Unit 2 Images
Unit 2 Images
Unit 2 Images
The clothes are sumptuous, studded with pearls and Swarovski crystals;
the sets are lavish, featuring Busby Berkeley-style choreography in enchanted
forests and space-age discos. It’s safe to say that the twice-yearly couture
shows, taking place in Paris, are quite the spectacle. The prices are as
gobsmacking as the dresses: a made-to-measure ballgown could easily cost
the same as a Rolls-Royce; a blouse might be the price of an apartment in
Madrid. Which begs the question: assuming that very few would spend six
figures on a frock, what is the point of couture?
Just as car manufacturers show off their expertise through the creation of
supercars, fashion designers use couture as a statement of strength and technical
ability. Couture is a showcase for a designer’s most outrageous ideas, where
budget is no limit to ambition. It is also an expression of financial muscle.
Given that most luxury houses make the bulk of their profits not through
clothes but through handbags, wallets and perfume, does the glory justify the
expense and hours of labour? The couture houses would argue that it does. Until
recently, couture clothing was only really visible to the masses during awards
season. But in the age of social media, when the day’s most fantastical images
are hashtagged and tweeted and Instagrammed around the world, the sparkle
and glamour created by couture shows has an ever greater footprint. And so
couture has become ever more likely to spark trends.
And finally, in the age of the global super-rich, couture really does sell.
According to fashion trade magazine WWD the average age of Dior’s couture
customer has fallen, from mid 40s to early 30s, a change Dior’s chief executive
attributes to the rise of rich, tech-savvy customers in burgeoning markets
including China, Russia and the Middle East. The point of couture is clear: it’s
all about glory, pizzazz and the bottom line.
2. Read the article about fast fashion. Explain the words and phrases in
bold.
Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing designs that move
quickly from the catwalk to stores to meet new trends. The collections are often
based on designs presented at Fashion Week events. Fast fashion allows
mainstream consumers to purchase trendy clothing at an affordable price.
Fast fashion became common because of cheaper clothing, an increase in
the appetite for fashionable clothing, and the increase in purchasing power on
the part of consumers. Because of all this, fast fashion is challenging new
fashion lines that are introduced on a seasonal basis by traditional fashion
houses. In fact, it’s not uncommon for fast-fashion retailers to introduce new
products multiple times in one week to stay on trend.
Shopping for clothing was once considered an event. Consumers would
save up to buy clothing at certain times of the year. But that changed in the late
1990s, as shopping became a form of entertainment and demand for clothing
increased.
Despite the advantages for customers, fast fashion has also been criticized
because it encourages a “throw-away” attitude. That’s why it’s also called
disposable fashion—the clothing is cheaply made in a style that will change
very quickly.
Critics contend that fast fashion contributes to pollution, poor
workmanship, and poor working conditions in developing countries, where
clothing is manufactured.
3. Watch the video by The Economist The true cost of fast fashion and
complete the sentences with the missing figures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLfNUD0-8ts
2. Globally, sorting plants that sort and recycle clothes only deal with
around ______25 %_______of discarded clothes.
5. Ijeoma Kola is a fashion blogger who has been _____________ Rent the
Runway’s radical new approach to high-end fashion.
10. Industry pioneers are proving that there are viable business opportunities
in selling less, others need to follow _suit_.
3. What are the environmental costs of fast fashion? Living with pollution
1. Apparel/attire/catwalk/garment
2. Fedora//boater/top hat/pendant
3. Sneakers/mules/culottes/flip-flops
4. Herringbone/milliner/paisley/polka dot
5. Corduroy/velvet/suede/trilby
8. Fill in the gaps with the correct word from the box.
landfill cast-off borrowing recycling follow waste rags
sorting disposed environmental
1. Budget companies have been so successful that other airlines have had
to___follow_____suit and lower their fares.
2. Alexandra looked awkward in her ___ cast-off ____clothing.
5. The supermarket has installed ____ sorting__ bins for old newspapers,
bottles and cans.
9. Work in pairs.
10. Group discussion Work in pairs. Decide whether you agree or disagree
with the statements below.
· There’s no need to dress like everyone else. It’s much more fun to
create your own look.