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Suffering in fashion: the links that expose issues for the future production of garments and their appropriation as fashionable items

This research investigates the under-researched topic of suffering within the fashion industry and assesses whether this could be a source for the evolution of creative design and production ideas. Human suffering is identified as both physical and mental pain and I examine whether definitions of suffering in fashion share a similar premise that can influence the way fashionable clothing is designed, produced and consumed. To emphasise ways that aspects of suffering are inherent within contemporary fashion I identified four key issues (1) fashion victims; (2) slimming the body; (3) fashion and morality; and (4) masquerade and disguise. These were categorised as topical debates within numerous articles in the fashion press, including Vogue, Drapers, Elle, Glamour, Tatler and were also issues explored by scholars in fashion theory; (Davies, 2001, Riberio, 2003; Schiemer, 2010; Tseelon, 1995; Wallerstein, 1998). The literature review revealed a lack of research that considered how suffering relates to fashion changes. I decided to research four fashion collections from emerging designers (Hollingworth, Hudson, Treacy, White) to analyse how suffering influenced their designs and to test if suffering is a motivating factor for re-inventing fashion products. My research evidences how the fashion collections transpose the 4 fashion issues related to suffering into the design and construction of the garments through a cycle of suffering, change, design and production.