Globalisation
This week's lecture was about globalisation, colonialism and orientalism. I learnt that globalisation is a trend which sees time and space compressed and the concept of what is 'local' is altered.
The historic example of textiles that I have picked to analyse the production, dissemination and consumption of is the man's suit made by Mr. Fish in 1968 and currently on display at the V&A.
Production: It was made in 1968 by Mr.Fish, a London tailor. It was made from furnishing fabric manufactured by 'Hexter' in the USA. It was produced to be in keeping with the trend for bold colours and striking "ethnic" designs of the latter half of the 1960s. The fact that it is a man's suit made from furnishing fabric is typical of the anti-establishment attitudes of young men in the 1960s.
Dissemination: The fabric was made in the USA, so it would primarily be utilised by Americans and the odd traveller, like the purchaser of this suit who bought it on a trip to the USA and brought it back with him to the UK. The suit is currently displayed at the V&A and on their website, as an example of 1960s fashion.
Consumption: The fabric was intended for use as a furnishing fabric for Americans, but it ended up being turned into a garment which was worn by the English owner. As this was made to be fashionable for that time, I doubt that the owner would have worn it more than a couple of years. Now that it has been donated to the V&A, it is now being consumed by members of the public who visit the museum, or who search their online collection for pleasure or research purposes.
The contemporary example of textiles that I will analyse is a "gypsy top" from House of Fraser
gypsy top from House of Fraser
Production: This top was produced to look "ethnic" - a romanticised stereotype of old-fashioned gypsy garments. The company's company of origin in the UK, but the top was made in China, where they can pay workers lower wages and have a higher profit margin.
Dissemination: These tops are mass produced and sold in-store across the UK, as well as online. The website ships this top internationally.
Consumption: As it is mass produced and relatively cheap, this top would be quite widely consumed - mainly in the UK but possibly by people outside the UK as the website allows for international shipping. As it is quite cheaply made, it is probably not very long-lasting, so the majority of consumers won't keep it for very long.
The impact of globalisation has contributed to a "flattening of taste". This loss of diversity is due to global brands having stores in every city and town all over the world, and every style is available everywhere at any one time. Globalisation opens up more variety and diversity in terms of products available for people, but it also makes it easier to global brands to have a monopoly over style.
Globalisation doesn't only occur from the West to 'the rest'. In the image below is a rug made in Tunisia between 1950-1970. There are some striking similarities in the patterns and colours of the rug with the 'Hexter' furnishing fabric manufactured in America in the 1960s, of which the Mr. Fish suit was made. The 1960s were a time of great social upheaval, and among the youth culture, there was a desire to seek out cultures other than their own to open their minds and challenge the establishment. Visual culture from Africa and Asia had a significant influence on fashion/textile design in the 1960s.
References:
Barker, C. (2008) 'A New World Disorder?' in Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, Sage, pp. 141-147
Man's Suit by Mr. Fish (1968), Available at: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O7844/mans-suit-mr-fish/ (Accessed: 11 December 2016).
Izabel London Deep Frill Gypsy Top, Available at: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Izabel+London+Deep+Frill+Gypsy+Top/253188689,default,pd.html (Accessed: 11 December 2016).
Rug from Tunisia c.1950-1970 Available at: http://collections.textilemuseum.ca/index.cfm? page=collection.detail&catId=6292&row=699 (Accessed/downloaded: 11 December 2016).