those of lower standing, this innovation of meaning is prompted and stimulated (Simmer 1904). American-born singer Lady Gaga is one good example. By using fashion as an outlet of self-exp ression, her avian-garden style of dressing caught attention and liking.Taking full advantage of her celebrity stature, she has brought about societal form in her support for the LEGIT community. Her constant feature and highlight of gays in her music videos and advocacy of marriage equality have inevitably given society new meaning. Her influence has trickled across to other influential individuals who then pass it on further, resulting in what we see today as homosexual taboos being slowly abolished (with countries lawfully engaging in marriage equality, etc. ). Meaning in this sense, has changed from vociferous aesthetics to a political statement.Aside from the designers of the goods itself, meaning transfer is accomplished by another group of people – the fashion Journalists. They act as conduits of meaning transfer through their work with print or firm media. They act as social observers of social development and reform, reviewing, inquiring and questioning it. They have to possess a clairvoyant quality as to pick out specific fashions they approve of then disseminating their choices onto their assigned publications. This in turn also affects the designers having their influence felt even before the early adopters of society or opinion leaders.Suez Menses is a British fashion Journalist currently serving as the dead fashion reporter and editor for the International Herald Tribune. Her work there involves reviewing fashion runways and giving her opinions on it, all of which is widely read by the public. Early February this year, Menses published an article for the New York Times titled â€Å"The Circus of Fashion†. In that article she gave her views on the changing dynamics of the biannual fashion shows; how the focus seems to be changing towards the people who â€Å"peacock† outside them (Menses 2013).This shift in paradigm stimulated others to rethink, with others giving their own views e. G. Garage Magazine (Take My Picture, 2013). It is such reviews that contribute to the shaping and reshaping of publics ideals of fashion. In the case study of the â€Å"preppie look† we see how the fashion system comes into play in this transfer of meaning. Originating from high society, people of upper- upper and upper-lower classes, the preppie look was a signifier of that particular social stratum.The term preppy derives from the expensive pre-college preparatory or prep schools that upper-middle-class White Anglo-Saxon Protestant children on the United States' East Coast (Fashion Encyclopedia 2013). Introduced in the sass, the preppy look has continually gone in and out of style. During the sass soap operas like Dynasty and Dallas brought about this social acceptance for the style. The North Americans who frequently watched these evening soaps generally began to accept and adopt the style of the preppy look due to its association with the show and its characters.This radical change of meaning transcends from what o riginally was being associated with upper-middle class stringent pre-college prep-school dress code, to the incorporation of lifestyle habits by lower standing individuals of North American society. This also clearly models the downward flow theory of adoption of fashion; a style first adopted by people at the top of the social pyramid then gradually winning acceptance at progressively lower social levels (Stone 2008). An innovation of fashion similar to that of â€Å"The Preppy Look† is Christian Door's 1947 â€Å"New Look†.The Haute Couture house introduced it right after the World War II. Contrast to the conservative wartime dressing, this profligate use of materials was well accepted amongst the social elite. Only a tiny minority of women was in a session to purchase the New Look. Because of its singularity and the fact that no other alternatives were available, the years following 1947 saw the trickling down of the it to department stores and then to patterns that could be easily used at home. The fashion system is an instrument of meaning.Consisting of a vast array of methodically linked elements that take the meaning of something from one end to another, changing and reinterpreting it to suit society. With examples of the preppie look and Door's New Look, the diffusion from high society to mass-market clearly wows the way by which meaning quickly changes and adapts around cultural principles and its repercussion reformation. 3 Misconceptions About Fashion Fashion has grown and transcended from bare necessity to a form of non-verbal communication, almost like an extension of the body.With it, there are common misconceptions that are still vastly kept. One of them is that fashion designers and retailers govern what fashion is or will be, forcefully imposing it onto helpless consumers. Although, to a certain extent, designers and retailers play a vital role in the fashion system as gatherers of meaning and injecting them into consumer goods ( McCracken 1986). However, in actual fact, consumers are the ones who decide the contents of fashion, what it will be. By their acceptance or rejection of an offered aesthetic, the design direction is then focused onto accommodating the consumer.In the example of the upward flow theory of adoption, fashion styles can be seen coming from mass-market, low standing society. With the evolution of fashion dissemination throughout the decades, the way fashion moves has progressively opposed what it used to be 50 ears ago. Beginning in low-income social groups, fashion trends from there move upward into the higher-income groups (Elaine Stone 2008). An example covered by Elaine Stone's article is the T-shirt. Generally associated with blue-collared workers and commonplace sportswear, it took a turn during the sass, igniting a brand new fashion cottage industry.The Channel No. 5 T-shirt was the epitome of what was in-vogue then. As a result, retailers and producers look towards this new direc tion of fashion flow, radically revising their methods of fashion forecasting. Today, more effort is focused on pr ©t- ¤-porter runways, aiming at the youths. Fashion is not governed by anyone nor is it a helpless process of induction to its consumers. The consumer plays a vital role in influencing and being influence by designers and retailers alike. The second misconception about fashion is that it acts as an influence solely on women.Men and children are as equally responsive and influenced as women towards fashion. A demand for styles and specific products in menswear and childlessness be it in suits, hairstyles or shoes, Justifies the fact that there is an end hat reciprocates and influences. In the case study of â€Å"The Perfecto Jacket†, we see again the upward flow theory of adoption, in light of menswear. The â€Å"Perfecto† motorcycle Jacket, by Shoot Brothers Company of New York, became a social signifier of rebellious youth culture.This was because of Maroon Brandon, when he wore one in the widely popular movie The Wild One in 1953. The sinister black sheen and knife-slash like zips personified an attitude of rebellion. It was an indicator of the way street style progressively became accepted as part of social culture (Polishes 1994). This clearly illustrated the fact that men from different social stratum had an influence and were influenced by fashion. There was a process of idealization and adoption, much like how women respond to fashion.The last misconception is that fashion an enigmatic and unpredictable force. Contrary to that belief, design direction and the way it changes can be quite accurately predicted by people known as fashion forecasters. These people study the basis of the fashion system to understand it and to utilize this knowledge into the business aspects of fashion. One major trend forecasting website is WOWS. Their method of research goes as follows – input, analysis and output. They offer a smà ¶rgà ƒ ¥sbord of analytical perspectives, from in-depth material predictions to aesthetic forecasts.In the article, Elaine Stone mentions that every action has a repercussion effect and questions its link towards fashion. With the Pearl Harbor bombings by the Japanese in 1941 and the terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center on September 1 1, 2001, it is evident how events that spark social change have an effect on fashion (Stone 2008). Those attacks inevitably led to a sense of nationalism and patriotism amongst the American people – aptly resulting in a trend for clothing and accessories of the colors white, blue and red.Fashion is not a complex force that requires an extreme level of clairvoyance, but is in fact a logical process that can be anticipated by ways of analysis of past, present and future. With its quick evolution and reinvention, fashion is a complex system that ideas seem to have been wrongly interpreted or conveyed. Some of which involve the misunderstanding of consumer roles to the fact that fashion is too complicated to anticipate. However fashion does in fact engage in a healthy designer/retailer-to- nonuser relationship and through immense study of it, can be accurately predicted.Fashion has grown to be something more tangible and cognitively assimilative. Fast Fashion Consumerism is something we witness on a daily basis. We are incessantly bombarded with imagery that encourages the extensive purchase of products. It is everywhere. In this media saturated world, there is no escape. Fashion in this sense, is exploited. People of the fashion world have become so hungry (Polishes 1994). The fashion cycle gives us a clear idea of how this vicious recess works – ideas are generalized, produced, adopted then dropped (McCracken 1986).This all happens at an alarming rate that coincides with the biannual fashion calendar. In a year, there are two conspicuous seasonal showcases – Spring/Summer and Audiometer; each happening almost a full season ahead of the actual (for business practicalities). In between that we have Haute Couture, Menswear, Cruise and Resort collection showcases (Mode  ¤ Paris 2013). That totals about 8 shows in a year for the average homogeneous fashion house, a frenetic pace of activity. With its products there, the question then begets – What is the driving force of the fashion system?The consumers. Fashion acts as a social determinant. People are greatly concerned about the way they look, it affects they way one is perceived and how one feels about oneself (Gains 1999). The desire to imitate celebrities and the influential people of society is factor that is continually growing on consumers of all ages and the buying power throughout Europe (Simmer 1904 & Reenact 2005). The followers of fashion are the bulk of what the fashion industry is, owes it to its lowers (Stone 2008).Fashion ideas are deemed fashionable when a sufficient amount of people accepts it, and these ideas late r go out of style when people no longer associate with them (Gains 1999). Conversely, fashion acts as an outlet of self- expression, a promotion of individualism. Present-day youths tend to combine various styles to in turn create a look of their own. Noticing this, designers of clairvoyant nature have capitalized on it, encouraging this mixing-and-matching approach of fashion. Aside from the patronage of fashion, technology plays a huge part in the stimulation f fashion.The media acts as a convoy to the fashion system, disseminating information; being responsible for the image saturation in society. The fashion press stimulates and coaxes in consumers, famously inducing tastiness like â€Å"Shop till you drop† that psyched the American public into mass consumption (Gains 1999). In the example of fashion House Louis Button, their advertisements can be seen plastered on billboards and across the facades of their duplex stores. Their image distribution has also reached platform s like social media whereby they give the consumer a more p-to-date, interactive experience to the brand.It is this way that Louis Button garners patriotism and markets itself and it is this advocacy of consumerism by meaner of media that helps transfer meaning of products towards the consumer. Technological advancements and changing business dynamics are also factors that act as catalysts towards fast fashion. In delineative case study of China and Italy by Simons Serge Reenact, a shift of dominance in production in the amalgamated silk industry of both countries could be observed with the improvement of technology.The efficiency of production and new distribution channels that inversely reflect societal reforms have inevitably contributed to the pace at which fast fashion has increased further (Reenact 2005). The fashion world is one that comprises of its innovators, hungry-for-more consumers and the people who exploit it. Fashion can be said as a salient notion of planned obsoles ce (Gains 1999). Fashion is presented ahead of its intended period of usage, adopted and deemed fashionable, then obsolete when the same people quit it. It is a cycle that repeats itself on a seasonal basis, with its people almost nonchalantly and blindly embracing it.

The Bad Boyfriend, the Decent Boyfriend

When it comes to types of boyfriends out there, guys fall into three categories the bad boyfriends, the decent boyfriends, and prince charming. The bad boyfriend is the guy that doesn't treat his girlfriend the way she deserves to be treated and tends to go after girls with low self-confidence because honestly he couldn't get any other girl. He does many things to her including cheating, lying, abusing, using, and not meeting her needs. He cheats on her over and over knowing she will take him back. He might mentally or physically abuse her making her feel bad or sad.He uses her for what she can offer him and almost expects it in a way. A lot of bad boyfriends don't meet their girlfriend’s needs. He doesn't pay attention to her needs, like, or wants. He does all this because he simply does not care for her. This type of boyfriend is the lowest of all boyfriends, and if you are this guy then you need to understand that she will eventually get a backbone and dump you. The next ty pe is the decent boyfriend; this is the boyfriend that tries sometimes. He tries to understand what she wants and needs and tries to give it to her.He doesn't know exactly what she wants but tries to please her with whatever he does know. He loves her but wishes she was less nagging and gets upset with it instead of trying to fix the problem. He gets along with some of her family and friends. The decent boyfriend would rather watch TV or play video games then talk or hangout with his girlfriend. He may not be very romantic and he will hardly ever surprise her with things or occasions. He doesn't like expectations put on him by her and he tries not to do anything so that she will not start to expect stuff.This type of boyfriend pleases her to some degree but doesn't really get her and put effort into understand her. This guy makes women question a lot of things and go through moods of feeling good and feeling angry. The confusion shows itself as anger or tears mostly which makes him more confused and hurt her more. If you are this guy you need to start rethinking on how you go about relationships. You are never going to be in a healthy and good relationship with a girl until you start communicating properly and understanding her needs and meeting them. The last type of boyfriend would be prince charming.Obviously this guy is a catch and women would love to have him as a boyfriend. He's not without some faults but when it comes to their relationship he puts more effort in then the other guys. His traits would include: he understands what she needs emotionally, he communicates well which includes both talking and listening, he doesn't lie or use her but instead shares his life with her, he is patient with her and her emotions and he is always there for her to lean on. He surprises her with things that show her how much he cares about her, he doesn't let her get down on herself and instead lifts her up.And last he views her as a lover and a best friend. This guy g ets his woman and if he doesn't get her then he figures out how to please his woman. He's not a pushover but he's genuinely a nice guy who cares about her and her feelings. Of course there are many other types of boyfriends but these are the main three that I have found that my past boyfriends have fallen under, except prince charming. I have not yet found him but one day I'll know exactly who he is from dating the other type of boyfriends. Every girl goes through having a bad boyfriend and a decent boyfriend but you only date one prince charming.

Marketing plan stage2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing plan stage2 - Assignment Example The company should introduce new products in the market and modify existing less popular items according to taste and preference patterns of contemporary consumers. The success of the current marketing plan should be reviewed and determined with the help of several assessment means such as, market share analysis, target customers sales, budgeting and customers’ feedback (Stryker, 1998). The research paper elaborates on an appropriate marketing plan for Pepsi Company. The company operates in a highly competitive industry. With the help of a marketing plan, the company can improve brand position within the industry. However, marketing strategies of the company cannot be formulated without a precise analysis about financial status of PepsiCo (Kotler, 2008). The following financial analysis is based on data collected from financial review of the company in stage one marketing plan. From the trend line above, it can be claimed that scale of business operations of PepsiCo had significantly fallen after the financial crisis (Kotler, 2008). Even so, company’s business has achieved high growth rates 2011 onwards. PepsiCo operates within the beverage industry. Over time, the global beverage industry has adapted to several changes, due to shifts in taste and preference patterns of consumers. The extent of market rivalry experienced by firms within this industry is high, where the biggest rival of PepsiCo is Coca-Cola. Both these firms adopt competitive pricing strategies in business. The products of these firms are sold at reasonable prices so as to capture a wide range of potential customers from different income strata. Hence, it can be claimed that firms within the beverage industry faces monopolistic competitive pressure as they sell qualitatively differentiated products (Kotler, 2008). As in a typical monopolistic industry, each firm functions as a profit

External and Internal Environments Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

External and Internal Environments - Term Paper Example This also indicated that this firm is the 14th most profitable when compared with many other firms of its size (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). Upon considering further metrics, Forbes Global 2000 ranked General Electrics as the third largest company in the world. This paper seeks to discuss the internal and external environments of General Electrics Company. Segments of the general environment The general environment revolves around every condition in the outside or external environment, which is part of a background context of a managerial decision-making. In simple terms, the general environment of an organization is generally the outer layer that widely affects the organization indirectly and in many ways (Heide, 2008). Typically, environmental issues that may affect an organization consist of the social cultural conditions, economic conditions, technological conditions, political and legal conditions and demographic conditions. With reference to the General Electrics Company, two segments of the general environment would rank highest in their influence on this corporation. They are technological conditions and economic conditions (Griffin, 2012). Particularly, every company that chooses to invest heavily in technological advancements stands to benefit a lot especially when it outshines its competitors. General Electronics deals with products and services wherein technology plays a huge role in their success or failure. For instance, General Electrics offers healthcare products (P&Ls) for surgical operations (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). In this business, General Electrics offers a market-leading healthcare in interventional imaging and intra-operative that facilitates guidance for minimal invasive surgical procedures. Imaging products for surgery are integral in more than one sector as they are also pragmatic in other fields, which include orthopedics, general surgery, neurosurgery, cardiology, urology, GI and for specified processes such as management of pain (Heide, 2008 ). Indeed, technological conditions rank highest in its influence on the General Electrics operations. This is so because the world is today flooding with different ways of meeting the same goal but with different means indicating that technology is playing a huge role in influencing the functioning of many corporations (Ireland, Hoskisson, R. & Hitt, 2008). Economic conditions would also rank highest in their influence on the General Electrics provision of services since economic conditions change with time. Profoundly, a company’s performance and operations depend highly on the economic conditions of the time (Ireland, Hoskisson, R. & Hitt, 2008). Economic conditions would rank highest in influencing the operations and performance of this corporation because uncertainty regarding current global economic status poses great risk as its core consumers may continue postponing their spending decisions (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). This could be in response to negative financial news, u nemployment, tighter credit and/or deterioration of the asset or income values. Hence, economic conditions would rank highest in influencing the service provision of this corporation given such uncertainties could cause material negative effects on demand of the company’s products and services (Griffin, 2012). General environmental factors like the economic conditions and technological state have a heightened rank in the operations an

Dadaism and its Influence on Late Mid Twentieth Century Essay

Dadaism and its Influence on Late Mid Twentieth Century - Essay Example The essay "Dadaism and its Influence on Late Mid Twentieth Century" concerns the Dada movement and their art. Design can be shown to have benefited from the innovations that occurred through the Dadaist movement. This paper will review the way in which Dada was defined and relate its evolution to the meaning that was placed in artistic works within the culture of Dada. The discussion will turn towards the work of James Reid and Vivienne Westwoods in order to reveal how Dada has been influential in design. Through focusing on these two designers, the concepts of Dada will emerge as influential to the development of their work and its importance in the evolving topics of design. Defining Dada often leaves the one doing the describing in a perpetual negative space. The explanation is often more focused on what Dada does not represent. Dada does not represent the common, the beliefs that had come before it about what defined art. Dada is about the avant-garde, even though it is technical ly a precursor to avant-garde ideas, but it is questionable that the definition of that term would suffice to describe Dada. Dada can be described for its visual impression, defining what is seen by what is perceived. An example of this is the use of words in order to create a visual impact. What the words say is not more important than the composition of the lettering, the way in which the visual impact performs. The viewer experiences the sensation of reading, but the experience is beyond just that concept. Dada took the evolution of design and printing to a place in which visual impact was used to create communication. At the time of Dada, the explanation of it was obscure; the idea of the irony in its creation meaning that it was the antithesis of all that was art. Dada was â€Å"nothing† as described by Duchamp. According to descriptions by Blythe and Powers (2006, p. 7) â€Å"Dada directed its energies toward challenging accepted notions of art and the tradition of oil painting, most noticeably by designating pre-existing mass produced objects – so called ‘Readymades’ - art and by using the playful language of puns offering humour and simultaneous meanings†. Dada was about using art against itself by creating graphically designed pieces that could be interpreted as anti-art, which in turn made them quintessentially art. The irony of Dada was always that in trying to not be what it was it was more itself. Dada, in not being art, became essentially artistic. Dada was much more than the creation of works of art. The concept of Dada was that it was a culture, defining ways of thinking through new perspectives. Dada was a challenge to the standard, a reversal of tradition in which to be expected would be a sin. Phrases such as â€Å"

Vanessa Bell, Studland Beach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vanessa Bell, Studland Beach - Essay Example Vanessa Bell was writer Virginia Woolf’s sister, her place within the Bloomsbury Group helping to define her position in British art history. She was born Vanessa Stephen, but married Clive Bell in 1907. Their marriage represented some of the new aesthetics that was a result of cultural re-envisioning that was taking place during this time period as they conducted an open marriage. Her third child was openly that of a lover who raised that child as his own (Rowley). The new avenues of thought that were appearing during this time period allowed for an expansion of the ideas of art, just as the ideas of sexuality, social convention, and science were being tested at this time. Secularism had freed the artists from solely addressing religious themes, thus social, sexual, and cultural themes could be explored for the meanings that could be defined from them which began to become expressions of artistic meanings that were outside of any context provided by the subject matter. It is probable that the distaste for the materialism, the bourgeois concepts of capitalism and the consumer aesthetics inspired artists away from the importance of subject matter, the nature of art becoming focused on meaning through colour, shape, and the defining of space (Cottington 32). Bell’s work can be seen as influenced by both Matisse and Cezanne, the work developed through the concept of shape as it defines the subject, colour as it defines the space. The nature of the work not about the scene it represents.... The new avenues of thought that were appearing during this time period allowed for an expansion of the ideas of art, just as the ideas of sexuality, social convention, and science were being tested at this time. Secularism had freed the artists from solely addressing religious themes, thus social, sexual, and cultural themes could be explored for the meanings that could be defined from them which began to become expressions of artistic meanings that were outside of any context provided by the subject matter. It is probable that the distaste for the materialism, the bourgeois concepts of capitalism and the consumer aesthetics inspired artists away from the importance of subject matter, the nature of art becoming focused on meaning through colour, shape, and the defining of space (Cottington 32). Bell’s work can be seen as influenced by both Matisse and Cezanne, the work developed through the concept of shape as it defines the subject, colour as it defines the space. The nature of the work not about the scene it represents, but about the artistic meanings that are present. According to Rowley, Richard Shone described Bell’s work Studland Beach, (1912) as â€Å"in its move towards abstraction†¦one of the most radical works of the time in England† (31). Vanessa’s husband, Clive Bell, had termed the concept of shape and form over subject as ‘significant form’, the piece representing â€Å"an aesthetic purged of narrative sentiment or circumstantial detail† (Rowley 31). However, despite the idea that narrative sentiment and circumstantial detail are missing, like Virginia Wolfe’s fictional work, To the Lighthouse, Bell’s work is filled with the ‘hauntings’ of Julia Stephens, their mother. Even in trying to search for form over meaning, the

Dream Job Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dream Job - Research Paper Example There are various opportunities in different fields. All we need to do is focus on a specific post in a company and try to reach the position by dedication and a little smart work. My dream job is to become a production manager in a software industry. Being in a software industry I will have the opportunity to handle different projects that are helpful in modernization of technology. This assignment will discuss about a job description of a manager along with compensation, benefits and appraisal program in a software company. Most of the software companies in the world hire people with skills in programming and software testing. Being a production manager my responsibility will be to take over the challenges required in completion of a project successfully. A manager in a software company is responsible for selecting a project that can be completed by the team, explaining the details about the project, managing manpower and completion of the project in time. These are the key specifications that a manager needs to take care of while an on-going assignment. There are two major challenges for a manager in a software company. First is to select an appropriate project that the assigned team can handle. The project selected must be easy for the team members so that can complete it in time without any errors. The second most important challenge is to motivate the team members so that they do not take a leave between the crucial days. Lack of proper workforce can lead to delay of job which might not be accepted by a company. Hence these are the two major challenges to take care of being a manager of a software company. Another important responsibility of a manager is to communicate with the management about any threats his team may come across while handling an important assignment. It is a manager’s duty to balance and bridge the gap between employees and management