Fashion and culture have an age-old relationship, but one that could probably benefit from an overhaul.
, that cultural “tunnel vision” of sorts, he said, “tends to be a very culturally appropriating way of tapping into culture.”
Brands must become “listening brands,” according to Ramos, and they need to listen to more than just what their customer wants in terms of product or sustainability, but to listen and hear what that diverse consumer is saying is important to them and why. To do so, however, will require some self-reflection and solidifying a brand identity, not just running “all over the place” in an often-messy attempt to quickly latch on to what’s new and now.
“The idea of what is a trend, it is so much more fluid and that’s why it becomes less about colors and fabrics and more about what are those conversations [being had],” Ramos said. “That’s why brands need to have a better system to embrace culture, starting from how they hire to how they get inspired to the processes, and what that would look like in terms of trend inspiration and design.
How? Through cultural immersion sessions, Ramos said. It’s truly attempting to get inside a culture rather than peering at it from a very distant outside and self-determining what’s compelling. It’s talking to influencers and artists, reading literature and listening to podcasts the community connects with, it’s looking individually at the Black experience, the Asian experience, the Latine experience and the nuances within each.
“This shift is all around the drastic tectonic shifts we’re seeing across sociocultural structures and the individual’s relationship,” he said. “There continues to be a strong anti-establishment sentiment. A post-pandemic chaotic state of euphoria to make up for lost time is launching an aesthetic code that is carefree, over the top and futuristic. There is an unapologetic vibe at work and it is broad in how it draws inspiration. The result is an extreme mashup and sense of experimentation.
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