On The Bias: Fashion’s Obsession With The West

Fashion is the world’s fourth largest industry but it continues to reflect ‘western’ ideas that crystallized in the crucible of empire during the nineteenth century. On this history of fashion course, explore how the influence of ‘western’ thought is evident at every stage of the Fashion system, from the conception of garments, to their creation and consumption.
Through the exploration of the origins and implications of social constructs that frame today’s Fashion industry, including age, faith, gender, race and sexuality, and drawing upon on the rich and varied collections of the V&A, this course will provide a critical understanding of the causes and consequences of Fashion’s ‘western’-centrism. To know how the industry developed into its current form is important if the increased efforts to make Fashion more accountable, diverse, inclusive, and enjoyable, following the Covid-19 pandemic are to be effective.