Welcome to

PRIVILEGE AND POVERTY IN VOGUE INDIA:

Abby K. sent me a link to this New York Times article about the August issue of Vogue India. The issue has sparked controversy because of a fashion spread that shows poor Indians modeling extremely expensive brand-name accessories, such as this child modeling a Fendi bib that costs around $100 while being held by a woman prominently missing teeth:

Or this one of a barefoot man, also missing teeth, holding a Burberry umbrella that costs about $200:

From the article:

Vogue India editor Priya Tanna’s message to critics of the August shoot: ‘Lighten up,’ she said in a telephone interview. Vogue is about realizing the ‘power of fashion’ she said, and the shoot was saying that ‘fashion is no longer a rich man’s privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful,’ she said.

I’m not sure where to even begin with this one. The objectification of the poor, who are used as props in a fashion magazine aimed at people very different from them? The oblivious discussion of the ‘power of fashion,’ while ignoring the issue of how much these luxury items cost relative to average incomes in India? I’m especially struck by the way that the inability to spend $200 on an umbrella is no longer seen as a privilege because ‘anyone’ can ‘carry it off’; it’s not about having $200 extra dollars, it’s about having the mindset to know you can carry these items and won’t make them look ugly or tacky, apparently. There’s a complete denial of privilege and power having anything to do with wealth,  social stratification, or any inequality more consequential than some people maybe worrying that they won’t ‘make’ fashion ‘look beautiful’ (which in and of itself is an interesting idea-it’s not whether the fashion items make you look beautiful, it’s what you do for them).

Compare to other interesting fashion spreads here, here, here, here, and here.

Thanks, Abby!

(Via Sociological Images.)

Since this is blinky ALERT LEVEL RED week, we’re giving everyone a special treat from the pages of CRAFT - Here’s how to make an LED shirt, you could make just about design and pattern, you know like an Aqua Teen Hunger Force LED Ignignokt Mooninite. In fact, if you make one and you’re the first, we’ll give something awesome from the Maker store!

We know that by adding just a ‘lil bit of simple technology to your sewing skills, it will be worth in the end when your lighting up the streets with your cool wares. Featured in CRAFT: 01 was the “The Electric Tank Top” where you can make a fashionable tank with any pattern you wish.

From the pages of CRAFT:

From our Projects section:

Fashion designer Diana Eng has a tutorial up on Gizmodo with a close up view of how to sew LEDs into your clothing. Link.

Designer Syuzi Pakhchyan of Sparklab taught one of the top workshops at our Maker Faire last year on how to make her Wearable Light Bracelet. Here’s the PDF of her project so you can make one for yourself. Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on February 1, 2007, 6:29pm