Why Fashion Matters

Frances Corner

An illuminating introduction to the expanding influence of fashion from the perspectives of design, technology, sustainability, and business

Fashion matters for the economy, to society, and to each of us personally. Faster than anything else, what we wear tells the story of who we are—or who we want to be. It is the most immediate form of self-expression.

Yet even as fashion touches the lives of each and every one of us, its influence and the vast creative industry that it supports can seem mysterious to outsiders. In Why Fashion Matters Frances Corner, Head of London College of Fashion, guides readers into the dizzying world of this rapidly expanding, increasingly global, always exciting industry.

In provocative and intriguing entries, Corner teases out the glorious intricacies and contradictions of an industry that simultaneously values technology and craft; timeless style and fast fashion; the bespoke and the mass-market; consumption and sustainability; cold, hard numbers; and creative expression. From “Shop 'til We Drop” to “The White Shirt” to “The One Trillion Dollar Business” each entry offers a unique avenue into fashion and its impact, both positive and negative, on lives around the globe.

Reviews

More than an industry primer …offers a thoughtful and learned portrait of fashion and its effect on the world.

— Publishers Weekly

A wise and compelling book.

— Library Journal

Contributors

Frances Corner

Author

Frances Corner is the head of London College of Fashion, the world’s leading educational establishment specializing in fashion education, research, and consultancy. She sits on the British Fashion Council’s Advisory Board and the executive committee of the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes, and regularly advises stakeholders in the fashion industry. She writes widely on art and design education and her previous publications include Why Fashion Matters.