"The global fashion discount industry has made high-priced chic available
on the cheap. But some argue that we’re paying in other ways for all
those $15 shoes and $5 T-shirts. After surveying her own wardrobe,
journalist Elizabeth L. Cline set out to uncover the true cost of
discount retail and found horrific labor conditions, environmental
devastation, and the demise of local fashion economies. Now she’s
shooting a documentary exploring the same themes as her book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. Join Cline for
a frank talk about fast fashion while exploring ways to shop ethically
and sustainably."
"From Hillary Clinton’s pantsuit to Donald Trump’s hair, fashion is an
important part of how we view our political candidates. From her perch
in our nation’s capital, Washington Post columnist Robin Givhan has a
bird’s-eye view of the role that style plays in politics, parlaying her
insight into the first Pulitzer Prize awarded for fashion writing. More
than just a fashion commentator, Givhan is also a fashion historian,
detailing the night a small group of American designers and models
trounced French haute couture and revolutionized the runway in her
recent book, The Battle of Versailles. Join Givhan and Gioia Diliberto
(author of Diane Von Furstenberg: A Life Unwrapped) for a conversation
on the political weight of fashion and a reading."
"When Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana announced its first hijab
collection, it wasn’t just the fashion world that took notice. In many
ways, hijab is becoming part of mainstream Western culture, worn by
characters on television series, Olympic athletes, even a new Barbie
doll. Still the wearing of hijab continues to spark other responses,
from attacks on women in Paris, to calls from some Muslim women to end
what they view as an oppressive form of dress. CHF convenes a
conversation to discuss the complex and sometimes contradictory
responses to hijab, including Asra Nomani, journalist and author of Standing Alone in Mecca and Hoda Katebi, activist and author of Tehran Street Style, moderated by Duaa Eldeib of the Chicago Tribune."
"Style is such an individual mode of expression that it can sometimes be
hard to define – we know it when we see it. That elusive quality is also
what makes matters of style so open to interpretation and debate.
Join CHF as we convene style authorities for a series of conversations –
on how we should dress, write, and live. Participants include SAIC
Fashion Resource Center Director Gillion Carrara in conversation with
journalist and graphic design expert Jude Stewart ("Patternalia"),
Chicago Manual of Style editor Carol Saller ("The Subversive Copy
Editor") with New York Times reporter Jennifer Schuessler, and fashion
entrepreneur, designer and FLOTUS dresser Maria Pinto."
These programs were recorded last year as part of Chicago Humanities Festival's inaugural spring festival, Style (see more here).
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So these are the fashion-related videos of last year's first spring Chicago Humanities Festival, whose theme was "Style". Now coming up, from April 28th to the 30th: STUFF! I mean, the perfect sequence for "Style", right? I am personally very excited about Marie Kondo's talk - every time I'm questioning whether I should get rid of something, I ask myself in a soft Kondo-like Japanese accent: "Does that spark joy?" I must say it works! Also in this series: Caitlyn Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, John Waters and 30+ thought-provoking speakers. Looking forward!
More info and tickets at chicagohumanities.org/stuff
