Global Trends and Globalisation SS3 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note

Subject: Fashion and Garment Making 

Class: SS3

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.

1. How 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.

2. 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!

Globalization (The World in Your Wardrobe)

Globalization is a big word that just means the world is “connecting.” Because of the internet and fast travel, fashion has no borders.

1. 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 (e.g., sewing a Chinese silk fabric into a Nigerian Iro and Buba).

2. Western Influence on Africa We see this every day. Many Nigerians now wear suits for weddings or jeans for casual outings. This “Westernization” has changed our traditional silhouettes to be more fitted and modern.
3. African Influence on the World This is the exciting part! African prints (Ankara, Kente, Adire) are now being used by big global brands like Dior or Gucci. The world is finally seeing that African fashion is “High Fashion.”

Cultural Exchange vs. Copying

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

1. Cultural Fusion (The Good Part) This is when two cultures mix to create something new.

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

2. Fashion “Fast Food” (Fast Fashion) Globalization brought “Fast Fashion” (brands like Zara or H&M). They 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 offer “Slow Fashion.” Your clothes are made to last and fit perfectly, which is becoming a new global trend!

Technology and Global Trends

You can’t talk about globalization without talking about the tools that make it happen.

1. Online Shopping & 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. Globalization means you are competing with the whole world, not just the tailor next door.
2. Virtual Fashion Shows You don’t need a visa to go to Paris Fashion Week anymore. You can watch it live on YouTube. This allows you to stay “updated” so your customers don’t find your styles boring.
3. 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 to 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” Don’t just copy the West. If you make a suit, give it an African touch. That “local” touch is what makes your brand unique in a global market. People want something that tells a story.
2. Study the Seasons Even though we don’t 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. Quality is a Universal Language A well-sewn seam is recognized in Lagos, London, and New York. If you want to be a “Global Entrepreneur,” your finishing must be world-class. No loose threads!

Summary for the Student: Globalization has opened the doors. You are no longer just a “local tailor”; you are a fashion designer in a global industry. Look at the world for inspiration, but use your African roots to stand out.