British Vogue teams up with Alexa Chung for fashion’s saving grace
There are a lot of misconceptions and confusion surrounding the fashion industry. Those of us who are pursuing fashion in some way had to at some point decide either to ignore the daunting rumors or jump head in and figure out whether or not they were true. Regardless of why we are interested in fashion, we are here. Though the world that we all immerse ourselves in of conceptualization, design, textures, fabrics, photoshoots and everything else encompassing the creative and production process is not so adoring to everyone else. The fashion industry is somewhat feared by not just young adults, but parents as well. Danielle Bennison-Brown, director of video content at Condé Nast U.K., said that when researching young people’s interest in the fashion industry she found that “Young people found it to be quite a scary industry, [and] parents didn’t want their kids going into it because [they thought] it didn’t have job security … ”
British Vogue has teamed up with Alexa Chung, fashion designer and former model, to create a documentary series that takes a look behind the scenes and offers some clarity.
“The Future of Fashion with Alexa Chung” features Chung interviewing different leaders in the industry from Balmain designer and creative director Olivier Rousteing to fashion journalist Sarah Mower. The series was conceived to both give fashion a “wider cultural context” as well as help young people who want to work in the industry and understand the myriad of roles that are offered. Bennison-Brown said, “It’s very much about trying to educate people on how fantastic [the fashion industry] is, because it’s often portrayed as ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or ‘Ugly Betty’ and that’s kind of the only representation we have in video content.” Chung added that she hopes the series will highlight “just how hardworking people [in the fashion industry] are and that fashion is more than just Champagne and air-kisses,” she said. “It’s easy to be dismissive of fashion when actually it’s a huge industry that has a very positive impact on the economy and employs a staggering number of people.”
With today’s overload of information which is not always credible, it’s so much easier to become misinformed. Just as potentially damaging as misinformation is also complete ignorance. I know from personal experience that I was met with some slight initial hesitation from my family when I proclaimed that I wanted to pursue a career in fashion. No one in my family or even in my state truly knew anything about a career outside of standard practices like medicine or engineering. This series doesn’t just focus on design or retail. It truly goes into multiple sectors of fashion with everyone offering differing perspectives. Resources such as these could be the saving grace for students and parents. Third-year fashion marketing and management student Gabby Robinson said, “I love watching fashion documentaries and little series like these. Fashion is somewhat of a secluded world that no one ever really gets to see behind the scenes, so it’s so helpful to see how the different parts of the business move and it could really change someone’s career path. As far as my parents, they’ve always been supportive, but I know showing them something like this would help them understand fashion and my career goals better.”
Third-year fashion marketing and management student Tiffanie McAllister also commented, “This is great because you always just see people at a certain stage in their career or in a certain position but you have no idea how they got there. Everyone’s path is different and I love how in the series, she talks to different people and discusses how they got to where they are. Everyone isn’t the same. You always hear how there’s a lot of paths to take to get into the industry, but it’s reassuring to hear someone actually talk about them and see that you can still be successful.”
Alexa Chung brings an exciting and quirky energy to the interviews which makes them unorthodox but still informative. There are some hard truths that we deserve to know that can help us all along our journey. The industry is hard work but for some, it’s truly worth it. The series is available on Vogue U.K.’s YouTube channel which you can view here.
