The Fashion Life Cycle - Diffusions of Innovations
Innovation is the idea of creating something new that has not been seen before, something that has been remodelled or updated to rival current trends. Innovation in fashion means to discover new methods in design, fabrication and techniques, with the aim of creating new trends for the mass to adopt. Fashion trends will come and go, they can have an extreme turn-around, once one idea goes out of date, the mass quickly look to adopt a new one. With this drive to keep up to date with what is the latest trends in fashion. This idea of vanity, needing to look good, to remain on a fashionable level. The innovatorâs new methods in design will cause the mass to either love or reject their garments/product. The mass decide how successful the garment or product will become, depending on the masses current taste in fashion.
An example of a successful fashion innovator is  Alexander McQueen. McQueenâs creations were known for being imaginative, theatrical, eccentric, legendary, a true maverick designer. McQueenâs most famous innovative design of the Bumster trousers, designed for McQueenâs Highland Rape, A/W95 collection. The Bumster trousers remodelled the way in which waistlines were worn. The new style of the lower waistline, became a popular style with the masses throughout the 1990s and 2000s. 90s fast fashion labels and brands reproduced versions, to sell on the high street at a discounted price, making the trend accessible to the mass. Versions of the low waisted jeans, trouser and skirt became mainstream.Â
One main issue within the fashion industry becomes apparent when garments become unwanted or become âunfashionableâ. Garments that are no longer wanted are donated to charity, and then sent aboard to sell or to be disposed of in landfill sites. The clothing sent to landfill will take 100 years plus to breakdown. This is the result of over consumption in fashion and has massive effectâs on the environment.
The fashion industry is slowly working towards a more sustainable production. Introducing the slow movement, where by designers looks for a more ethical way to design, sample, source fabrication, manufacture and distribute to stores. Designers are making collections that incorporate fabrics that are organic, recycled and eco-friendly. With more designers experimenting with biodegradable alternatives, an innovation in fashion design.Â
Designer innovators are taking action through design. Designers like Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett. Using the catwalk as a platform to voice their views. Sending down printed t-shirts, to raise awareness and to take action against climate change and reduce your carbon footprint. Hamnett using her famous organic cotton based t-shits as a base for her political art. Hamnett uses her slogan t-shirts to focus on harm caused by cotton farming, fashion waste, carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. Producing t-shirts with strong statements on like, âClean up or dieâ or âsave the rainforestâ. With the aim of getting the publicâs attention, wanting to change the fashion industry to produce more ethical and sustainable clothing.