The earliest memory I have of reading fashion magazines was in a nail salon, while waiting for my aunt to get her nails done. Looking back, I don't remember much of what was featured in those magazines in the early 2000’s— just copious pictures of celebrities with glamorously windswept hair, the word “sex” printed in bold, red, sans serif on nearly every cover, and many, many editorial photoshoots of thin, white models gazing semi-apathetically at the camera.


I think it’s safe to say that when I flip through a fashion magazine today, there’s a stark contrast to what was featured back then. Articles about people of diverse backgrounds and cultures fighting against societal pressures and the status quo fill the pages, while editorials feature models of all ethnicities, shapes, and sizes. Topics discussing mental health and physical disabilities are no longer taboo, and are instead tackled with great sensitivity and care.



The upheaval in content is a welcome change, not only allowing for better and more diverse representation reflective of the wide variety of readers and consumers of today, but also to educate individuals on the issues faced by others. But what I find to be the most important about this shift in content is how genuine these stories and features now feel.



Empathising with marginalised and underrepresented groups while applauding progress and the breaking of glass ceilings is an important part of writing and publishing. Fashion media platforms are no longer simply about featuring certain coveted ideals and standards, but about celebrating and encouraging the positive impacts and further progress we have made as a society.


The key to connecting media platforms with its diverse audience is
to genuinely care about their story. After all, there’s a huge difference in the borderline voyeurism of other marginalised groups’ struggles, and the desire to want to give them a voice and platform to share it.



Performative “wokeness” is another thing that we don't need right now (see: articles that claim to bring attention to certain matters within the industry while turning a blind eye to other prevalent issues). In these situations, it’s clear when authors are pandering to certain audiences in hopes of cultivating some form of cult following all in the name of monetary profit.



A perfect example of this would be the way we tackle the topic of sustainability. Sustainability— the hot new buzzword of the fashion industry, what with the issue of climate change becoming more pertinent with each passing day. Several fashion brands have been eager to jump on the electricity-powered-energy-saving-hybrid bandwagon by proving their production and manufacturing processes to be both eco-friendly
and sustainable.




Despite this, some have instead opted to go down the greenwashing route, simply stating that they have switched to similar processes, while continually using shady practices and strategically withholding integral information about their manufacturing line.



Lots of media platforms have nonetheless featured such brands on their platform, failing to take these underlying issues into account. Ultimately, this results in a greater number of well-intentioned people buying into these greenwashing fables, exacerbating the issue instead of actually helping to resolve it.




That's not to say that every single platform that has accidentally promoted a brand or two like that doesn't care about sustainability in the slightest. After all, the whole point of greenwashing is to deceive people into thinking that a brand is sustainable, isn’t it? It’s just that discerning information from the half-truths released by such brands, and busting false claims requires several extra steps in the research process, and additional willingness to connect with people who are personally part of the loop.



The idea is simple: you simply have to care about what you’re writing about. When it comes to creating media, everything produced has an influence on its reader, whether good or bad (though arguably most things aren’t so black or white). The perspective and opinions that readers form ultimately depend on the writer, and the attitude and tone they use when discussing such issues. With this in mind, the idea of profiting off other people’s experiences and stories should definitely take a backseat
in this industry.



Although we have yet to fathom what is to come in the upcoming months of 2020, we know that change is consistently occurring within the fashion industry. With readers playing such active roles the industry, writers should similarly engage not as someone from the outside merely observing, but as a member and integral part of the community.