A Short Essay by Karen Larde

November 8, 2008


Atlanta, Georgia - Haute couture or budget conscious, trendy or conservative, Swarovski crystal jewelry or jewelry from a local drug store, a large portion of consumer discretionary income is spent on fashion.

Fashion, in my opinion, represents the most celebrated impalpable thing on the planet. This uber chic, unstoppable system filters insurmountable information throughout communities, states, and the world alike via media channels such as magazines, the Internet, television, newspapers and direct mail on a daily basis. It’s ability to gain notoriety and publicity at any expense is undeniably fascinating. The potency of its product is so rich that it has its customers lined up outside department stores after Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays waiting to make a purchase. Is there anything else in the world with a greater affect? Maybe Oprah, but even she succumbs to the inexplicable temptations of its power.

As history has shown, fashion dates back to the early Middle Ages during a time of prominence and progression experienced by the Byzantine Empire in ancient Rome. Without an open ended class system, a loyal group of followers and people who can afford to pay the price to look good, fashion as we know it today would not exist. So why is that we keep patronizing this non-entity? Allowing it to warp the minds of American and international children who ultimately end up wanting to pursue a career in it? What about celebrities, socialites, and others that fall prey to its wrath? They too extend their hands out to fashion in exchange for temporary satisfaction. At the end of the day, this powerbroker is worth about a few billion dollars and counting. Not bad for a hustler type that’s been working for centuries and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

What can I say, I myself, have been a loyal slave to it for years, continuously taking note of its success, learning from it and sharing its message with others. Today, we enthusiasts pay homage to the pioneer of the streets, the runway and every à la mode magazine everywhere, fashion, the “real” American gangster. <...

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