Weekend Reads

Waking Life – During World War I, Johan Varendonck had to study what was available: his daydreams via laphamsquarterly.org

Johan Varendonck was in the depths of his studies in Brussels when World War I broke out. His master thesis disappeared, and the trenches aren’t necessarily known for their research libraries. He managed to find a copy of Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams, and began psychoanalyzing his daydreams. He transformed his dreams into datasets, plotting them onto a graph, refashioning his past ideas into present formidable thought. Read his peculiar story in Lapham’s Quarterly. JS

 

What happens to all of the unsold clothes? via wsj.com

This Week, Wall Street Journal responded to that question. Indeed, it’s not a secret that lock-down has a huge side-effect on the retail industry and in particular on designer clothes. A lot of our favorite brands are overwhelmed with the dead stocks of the last season and refuse to discount them. This article explains the pressure on those designers and why it would be a mistake for them to give away those garments for cheap. The methods employed by those brands are diverse. Although some of them still use very controversial practices such as the dead stock destruction, most of them are working for a more ethical and sustainable solution. The French government for example recently voted a law to forbid the destruction of sellable products and encourage the big fashion groups to recycle their left-over products. MB

 

Models Chella Man and Aaron Philip demand better representation for disabled communities  via vogue.com

The fashion system is still harshly critiqued for not being diverse enough. It continues to hold up an unrealistic image of society and tends to leave out people who do not fit into the norm. Models Chella Man and Aaron Philip talk about their experiences regarding the obstacles they had to face in the fashion system regarding disability, the importance of representation, and how social media has changed their visibility. An eye-opening read. PG

 

It’s all in the Game via Spotify

In this podcast episode called “It’s All in The Game”, Ellen Pompeo gets real about her fight to make “Grey’s Anatomy” a less toxic work environment. Here are some precious insights on how to evolve from “female co-star” (AKA side-kick next to Dr. McDreamy) to “female lead” and “most paid TV show actress”. “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” is a series of interviews on Spotify, which the podcast is a part of.  Have a look at the other celebrities with whom she chatted. NC

Is Depop being gentrified? Sellers and users weigh in on the debate via dazeddigital.com

The second-hand market has always been a safe place for those who want to buy really stylish garments on a budget. Depop was one of the first platforms allowing the resale of pre-loved items online. Unfortunately, sustainability tends to become a trend more than a concept for some individuals, making the overall price of the clothes way higher on the platform. This inflation is happening because second-hand is now “cool”, however, this goes against all values established by the Depop pioneers. Dazed offers us an article about the gentrification of second-hand stores and in particular on the Depop platform. Influencers may have taken Depop away from us but we still have our beloved charity shops. MB

 

Image  Landscape from a Dream by Paul Nash, courtesy of the Tate Museum