Fashion Art or Usability?

In my opinion i feel that fashion is a usable art. In all fashions, there was someone with an idea that carried it out and made whatever it was. Most definitely I think that everyone need clothes so therefore they will always be in use. So to me there isn't anyway you could look at clothing, fashion or anything else as anything less then a usability. And also to me it is considered art because it is an expression of ones, style and self view. There are also many other was fashion coincides with art, there are people whom do body paint, which is a fashion, and also when you have photo shoots and fashion shows these are also ways to compare fashion to art.

How has the housing crisis affected home fashion retail?

Today the nation is facing a housing crisis with homes being foreclosed at an alarming rate and two of the largest housing loan institutions, Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, are facing bankruptcy. Therefore, Fashion is definitely suffering. Especially the the home fashion department.
since so many people are facing foreclosure they do not want to spend money on items to make their houses look better, they probably coulnt even if they wanted to due to the fact that they cannot afford it.
But anyway why would people want to spend any money to put in a house that probably has been repossed??

Sweatshops
What is a sweatshop?? A sweatshop is a working environment with very difficult or dangerous conditions, usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situation. When you think of a sweatshop you always think negative. You see movies and different things on TV which portray sweatshops as horrible places. In which they actually are. All over the world sweatshops exists and everyone has their own opinion of the actual effects of sweatshops. The first sweatshops originated in the 1820s, and they consisted of grown women whom were producing garments in America. Yet as fashion prevailed and became more expensive sweatshops expanded all over the world. In other countries which were not viewable to Americans, yet Americans were sourcing to, they had sweatshops which consisted of children of all ages who were getting paid extremely low wages and placed to work in bad environments. This is what changed the face of sweatshops and made they receive such a bad look. The crackdown on sweatshops still goes on today, and it is illegal to place children in these working conditions. If companies are found to have used manufacturers which consists of children based sweatshops they lose A LOT of business which is good in my opinion, because these shops need to be bought to an end.
Here are some opinions of sweatshops I found online:

U.S. sweatshops produce garments - primarily those that require short delivery times - for the domestic market. Sweatshop operators obtain work as subcontractors on other contractors' large orders or on reorders of popular garments that were originally produced elsewhere. These clothes are often indistinguishable from garments produced in legal shops and can be found in stores ranging from discount houses to fashionable boutiques.

Foreign sweatshops are harder to define. Widely varying standards of pay and workers' rights make it difficult to compare practices in the United States with other countries.(http://americanhistory.si.edu/sweatshops/ffchain/4t8.htm)

On August 2, 1995, police officers raided a fenced compound of seven apartments in El Monte, California. They arrested eight operators of a clandestine garment sweatshop and freed 72 illegal Thai immigrants who had been forced to sew in virtual captivity. Although many sweatshops in recent years had been raided, El Monte captured national media attention and was used by U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, California State Labor Commissioner Victoria L. Bradshaw, and others to galvanize the American public into action.(http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/145/)



Young women in Bangladesh are forced to work over
15 hours a day, 7 days a week and get paid just 15
cents for every $17.99 Disney shirts they make.
Picture Source: http://www.nlcnet.org/bangladesh/

Today in my opinion retail is facing many challenges..
Not only is retail as a whole going down because of the economy money wise, But more people just do not want to shop anymore due to low incomes and higher raised prices for clothes. Therefore making it harder for new designers to start lines and be productive. Another challenge of today's apparel retail, in my opinion is outsourcing. With gas being so low and our economy so low, alot of people do not want to have to outsource they are trying to keep our money in America and also do not want to pay for all the legal charges and gas to transport.

I have always liked fashion and appreciated the art of designing and everything that comes along with fashion. For thirteen years of my life, I have been very eccentric and open minded and never able to really settle with one style or one designer’s vision. Therefore since I’m not capable of accepting one favorite designer honestly, I have come to the conclusion that my favorite designer is MYSELF! I have been sewing and designing since I was about 15 years old, so that gives me seven years of experience. My creations have ranged from pillow cases to purses, then later, wedding dresses to club wear. I have competed in local talent and fraternity/sorority competitions. I have been in competitions which were dedicated to sewing abilities as well as patterns and techniques, which have displayed my flat patterns as well as draping patterns. Even though I may have only one line of clothing in which I have made replicas in different sizes to sell, yearly I cater to all of my peers and friends for garment construction for various parties and functions. I also presently work at David’s Bridal in their alterations department with the title of Alteration's Specialist, so that I can improve on my skills and techniques, advancing everyday at work. Therefore that makes me pretty interesting and capable of being my favorite designer. Enclosed are some pictures of dresses and outfits which I have made and have competed with.

Sweatshops
What is a sweatshop?? A sweatshop is a working environment with very difficult or dangerous conditions, usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situation. When you think of a sweatshop you always think negative. You see movies and different things on TV which portray sweatshops as horrible places. In which they actually are. All over the world sweatshops exists and everyone has their own opinion of the actual effects of sweatshops. The first sweatshops originated in the 1820s, and they consisted of grown women whom were producing garments in America. Yet as fashion prevailed and became more expensive sweatshops expanded all over the world. In other countries which were not viewable to Americans, yet Americans were sourcing to, they had sweatshops which consisted of children of all ages who were getting paid extremely low wages and placed to work in bad environments. This is what changed the face of sweatshops and made they receive such a bad look. The crackdown on sweatshops still goes on today, and it is illegal to place children in these working conditions. If companies are found to have used manufacturers which consists of children based sweatshops they lose A LOT of business which is good in my opinion, because these shops need to be bought to an end.
Here are some opinions of sweatshops I found online:

U.S. sweatshops produce garments - primarily those that require short delivery times - for the domestic market. Sweatshop operators obtain work as subcontractors on other contractors' large orders or on reorders of popular garments that were originally produced elsewhere. These clothes are often indistinguishable from garments produced in legal shops and can be found in stores ranging from discount houses to fashionable boutiques.

Foreign sweatshops are harder to define. Widely varying standards of pay and workers' rights make it difficult to compare practices in the United States with other countries.(http://americanhistory.si.edu/sweatshops/ffchain/4t8.htm)

On August 2, 1995, police officers raided a fenced compound of seven apartments in El Monte, California. They arrested eight operators of a clandestine garment sweatshop and freed 72 illegal Thai immigrants who had been forced to sew in virtual captivity. Although many sweatshops in recent years had been raided, El Monte captured national media attention and was used by U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, California State Labor Commissioner Victoria L. Bradshaw, and others to galvanize the American public into action.(http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/145/)



Young women in Bangladesh are forced to work over
15 hours a day, 7 days a week and get paid just 15
cents for every $17.99 Disney shirts they make.
Picture Source: http://www.nlcnet.org/bangladesh/

Today in my opinion retail is facing many challenges..
Not only is retail as a whole going down because of the economy money wise, But more people just do not want to shop anymore due to low incomes and higher raised prices for clothes. Therefore making it harder for new designers to start lines and be productive. Another challenge of today's apparel retail, in my opinion is outsourcing. With gas being so low and our economy so low, alot of people do not want to have to outsource they are trying to keep our money in America and also do not want to pay for all the legal charges and gas to transport.