The New is not New

too much has NOT changed in the apparel + textile industry for hundreds of years

At this point how does one focus on anything but the epic mess the world is in, especially if you live in the USA like I do? It’s been exhausting seeing the headlines, the injustices, the environmental and social setbacks, etc. All the while Autumn/Winter 2025 fashion shows took place February through March, from NYC to London to Milan to Paris. During these strange and trying times, it is often the arts that become a powerful place and use of energy. Yet ‘Fashion’ is not really about an artistic vision anymore but instead an advertisement for a brand to sell as many goods as possible in an industry worth at estimated $1.7 to $2.5 trillion annually.

I used to obsess over the fashion shows each season! When I was a teenager there was a tv channel I was addicted to that showed different fashion shows or interviews between designers and Tim Blanks all day long. Over the last decade I’ve become less and less interested in them. Part of this I think is due to my personal changing priorities, awareness, and interests but another part of this is I think due to how the industry itself has changed or in many ways has not changed.