A Fashion Magazine Gave Me The Eureka Moment I Have Been Long Searching For

I have been going crazy these last few years trying to figure out how I can work in fashion with integrity — how I can find a way to bridge the connection between beauty and meaning that is actually beneficial to people — not just open a clothing boutique, hope people will wander in, and make them look good. No. That isn’t enough. That’s nothing but a short-term fix and a somewhat leisurely way to pass time and (maybe) make some money.

I want to do something that resonates with people who care deeply about a socioeconomic subject.

I, like many of you I assume, have been soul-searching for a career that means something — a career that feels like you give a damn about a real-world problem.

Thank god my interests have broadened outside of physical appearances and the psychology behind consumerism behavior. Both interesting topics, but that interest really only goes so far when you’re just spouting off opinions and conducting research here and there. I want to see results. Moreover, I want to be part of those results.

I now care about serious concerns of the world like pollution, global warming and child slave labor. Why aren’t more people talking about these things? Maybe I’m talking to the wrong people?

Isn’t She Lovely

Introducing a magazine new to me since the Spring of 2018 that is, in a word, brilliant: Porter Magazine, brought to readers from NET-A-PORTER, the online, premier luxury fashion destination, according to the 6 million people supporting and loving it.

This magazine is so thoughtfully put together, so lustrously written, and so not reminiscent of superficiality that almost always comes as an overloaded accessory associated with the fashion (journalism/publishing) industry.

In the Summer 2018 issue (it is published seasonally, thus another reason for its amazingness as it is in perfect alignment with my minimalist obsession, so only four magazines are needed per year instead of the typical, and now how I view it, wasteful, 12), there is a 66-page spread on our largest, most mysterious ecosystem — the ocean — discussing the very real reality that if we don’t stop dumping plastic into this gorgeous and miraculous body of water, we won’t be able to breath. And if we can’t breathe, we die.

Here is the rundown

A company called Parley, “the space where creators, thinkers and leaders come together to raise awareness for the fragility of our oceans,” is joining forces with major retailers like Adidas, as well as independent designers like Stella McCartney, in an effort to increase awareness on this colossal issue that is seriously harming the ocean and the life in it that calls it home.

Cyrill Gutch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, backs his initiative by stating, “No social group is better suited for this challenge than the creative class,” talking about the prominent and significant people in fashion.

Why team up with the fashion world on this environmental issue?

Because we, as consumers, are attracted to pretty, shiny, luxury, new and colorful objects, especially when those objects signify status.

So if the creatives in the world, who are also activists, are the ones shoving a metaphorical sign in our face on holding ourselves accountable through our purchasing behavior and environmental habits, we’re bound to pay attention.

Reading about this has made me realize we ignore real-world issues because it’s inconvenient for us. We may recognize that bad things go on in the world, but we don’t do anything about them. We might pray at night, hoping and wishing things get better, but is that really a way to propel change?

Luckily, (for those of us who are not a major designer or fashion influencer), us millennials are very into purchasing for a cause, so here is our chance to make an actual difference in the world. To the next person, it may just look like we’re buying another pair of shoes, but for those of us who understand our behaviors affect the world, that’s huge.

Conclusion

If we don’t stop throwing our plastic water bottles, plastic anything into the ocean (why are people doing this in the first place?), life in the ocean will be no more, and if life in the ocean is no longer standing, life on Earth isn’t either.

You can keep up with Parley’s continuous efforts and learn about their other collaborations on their website.

Who knew we had such power?

Thanks for reading!