Whiteboard Journal hosted our third We Discuss event on September 24, 2013 at Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan. For approximately two hours, participants gathered in a cozy corner of the bookstore to talk about various aspects of fashion – a theme that many might tend to associate with glamour.

However, the very responsive participants proved that fashion encompasses many more things than expensive brands and glamourous lifestyles. Fashion is, without us realizing it, an integral part of our daily lives. The clothes that we choose to wear as well as those we decide not to have the equal power to define us. When we look at fashion from this perspective, the topic becomes something that is “closer to home” and therefore much easier to ponder over and talk about.

The main points of the discussion:

– Digital platforms such as blogs and websites “democratize fashion,” according to one participant.
– In response to Sally Singer’s quote in which she laments over the fact that many fashion enthusiast these days use fashion for “personal branding” as opposed to genuine self-expression, another participant noted that claiming to not care about one wears is just another way to achieve personal branding.
– Famous bloggers such as Face Hunter and The Sartorialist act as “curators” who dictate what people around the world choose to wear. In other words, it is not necessarily the personal style of these individuals that influence the choices of fashion enthusiast, but what these individuals say is or is not good.
– And yet even if the Internet has made it easier to access foreign references, the items these influential figures recommend might not be available in certain countries. This limitation encourages online shopping – which might blur the line between what is considered local and not.
– The harmony between the functions and aesthetics of clothes is important, but a participant noted that sometimes, the aesthetics of a particular clothing item is actually the function. E.g. a beautiful gown that is not practical in the daily context serves its function when worn at special occasions.
– Idealism and practicality become important issues when talking about the development of fashion.
– The world of fashion must have and acknowledge “bad fashion” to survive because it pushes for new innovations and changes, as one participant stated.
– One of the most crucial points of the discussion, however, was that it is impossible to separate fashion with culture.

Please feel free to tweet us @wjournal #WeDiscuss. Or send us an e-mail to contact@whiteboardjournal.com with the subject title “We Discuss #3″ if you would like to comment on any of the above points.

We would like to thank those who came and contributed to the third We Discuss meeting. We hope to see you again in future discussions. Next month’s theme is: art. Further details on the theme will be posted on our website.