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Fashion’s Biggest Sellout; You?
By admins | August 25, 2009
So here’s the big question; are you a sellout? In the fashion industry what qualifies as a sellout anyway? Fashion as art and the ideals of haute couture are often the gold standard. So is anything less than high fashion selling out? Once designers would have been appalled by the idea of their brand selling in the mass-market, today it’s commonplace. When H&M brought designer capsule collections to the masses, we all rejoiced. And when Isaac Mizrahi broke down the barrier with his diffusion line at Target, he found renewed success. With fewer and fewer consumers being able to afford luxury goods, and designers and manufactures flailing in this economy, going mass-market seems to be a win, win situation.
While there certainly are financial benefits in this direction, what are the costs of selling out? Obviously, by cutting costs so a line can reach mass-market price-points, the end product will be “less than”. What that means depends of course on the item, but generally, quality will suffer. The quality of fabric, construction, even design will be lost. Additionally, as we often discuss here, the domestic production element is gone. An item produced in NYC will be replaced with an item made in Sri-Lanka. With many of these overseas factories the environmental cost can be quite high not to mention the poor labor conditions. There is also the cost to the brand’s name and image. Designers like Pierre Cardin have diffused their names to the extent that it holds no cache anymore and they eventually lose their core business.
We generally believe the Walmartification of America to be a sign of Armageddon; however, we can see an upside to it. The average US consumer spends less than $65 a month on clothing, which is a far cry from stocking your wardrobe at Bergdorf’s. So, for designers and manufacturers to stay afloat and look out for the best interest of their employees, going mass-market may be their only salvation. Additionally, if you are one of the many Americans who are unemployed during this current recession, being able to cloth your family on the cheap is a necessity. While buying American is ideal, truthfully (and this is the root of our country’s manufacturing problem) most Americans cannot afford what we produce.
- Are you a sellout designer? As a designer, have you seen your standard of creative expression go by the wayside in exchange for a fatter paycheck? And if so, is that really a bad thing? Currently, Target, Sears, Federated/Macy’s, Nordstrom, Barneys, JC Penney, and Saks altogether brings in less revenue than Walmart. The result is obviously less jobs in high fashion for designers. In our current recession with hundreds of designers out of work in NYC, is being unemployed really that noble? Living in the most expensive (and most fabulous) city in the country will cost you, and you can’t pay rent with sketches. Selling out may be the lesser of two evils for now, and in the future you can always return to your true aesthetic. Perhaps this is an opportunity to work from the inside in improving quality and even working conditions of a mass-marketer.
- Are you a sellout consumer? Are you a Forever 21 shopper? Do you love Targey? Do most of your labels say, Made in China? Being fashionable and stylish surely should not be reserved for the elite. Discounters provide the average American the ability to look fashion forward without breaking the bank. We can even argue that looking fashionable on a budget takes more creativity and ingenuity than if money were no object. At the same time, do you the consumer not have a moral or ethical obligation to think about the products you buy? When you are buying a heavily embroidered knit top for $12.99 at Walmart, you must wonder in what working conditions was it made. Especially as women, we should consider what labor conditions fellow women are sewing away in and how little they are being paid for the long hours needed to get the newest knock-off trends in stores fast enough for you. Not too mention when money is tight, perhaps the answer is to become less of a “bargain” shopper and more of a smart shopper. Buying quality over quantity is always the smarter choice.
- Are you sellout fashion blogger? Seems like an odd question as you are not actually producing or purchasing clothing, but still you have an influence. For every post promoting “get the look for less” are you not encouraging your readers to sell out and reward cheap imitators with buying dollar? What does a “what I wore” post featuring a Forever 21 dress say? When promoting a product from a company known for sweatshop labor and exploiting women, is that the message you really want to send? At the same time do we really need more runway, high fashion centric blogs? Fashion blogs are a great place to hear from real women (and some guys) regarding their shopping habits and general fashion musings. If we only wanted to read couture and the lifestyles of the nauseatingly rich and unrealistically fabulous, we could simply pick up the latest issue of Vogue.
So what’s the prognosis, are you a sellout? And if so do you care? Should it even matter? Clearly there are many sides to this argument, and regardless of what side of the fence you fall on, we hope this post inspires you to think more next time you design, shop, or blog.
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Topics: Opinion, fashion industry | 21 Comments » 
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August 26th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I’m sort of a fashion blogger like yourself and i love my labels. I never do the whole ‘dress-for-less’ thing even when money is tight I’d rather wait until I can afford the clothes I want rather than go out and but something (like you said) of sub quality.
You’re right about buying quality over quantity.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Love this piece especially that you showed both sides of the argument. At work I try to absolutely stay true to my design integrity but admit that I have sold out while shopping. Going for the cheap and easy goods happens, damn this recession!
August 26th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
“Selling out” is so subjective and the lines are so blurred these days. As a designer I think our vision of what success is changes when reality hits. Many dream of being the next Betsey Johnson or working for Chanel when we are students, so the feeling of selling out is often inevitable. Even if we are launching our own line or working at a great company there is always that comparison to someone who is ‘better”.
August 27th, 2009 at 3:43 am
For me fashion has become more a game of pick and mix. As someone that actually works in the field of Fashion Journalism I think it’s clear there aren’t the same stigmas attached to differing areas of the market and if anything one is now encouraged to develop a sense of personal style, even if that means mixing high-end with mainstream. One only needs to look at the array of looks being worked across the pages of the glossies as so called IT girls mix a Topshop dress with a pair of Louboutins and a Chanel bag or vice versa. I think this is now seen as the benchmark and the unwavering pursuit of labels at the EXPENSE of style is seen as undesirable.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
[...] 39th and Broadway: Are You a Fashion Sellout? [...]
August 27th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
[...] 39th and Broadway: Are You a Fashion Sellout? [...]
August 27th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
The sellout question is a tough one for me as I could never afford designer fashions (as of yet). But I also do try to avoid the copycat items out there, and haven’t bought much of the soandso for h&m or target stuff.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Since I work for the 34th Street Partnership to promote a retail district that has a F21, two H&M’s, Old Navy, etc. my answer is obvious. I and my company wishes we had more quality, independent retailers, but Manhattan real estate pricing doesn’t allow for much of that anymore. As a consumer, I wish I could shop like I used to: designer pieces on sale every season (and still wear most of them today). But I can’t currently afford it. So what’s our solution? And there must be resources on the internet that tell you who’s a good retailer and who isn’t, then we try and spend our money accordingly.
But I must admit I would have been hard pressed to get through maternity without H&MMama!
August 29th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Great post. I know LOTS of sellout consumers. Personally, I’ve never wanted a cheap counterfeit of good work. If I can’t afford the good work, I’ll get something else entirely.
As a designer, it’s depressing that it’s so hard to make things locally for financial reasons. I still do it, but it’s hard.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:26 am
I was waiting for someone, anyone to address this issue. I don’t really think buying something that Matthew Williamson designed for H&M or what Anna Sui is doing for Target is being reduced to “copycat” status, but of course the quality isn’t as superior and hence the lower prices.
I think it’s a personal choice thing. I wouldn’t mind picking up a pair of Jimmy Choo for H&M shoes, for example.
Great post, darling!
XO
August 30th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
[...] 39th and Broadway: Are You a Fashion Sellout? [...]
August 31st, 2009 at 10:22 am
Ah, I never thought about the blogging side of the sellout issue. I love this article, it brought up some great points.
August 31st, 2009 at 11:30 pm
[...] 39th and Broadway: Are You a Fashion Sellout? [...]
September 1st, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I don’t put a lot of really high end designer apparel on my site for the sole reason that I can’t afford it at this time myself. It’s so easy to point the finger and say that someone is selling out. The reality is that we’re in a huge recession and if for some reason you can afford to buy the real thing instead of knock offs, then hooray for you! Consider yourself lucky.
Most of us can’t, even us fashion bloggers who would love to. I shop at Forever 21, vintage and thrift stores and I try to support new indie designers or online stores like Need Supply Co or Pixie Market (their stuff isn’t cheap, but most of it is not over $200).
The funny thing about high end designer labels is that if you actually look at the labels, you’ll see that a lot of the stuff is actually made in China and third world countries. When you’re spending a ton of money on clothes, you’re not always buying good quality, you’re buying good marketing. Keep that in mind.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:09 am
where have i been? this blog is amazing.
i definitely try to do my part. i blog independent designers. i make what i design. i try to keep it unique and the quality high. but of course it’s difficult to sell higher priced items.
this blog entry is great in that it addresses the subject from all sides. the push does need to come from all sides. but that goes beyond the fashion industry. if the economy is a mess, it’s just elitist to not recognize that some buying is out of necessity. and you mentioned that too.
i think the cheapest and easiest way to make changes in this area is definitely having people talk even more about not buying throw-away fashion, and thinking about where things come from, how and what they are made of, and if there is a long-term quality monetary value to the item they want to buy. it’s cheap to blog.
if you don’t have to follow trends then you can always trade clothing, buy vintage, etc, and still have “new” looks for you. no new news there, but still relevant. i think of buying from second hand stores as renting clothes, i get tired of them, i give them back, they sell them again, and their charity gets more money. it’s not for everyone but i like it.
April 6th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
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April 9th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I had a whole thought formed, but Kate pretty much stated what I was going to. So…what Kate said! :D
April 9th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
The question of what constitutes a fashion sellout and whether I’m a fashion sellout or someone else is a hard one to answer, particularly because fashion isn’t a purely artistic pursuit and is tied to the nitty gritty of business and economics. You can buy a top from a local designer, but did that local designer decide to produce overseas? Even if that designer’s production is in North America, where are the textiles and component parts (buttons, snaps, trim, etc.) sourced from? In this era of globalization, it’s a slippery slope once you dig under the surface. I do like how you’ve raised different sides to this issue and acknowledged that sometimes it’s not possible to pay for the high end stuff and you just have to clothe yourself with what you can afford.
April 10th, 2010 at 12:04 am
I have to say that I agree with Kate. When I was in college I boycotted Walmart because I was outraged at the way they treat their employees and at the way they do business in general. However, I did a lot of research for a seminar regarding the garment industry in the U.S. and it actually wasn’t that different from other countries. Women are badly treated and the working conditions are deplorable, but we are told to buy into it because it was “Made in the U.S.A” All that means is that the abuse took place here instead of overseas. So is that really better?
I completely agree that we should pay attention to where things are coming from, but we shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that because it was made here, it’s of superb quality or that the working conditions here were any better.
April 10th, 2010 at 3:09 am
I keep TRYING to sell out! ;-)
July 1st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Very interesting and indeed inspiring article! However, I couldn’t help but notice that there is a big “skyscraper” ad for Forever 21 situated right next to this article? Hmmm…….