|
By Divaani Having just announced a series of brand-new albums, an overwhelming number of records continue to be smashed as history has been made. With the commencing date of their long-awaited tour in over thirteen countries across the globe getting closer and closer, the internet has lost all chill.
“Look over here. This way, please.” And as they step into the spotlight, “Lights, Cameras, Action!” Meanwhile, a multitude of sleep-deprived figures let out a sigh of relief and slouch back - some stretching their arms and yawning - before finally making arrangements to call it a day. Remaining hidden in the shadows, they mutter: “Here we go again.” Fixating his view of the dancing artists displayed on his slightly cracked screen, he mumbled inaudible dialogue to himself as he scribbled in his sketchbook, leaving a trail of stick men residing in various positions. Every now and then, he’d slide his clammy fingertip over the course of the phone, intending to study any postures and expressions that he had previously overlooked. He’d do so again and again, further adding faint written cues besides the stances. The choreography had been finalised - meaning, of course, that the dancers were to practise until it was point-blank flawless. He felt confident that day, having rehearsed the arrangement until his body wore out. His pale, strained face was no different to the cluster alongside him also dressed in black. They positioned themselves, leaving a gap in the centre, and waited for the cue to start. As the star of the show mistakenly stumbled back, they laughed light-heartedly in chorus retreating to run the routine from the very beginning. She readjusted her glasses as she bore her eyes into the screen, pinning them onto the harmonising colours emerging in a consecutive pattern, and coating the appealing individual staring back at her with a blank expression. She hesitated before dragging the JPG into the collection of images hovering together in the file plastered, ‘TBA’. She scrolled through the file ensuring that they remain fitting - not only with the provided theme but further to complement the physique of the prominent leads themselves. She glanced at the aesthetically-displayed polaroid pictures beside her, allowing herself to organise her thoughts as she restored her attention to the screen. He looked through the lens of the camera, certifying that the focus remained primarily on the principal personalities while steering clear of any reflections that may reveal himself. They were huddled together and happily talking amongst themselves. A birthday cake could be seen in the centre with their eager eyes waiting for the burning candle to be blown out. His flushed cheeks were apparent as he noticed his own stomach rumble weakly. Looking down at her wristwatch with caution, she sighed with relief as he entered the room. She remained vigilant as she rushed towards him - positioning herself awkwardly behind in effort to remain hidden from the view of the several cameras centred around him. Untangling the flat iron, she began to comb out the middle strands of his hair while trying to visualise the opening pages of the magazine that she’d been sent by her colleague the previous week. Unfazed, he recounted one of his childhood stories while looking affectionately at the lens behind the camera. Perspective is key. In fact, empathy is simply forgotten; the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The moral of the story? Artists that are published in the media cannot be where they are today without a crowd of supporters cheering them on (i.e. the backbone of their name) but people forget that the ‘crowd of supporters cheering them on’ aren’t just their fans. It takes a staggering amount of hard work from people in a variety of fields to make artists into the people that we love and admire today. Instead, these supporters’ respective fields are being diminished into a ludicrous obsession to remain close to the artists. “I hope she knows how lucky she is to be paid while within a 1m radius from them every day.” However, all they’ve done is pursue a career in something they’re passionate about. Isn’t that something we should strive to encourage everyone to do? It is important that we remember to spread the same love to everyone regardless of whether they are renowned or not. The only difference is that their own struggles aren’t being streamed as a movie-- just like our own.
0 Comments
By Ines Think of your favorite piece of clothing. Maybe it’s your favorite because of the color, or the fabric, or the design. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, your favorite piece of clothing is most likely worn quite often. This is amazing! Unfortunately, the current trends in the fashion industry lead to enormous purchases of clothing items that people wear once or twice, and then never again. Not every piece of clothing should be your favorite per se. However, the cycle of following a trend to then refusing to wear the clothes again is extremely harmful.
When fashion trends come and go at a rapid pace, there are many levels of destruction that occur. This all starts at the foundation of the clothing, which is based on the workers in garment factories. Because of the high demands for products, these factories will exploit the workers and their labor, thus overworking and underpaying them. The exploitation does not cease here. These practices exploit the environment as well as the people. The rushed development of the clothes causes factories to use cheap materials that eventually end up in the expanding landfill of the world. To reiterate, the quality of the clothing is so poor that the clothes are not sustainable enough to wear for very long and they get thrown away. As people continue to follow fashion trends, they contribute to this destructive cycle of exploitation and environmental waste. While these issues clearly highlight the unethical values of fast fashion, it is also significant to understand why many individuals continue to purchase these items. The influx of social media’s fixations on specific styles cause many to desire to follow the current trends. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to do so in an ethical manner due to sizing or financial issues. As a person who has always been very interested in fashion, I have often struggled with the financial aspect of it. Growing up, my family didn’t always have access to ethical brands, which is why a lot of my clothes were either thrifted or purchased from second-hand boutiques. Thrifting is a great way to buy clothes without directly contributing to the companies that exploit others. Additionally, the prices are reasonable and more accessible to low-income communities. When I used to thrift with my family, I couldn’t always dress according to the current styles, but I could still wear clothes that I cared about and kept them for as long as I could. Now that I’m older, I have access to a variety of stores that follow modern day trends, unlike a lot of the thrift stores I used to shop at. The only catch is that they are extremely unethical. Brands like H&M, Forever 21, and Shein appeal to those who buy fast fashion pieces while they trend, and throw them away with no remorse because they bought the items for so cheap. It is no wonder that these affordable clothes fall apart very quickly. They are simply not designed for sustainability. When I first discovered the abusive history of these corporations, I was disappointed but not shocked. To avoid shopping at similar companies, I thoroughly researched the stores in my area and found a few places where I felt comfortable shopping. This is the first step towards a more ethical and sustainable wardrobe. The next piece of advice is cultivating a personal style. Though this may seem irrelevant in the wider picture, it makes a crucial difference in your decisions. In my experience, having an exact style in mind has helped me decide whether or not a trend is worth my money and time. This has morphed the clothes I buy, and prevented me from feeding into another fast-fashion scheme. Overall, the main issue to avoid is buying cheap clothes only to throw them away when they are no longer in style. With that being said, it is extremely difficult to attain an entirely clean record when it comes to ethical clothing, especially because there are so many barriers along the way. As long as you are trying your best and striving towards more sustainable purchases, that exemplifies that you are doing the most you can. |
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
Teenagers With Experience is an online organisation created to provide teenagers worldwide with an online platform to share their own experiences to be able to help, inform and educate others on a variety of different topics. We aim to provide a safe space to all young people.
Please note that the content on this website is created by teenagers. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, it is important to remember that we are not professional experts. If you are experiencing a crisis or need professional advice, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a helpline. |