Sweatshops are in America too...

photo courtesy www.la.cityzine.com

As I was doing reasearch for this blog, I wanted to parallel a company who uses outsourced labor vs. one who creates its garments in the United States. American Apparel is sweatshop free garemts produced in downtown LA where every employee of the corporation (which recently went public) receives a median salary. Hence, the garmet workers get paid an industry high while the store managers get an industry low. This could have drastically failed for American Apparel if not for its popularity, partly in response to the way it does business. The urban hipster crowd that shops there encompasses a growing social network of young adults concerned with human rights issues.

The follwoing is an interview with the company's CEO, Dov Charney.




I then looked into sweatshops that are technically in the United States. This occurs due to the US imperialist expansion of much of southeast Asia in the early 20th century. Islands like Guam and Saipai are US principalities, but are still operating sweatships as if they were in China. The following video is a expose by a man who went to see for himself what was going on. Un-ironically, these industries are supported by corrupt politicians and businessmen who use their influence of power to keep the industry running at its often inhumane capacity.




One faces opposing moral dilemmas when producing garmets for a company. Do you go the road of American Apparel and live in relative poverty? Or do you buy from sweatshops to ensure a salary that allows you to live comfortably? Personally, I would choose the sweatshops. I beleive working for American Apparel is great when you are young and carefree, but as one ages we like to have some finacial security and luxuries. However, I think the use of sweatshops in US territories is ethically wrong. Though we know garments produced in China are made by underpaid workers, they are in the restrictions of their own government and uninforcable by the US government. Does that make it OK? I can't speak for the women who work in those factories but I know conditions are improving for the most part, and finding any job in a country with such a dense population as China is a good thing.

Art vs. Usability in Milan

Making it in the fashion business is certainly how as a designer and merchandiser one delegates their artistic vision into something the public will buy.  In the past, Italian fashion week displayed the most artistically innovative collections, but hardly what one would wear to a business meeting.  Its a sign of the times that Italian designers are forming more sell able runway looks in order to compete with New York, Paris & London designers.  You can be artistic if you go out of business.  

However, what was once the inspiration of fashion designers all over the world has now become second rate from this restructuring.  Every season has a few misses, but most reviewers agree that s/s 09 in Milan was a great disappointment.  Two designers, to me, did the best at both adapting for an economic recession as well as keeping the artistic element alive in Italian clothing.

The following quote is from Sarah Mower's review of Bottega Veneta's s/s 09 show: 

"It's not a time to be ostentatious with clothes," said Tomas Maier backstage at Bottega Veneta, fingering an artfully faded-out floral-sprigged print on a tea-stained cotton shirtdress. "But our customer has never been like that. And it's not about seasonal dressing anymore—that's gone. People like clothes they can collect and wear for years." Maier's alertness to the sensitivities of our troubled times is part of an emerging picture in Milan. "

 Bottega Veneta S/S 09 RTW photo courtesy style.com

Tomas Maier's Bottega Veneta had a very successful transition into a more wearable Italian RTW line.  The two pictures shown demonstrate a very Italian aesthetic yet completely wearable.

Bottega Veneta S/S 09 RTW  (dress discussed in quote) photo courtesy style.com

Perhaps not as subdued was Consuelo Castiglione at Marni.  This collection was all Milan, yet is (I think) still sell able due to the ever increasing desire for fashionistas to acquire lifelong pieces that are interesting, high-quality and unique.  

Marni S/S 09 RTW photo courtesy style.com

What Marni does is fuse an artistic runway look with usable, sell-able pieces.  This is , ideally, what every designer aspires to do: create a business based on a vision.

Marni S/S 09 RTW photo courtesy style.com

Dressing me: Day & Night

When deciding on what criteria a design would need in order to be the perfect outfit for my tastes (regardless of money, obviously), I have to split the looks into day wear and evening wear.  I think as Americans we too often blend the two without realizing it- and while appropriate now in my 20's it won't be so when I have a career in fashion.  

For a day wear look, I love the aspect of utilitarian minimalism with a hint of glamour and a critical eye to detail.  Subtleties are the backbone of quality garments, and I like the small details that only you might notice.  Vivienne Westwood makes amazingly artistic menswear that is unlike much of American menswear we see today.  Her designs are modern, have regard to aesthetic, and always contain those small details that prove their quality.

photo courtesy of http://www.thevine.com.au/resources/imgdetail/240608032211_vw_455x290.jpg

As for evening wear, it can only be Tom Ford.  His approach to dressing a man is both meticulous and precise, allowing the same attention to detail like Vivienne Westwood but in the ultimate tailored fashion: the suit.  Tom Ford designs a look rather than just a suit, giving a powerful aesthetic to each man.

photo courtesy of http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2007/0704/lmenswear_0423.jpg

If I ever can acquire either a wardrobe full of Vivienne Westwood clothes, or just ONE Tom Ford suit, I'd be content.  If I got both I'd be in heaven!