What I don’t get about fashion

Watching TV last night they were interviewing up and coming Welsh fashion designer Ross Jenkins. They mentioned, rather casually, that his last collection was ‘based on the holocaust’. I spluttered my tea at this point as they showed skinny models in stylishly distressed black and grey robes. And no-one seemed to think there was anything wrong with this. I see now he is claiming it is a ‘tribute’. Oh yeah, of course. It’s a tribute in the same way an Auschwitz inspired breakfast cereal would be a tribute, and in no way insulting, shallow and disrespectful. It leads to such deep analysis as: "Ross Jenkins’ moth eaten brogues are refreshing and although he used the Holocaust as his theme, there are some unscary high-waisted trousers and fabulous knits which drape around the body."

If Clive James were to use this in a novel we’d accuse him of taking parody too far. And this is the thing I just don’t get about fashion – nothing matters, absolutely nothing,except self-adoration. And this is a world so many of our youth aspire to. I mean, come on. It’s not just me that finds this appalling is it? Yet I couldn’t find any criticism of it anywhere.

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