Editor’s Message
Welcome to Volume 2: Issue 3!
This issue we’re taking a deep dive into the world of tech—all things cyber, online, and futuristic. Technology has impacted fashion and beauty in more ways than one. From social media platforms and their influencers, online shopping, or 3D printing—we really cannot escape technology’s influence. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up for debate!
On a personal and more day-to-day level, our immediate means of experiencing the intersection of fashion and technology comes in the form of social media. The formidable rise of the fashion blogger and subsequently the influencer is undeniable—even in niche fashion communities. This creates an online hierarchy of sorts—the people with more followers must be more fashionable, right? To us at The COMM, online or offline, passion matters the most. We will always feature COMMunity members with a small following, as The COMM is dedicated to being a place that gives every creative a platform to express themselves and their art. We all have to help each other in this numbers driven world!
Technology has also been pushed to the forefront of our conscience when it comes to fashion creation. Many consumers are asking where and how their clothing is produced.
Is it ethical? Is it sustainable? Is it an original design?
Online retailers like Fashion Nova are somehow able to produce exact replicas of Thierry Mugler archive pieces the day after they have been worn by a Kardashian (or maybe even before—see this Diet Prada post for the scoop). In the wake of this, the question must be asked: Have we reached the breaking point with fast fashion? You see something online, buy it that day, have it shipped to you the next day, and then post a picture of you wearing it. Technology has made the process of buying garments that much easier for the consumer: low effort, low price, high pay-off (think of all the likes you’ll get on Instagram wearing those new Zara pieces taken straight off the runway!).
But on the other hand, new and advanced technologies have become a catalyst for fashion innovation. 3D printing is a technology designers such as Iris van Herpen are embracing, and we will be exploring the fascinating world of 3D and fashion in a later article so be sure to check that out! In Volume 1, we had a whole issue dedicated to cyber styles and future-inspired fashion—and we are going to revisit it again this issue, but bigger!
And have you ever noticed that The COMM’s URL ends in .online? Since we represent people from all over the world, the only way the community can all be in the same place at once is online, right? Hopefully in the future we can meet all the COMMunity members offline, too! In the meantime, we always want to see what the COMMunity members are up to, so if you want to show off your creativity please tag us on social media using the hashtag #thecommoffline.
We hope this issue makes you feel inspired to rethink your ideas about technology and all the forms it takes in the world of fashion!
Choom
Editor-In-Chief