How did fashion get mass acceptance? If you think about it deeply, you are bound to get numerous answers. But the most prominent answer that will peep in our mind is media. Magazine, newspapers, websites, blogs, social media platforms, television and books are the sections of media. Media enabled consumers to have much more interaction with the fashion world. Designers, trendsetters, editors influence and are influenced by media. We know that fashion made its debut before media-at least as we comprehend the term ‘media’ now. So at first it’s important to know what the word ‘ fashion’ actually means. Today most of the people regard fashion as those attitude and style of dress that are popular within specified time frames and adopted by the masses. Famous fashion designer Coco Chanel quote about fashion and that is,
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress;
Dress impeccably and they remember the woman”
Fashion influences our life style. It doesn’t influence not only because it allows ous to dress fashionably but also gives comfort and protection, conceal nudity and express modesty.
Most of the time people follow the famous fashion designers, fashion weeks or the trends going on and the best way to know about this things is media. The word ‘media’ comes from the latin, meaning ‘middle layer’. Media works like a middleman that serves ‘to bring together’. In fashion, media is a rising segment of the fashion industry. It creates content that impresses consumer’s behaviour and desire through print journalism, television, social media. Fashion magazines had long been leaders in fashion journalism but now in the modern time fashion media is expending and establishing itself as the new leader. Media has brought about new channels to advertise fashion houses to reach their target markets. Although the marketing strategies and tactics have changed but the target of marketing fashion remains the same and that is to attract and hold customers. The relationship between fashion and media has come to exist after decades of evolution and the impact is infinite. It has become easy for fashion communication to provide the rapidly modernizing world with mass products more cheaply and quickly than when this works were done by hands. Labels are now able to connect and build lasting relationship with customers at the push of a button.
Fashion industry is one of the business sectors where frequent changes occur. To spread current changes among the mass people, fashion brands use media and advertise their target markets. It provides the customers with company updates and announcements about new fashion lines, events and promotions. Fashion business should concentrate on posting a myriad of contents to stay relevant to the customers. Brands put their clothing in magazines and consumers get ideas and inspiration about the new arriving through the pages. In fashion shows models wear the designed cloths done by named fashion designers and media covers the show on television so that people can watch. The runways of the big four ‘Paris, Milan, London and New work’ dominated the scene across the globe for many decades. Media eyes were always trained on the big four. Through the internet fashion can be expanded without a runway, expensive adds or an actual store. In the twenty first century the apparel industry has been marked as the retail market selling fashion online. Media has given the opportunity to general people to feel more connected with fashion world. It has a significant role in boosting the fashion industry.
Musharrat Tasnim Soumeen
Department of Textile Fashion and Design,
Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX),