Willy Loman, Meadow Lark Lemon, Ricardo Moltobon, have you heard of them? These so called fashion fans never had either, yet they lied about it in the name of cool. Why?
How far are you willing to go to look cool? Come on, admit it—we’ve all told a little white lie in the name of self-elevation. You know, when we are wrapped up in conversation with someone we aren’t exactly familiar with, or maybe a little intimidated by, we nod our heads agreeing like lemmings that ‘oh yes, we know that person’—or place, or seen that foreign film.
Okay, so we’ve all been there in one form or another, right? But I know you’ve never taken it this far.
During New York Fashion Week, Jimmy Kimmel’s team brought their “Lie Witness News” to the steps of Lincoln Center to see if fashion week attendees would take the bait. The film crew blended into the chaos of runway show attendees and asked questions about made-up designers like Joe Azoozoo, George Costanza and Eddy Munster’s line and so-called model trends like the Uni Boot. The individuals thought they were being interviewed by verified press, one of the many that flood the parade circling around fashion week, and plenty of the self-proclaimed fashion fans and even industry professionals nodded and confirmed the non-existent fashion designers and trend.
Watch the video above: It makes me wince and fill with empathy each time another interviewee agrees with a lie.
What’s going on here?
The industry has created a monster feeding off exploited rapid trends–just like the music industry is banking off on Miley Cyrus’s naked body. It’s hurting Miley, it’s hurting the designers, and it’s hurting the community who are in a confused circus of peacocks.
The mainstream fashion industry today isn’t about the craft of making a garment or the brilliant construction of the clothing or the viewing of a true dedicated artist’s work–it’s about blind consumption and dollar signs. The sharpest, most dedicated designers I know don’t do runway shows. They don’t fling clothes at bloggers or hire PR agencies to promote their lines. They put their heads down and follow their gut instinct. They are artists in love with the creation process and with complete conviction make a living off their craft. They don’t follow they lead. And certainly, they don’t entertain customers like the ones in the video.
“The fact that I couldn’t even see the dog poop shows that she’s a good model. Because until you pointed it out, I was like ‘Oh, she looks great. What’s wrong with this?’ And then you’re like, the dog poop, on the head.”
See Also:
Between The Lines: From NYFW to the Garment Factories of Pakistan
Where Will Fast Fashion Leader H&M Strike Next? Africa Is Likely