Blk Fashin

 

In the advent of new media technologies, we have begun to see a shift in the way we, as a society, absorb and interact with various cultural elements. Sub-cultures and niche groups that flourished in pockets, in different areas of the world, are now able to mobilize with the use of the internet and other connector tools. In a very short period, we have been able to see shifts in the amount of people who adopt cultural trends and how quickly the obscure becomes mainstream.  As a fashion blogger, I have witnessed the mass adoption of clothing trends occur more quickly than in years past. As an African-American blogger, it is even more jarring to see these trends adopted by other black people, as that was not the norm merely 3-4 years ago. It can be said that without the internet this appropriation would be slower and not as widespread.

With this apparent evolution of “style awareness”, it is important that the fashion world (from designers, to retailers, to magazines) realize that our presence now means acknowledgement. Black cool hunters are now  able to more frequently look to others who look like them, are shaped like them, etc to inspire their fashion choices. The relevance of our opinion has now increased and our sway will grow as well. Investing in properties developed by us is an important step and continuing to foster relationships are key in ensuring that your brand is relevant across a wide demographic.