Global Trends and Globalisation – SS3 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (First Term)

A fashion trend is a style that becomes popular for a short time, then fades and gives way to a new one. Globalisation means the world is becoming more connected through the internet and fast travel, so fashion ideas and styles move across borders quickly. This note shows how both affect Nigerian tailors.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• explain what a fashion trend is and name three ways a trend can start;
• describe the four stages in the cycle of a trend;
• explain what globalisation means and how it affects fashion in Nigeria;
• distinguish cultural fusion from fast fashion;
• list ways a local tailor can stay relevant in a global market.

What is a fashion trend?

A trend is like a wave in the ocean. It starts small, everyone jumps on it, and then it slowly disappears to make room for a new one.

How do trends start?

In the past, trends only started with kings and queens. Today, a trend can start from:

• Celebrities: If a famous musician wears “distressed jeans” in a music video, thousands of fans will want the same.
• The runway: Designers in cities like Milan or Lagos show new styles, and tailors everywhere start copying the “cut”.
• Social media: A “challenge” on TikTok can make a specific type of hat or bag popular overnight.

What is the cycle of a trend?

• Introduction: A few “brave” people wear it.
• Peak: Everyone is wearing it (you see it at every wedding).
• Decline: People get bored because “everyone has it”.
• Obsolescence: It becomes “old fashioned”, until it comes back 20 years later.

What is globalisation in fashion?

Globalisation means the world is “connecting”. Because of the internet and fast travel, fashion has no borders. This is why people call it “the world in your wardrobe”.

The “global village” effect

You can be a tailor in a small village in Nigeria and see what people are wearing in Tokyo the same minute they post it. This means:

• We share ideas faster.
• We use materials from different places (for example, sewing a Chinese silk fabric into a Nigerian Iro and Buba).

Western influence on Africa

We see this every day. Many Nigerians now wear suits for weddings or jeans for casual outings. This “Westernisation” has changed our traditional silhouettes to be more fitted and modern.

African influence on the world

African prints (Ankara, Kente, Adire) are now being used by big global brands like Dior or Gucci. Many people now see African fashion as “high fashion”.

Cultural exchange versus copying

As a fashion student, you must understand the difference between learning from a culture and just “stealing” from it.

What is cultural fusion?

Cultural fusion is when two cultures mix to create something new.

• Example: A “Senator” suit. It takes the “Western” trouser and shirt idea and adds the “African” long-top style and embroidery.

What is fast fashion?

Globalisation brought “fast fashion” (brands like Zara or H&M), which you can think of as fashion “fast food”. These brands make clothes very quickly and cheaply.

• The problem: It makes people throw away clothes quickly, which causes waste.
• The opportunity for you: As a local tailor, you can offer “slow fashion”. Your clothes are made to last and fit perfectly, which is becoming a new global trend.

How does technology shape global trends?

Several tools make globalisation happen.

Online shopping and shippers

A customer can see a design on a UK website, send the picture to you on WhatsApp, and ask you to recreate it using local fabric. With globalisation, you compete with the whole world, including the tailor next door.

Virtual fashion shows

You do not need a visa to go to Paris Fashion Week anymore. You can watch it live on YouTube. This helps you stay “updated” so your customers do not find your styles boring.

Global sourcing

A tailor in Kano can order high-quality stones from Austria or lace from Switzerland online. This helps you make “international standard” clothes right in your workshop.

How can a tailor stay relevant in a global market?

If the world is changing, you must change too. Here is how to survive as a modern tailor:

1. Keep your “identity”. Do not just copy the West. If you make a suit, give it an African touch. That “local” touch makes your brand unique in a global market, and people want something that tells a story.
2. Study the seasons. Even though we do not have “winter” in Nigeria, if you want to sell to the global market, you must know that people buy heavy coats in December and light linens in June.
3. Aim for quality. A well-sewn seam is recognised in Lagos, London and New York. If you want to be a “global entrepreneur”, your finishing must be world-class. No loose threads!

Globalisation has opened the doors to a global fashion industry. Look at the world for inspiration, and use your African roots to stand out.

Evaluation

1. What is a fashion trend? Name three ways a trend can start.
2. List the four stages in the cycle of a trend.
3. Explain what is meant by globalisation and give one example of how it affects a tailor in Nigeria.
4. What is the difference between cultural fusion and fast fashion? Give an example of cultural fusion.

Assignment

Write a short paragraph on how a Nigerian tailor can stay relevant in a global market. Include the three points given in this lesson.