Fashion as a factor of intercultural communication

Abstract. The paper deals with the analysis of fashion-culture relations. Main trends and problems in fashion industry are discussed. Pros and cons of usage of fashion as means of intercultural communication are described.

Keywords: fashion, culture, intercultural communication.

Fashion plays a psychological, social, aesthetic and economic role in the modern world. Through its unique style a person can tell about himself, his mood, way of life, pastime, etc.

The aim of the report is to describe the relations of fashion and culture in the context of intercultural communication.

Problems to achieve the goal are following:

1) Detection of main trends in the fashion and intercultural communication sphere.

2) Analysis of advantages and disadvantages of fashion as a factor of intercultural communication. 

Nowadays during the rapid development of globalization, fashion has become a phenomenon that influences intercultural communication. Destroying the national framework and at the same time preserving the elements of national cultures, it firmly takes its place in the search for standards of world beauty.

In connection with the openness and accessibility of the latest achievement of world culture, every person in any part of the globe can join the fashion world. The development of international relations in this sphere, the formation of an international market leads to the interpretation of cultures, the rapprochement of people’s and the emergence of universal human interests and needs. It should be noted that one of the examples of such a «dialogue of cultures» is the mutual influence of the East and the West. In fashion, this was reflected in the appeal of European designers to the East, the connection of  Western and Eastern aesthetics [2].

This can also be seen in language. Foreign words are used more and more in the speech of women of fashion. For example, the word «look»  is used to describe the finished images. More and more you can hear about trends, beauty trends and fashion bloggers. A trend is a define phenomenon, a product or an object that sets the tone in one or another field. Fashion bloggers are people who through mass media, inform about trends in the fashion world.

However, with all the positive aspects of this situation, it is also possible to identify very significant disadvantages, such as fashion bulling and universal standardization [1].

The fashion bulling has two treatments. The first is discrimination in appearance and the second, discrimination and racism in the fashion world in relation to models and leadership positions. As an example, you can quote the words of one of the photographers of the fashion magazine: «I do not shoot blacks». And this is not the only case of this attitude towards Afro-Americans and Asian. The fashion industry is very cruel and inhuman.

In everyday life such attitude persecutes adolescents. For decades, teenagers have used fashion as a social weapon. Bullies will pick out peers that are not wearing the best brand of clothing and criticize them. Kids who are different might be a victim of fashion bulling and parents do not know about it.

As stated earlier, another common negative feature is universal standardization, blurring national, ethnic, cultures that can lead to univariate development of fashion and society, when people will consume different but equally fashionable things, while losing their traditional outfits and destroying their own identity [3].

In conclusion, we note that the development of fashion in the 21^st century as a factor of intercultural relations has its pros and cons, but despite this, fashion helps to show oneself and reveals the possibilities for creative accomplishments to any person: black, white, Asian, European, a women or man. Designers can combine traditions and modernity, ethnic and universal. This is the very «dialogue of cultures» in the fashion world.