#fashion journalism

A brief story I wrote for a journalism class assignment about a current trend. I chose Ethical Fashion as my trend…..

Clothing That Cares; H&M Lead Ethical Trend in Fast Fashion

H&M are joining the bandwagon of big name designers, such as Vivienne Westwood, in making the fashion industry kinder to its workers and the environment.  

International fashion powerhouse, H&M have recently announced they are opening two stores in Sydney before the end of the year. In previous years H&M have had their fair share of controversy with worker’s rights, even as recently as 2013 when workers at a Cambodian factory protested about poor wages. However, H&M have fought back back by launching the ‘H&M Conscious’ initiative. According to CEO Karl-Johan Persson, “We have set ourselves the challenge of ultimately making fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable.” 

H&M are not alone in the move towards ethical fashion production. Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Karen  Walker have all become members of the Ethical Fashion Initiative which links designers with “marginalised artisans in East and West Africa, Haiti and the West Bank.”

The seven commitments of H&M are;

- Provide fashion for conscious consumers

- Choose and reward responsible partners
- Be ethical
- Be climate smart
- Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Use natural resources responsible
- Strengthen communities

As well as focusing on the production of their garments, H&M are giving shoppers the chance to make a difference by becoming the first fashion company to launch a global garment collection initiative. Donated garments fall into one of three categories; rewear, reuse or recycle.

Rewear – clothing that can be worn again will be sold as second hand clothes.

Reuse – old clothes and textiles will be turned into other products, such as cleaning cloths.

Recycle – everything else is turned into textile fibres, or other use such as insulation.

From first-ever partnerships with iconic retailers to internships with the Boston Herald, students from Academy of Art University’s School of Fashion are on their way to influencing the styles of tomorrow. We’ve compiled an article roundup of what’s been happening in the department!

The School of Fashion provides students with the access to tools and cutting-edge facilities needed to help them bring their passions and creativity to the next level. Offering degrees in Fashion, Costume Design, Product Development, Styling, Textile Design, and more, the School of Fashion is buzzing with updates from all angles of the industry.

Check out these five articles in case you missed them!

1.   GANT x Future: Iconic Retailer Partners with Design Students
By Vivien Moon, Fashion Journalist with an MFA from  Academy of Art University

This fall, in the heart of San Francisco, a Menswear Styling class worked on a project unlike any other in the industry: reinventing the classic white button-down. Except this isn’t an ordinary school project but a collaboration between the iconic US retailer GANT and the Academy’s School of Fashion. (Source:The Huffington Post)

2.   Academy Grad Helps People With Disabilities Find Stylish, Accessible Clothing
By Dorothy O’Donnell, Staff Reporter for Academy Art U News

In 2008, Stephanie Thomas realized she needed to come up with her own solutions for helping disabled people with their clothing challenges. Today, she is a stylist based in Los Angeles who specializes in working with disabled clients, including athletes and actors that she dresses for red carpet affairs. (Source:Academy Art U News)

3.   “Facts Are Essential’’: Online Fashion Journalism Graduate Student Kenlyn Jones’ Path to a Boston Herald Internship
By Tyler Drinnen, MA Fashion Journalism student and Fashion School Daily intern

On top of being an MA student in Fashion Journalism in the School of Fashion at Academy of Art University, Kenlyn Jones is currently is an adjunct faculty member at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. For anyone else this would be a full plate, but not for Jones, who recently began a coveted internship with the Boston Herald, one of the two largest dailies in Massachusetts. (Source:Fashion School Daily)

4.   Alyssa Watson: When Fashion Meets Technology
By Academy of Art University

When School of Fashion BFA student Alyssa Watson heard about the 2016 Met Student Design Competition, she knew the challenge was meant for her. Watson had been exploring using 3D printing and fiber optics in her designs; she used cutting-edge technology to construct a garment which won the competition’s top prize. (Source: Academy of Art University)

5.   10 Basics For The Modern Fashion Journalist
By Faye Harris, MFA Fashion Journalism candidate, Academy of Art University

Fashion journalism is a highly sought-after career, and one that’s not necessarily understood in its entirety―and that’s because it’s so multi-faceted. Even though the digital world of online publication is dominating, a fashion journalist can convey news through a plethora of media channels including magazines, newspapers, websites and online publications, blogs, social media, television, books, and more. (Source:The Huffington Post)