What is the obsession with 'designer' in the 21st century?

As I have mentioned in previous posts, we are living in the age of consumerism. Having material goods make us feel good, doesn't it? Most of us take pride in our possessions, especially the expensive ones! This is one of the reasons for the rise of 'designer' products in our society. We can now show off our wealth through a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Babour jacket! However is this healthy?

The craze of designer products, which has only really took off in the last ten years is purposely demonstrating to others the amount of cash we have. If you saw somebody with a Mulberry bag on one arm and a Chanel bag in the other, coupled with a Ralph Lauren shirt and a Michael Kors watch, it is natural to assume they are rather affluent! Designer sets us apart. It gives us, and indicates to others a sense of the position we hold in society. To see your friend in a Jack Wills dress from the new summer collection can indicate to you how much money they have, even if you don't think about that it, you do subconsciously.

Why do we wear designer? Apart from demonstrating social status, designer has the trait of being a quality product. Designer products are sturdier than your average H&M jacket!  Brands such as Jack Wills prides its self on being 'Fabulously British'. Additionally, there are now different stages of designer, each which aim at different target markets.  Many young people of today are attracted to brands such as Hollister, part of the Abercrombie and Fitch group, which comes under the group of the affordable designer brands. Designer also encompasses its own identity. Not many people will own the same Vivienne Westwood dress which gives you, the buyer, an advantage of a rare product which people are more likely to comment on, and who doesn't like compliments?

One of the main reasons of the designer mania is the role it plays in the lives of celebrities. We read about, see pictures of and hear of celebs attending the Oscars in Alexander McQueen or in a Harvey Nichols. Celebrities set the trend for many things, the main one being fashion. If Zac Efron is wearing Rayban aviators, then it becomes a popular item to purchase. Moreover, if Emma Watson wears a Chanel dress to her latest premiere, then it is publicised in magazines. You get the jist. If the people we desire to look or behave like are wearing it, then we should be right?

This new 'designer' craze has resulted in an increase in designer outlets such as Bicester Village, a favourite of mine! This is a shopping experience delegated to a series of famous brands. Brands such as Ralph Lauren to Chanel all in one place. As a student, I'm not particularly interested in the top brands, such as Gucci or Prada but I'm more of the Jack Wills, Cath Kidston, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger type I suppose.

Anyway, designer is becoming more and more popular and it is constantly gaining a larger target market. We are hooked on designer. It surrounds us each day, and is becoming part of our consumerist culture. Our desire to have the best material goods, is embodied in our shopping experiences. 

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Why we love Summer!

Summer is the best time of the year right? This is often a debate people differ on, with some claiming Christmas is the most exciting time of the year. Although its very lovely to stay in and cosy up in front of the fire, whilst being swamped with blankets and hot chocolate, watching the traditional Christmas TV on those winter evenings, does that compare to those long summer days? As much as I enjoy listening to George Michael's Last Christmas and watching the multiple TV Christmas specials, it seems that winter is stereotypically a time to retreat from society, stay indoors and well, keep warm! Summer is about exploring, spending time with friends and enjoying Pimms o'clock whilst watching the Wimbledon mens final!

Even though I was born in the middle of January, the winter for me does not simply match up to the summer for my favourite season. I think for many young people this is the case, the holidays, the house parties, the going out and seeing the sunrise. Just the prospect of summer excites many people! The whole build up to that anticipated season is huge! The initial excitement for summer really begins when the summer clothes catalogues begin to appear in shops or in the post if your a bit of a shopoholic like myself. Then there is a holiday to consider, where will you go?  That first warm day when the sunglasses are rediscovered in a draw, the shorts are first out and that smell of BBQ in the evening, coupled with that sip of cider makes us feel content right? That day only heightens our anticipation for the peak of the summer months when the majority (as I am British) of days are like that. It has actually been scientifically proven that exposure to the sun, makes us happier! Those winter blues are not just myth but are true. The lack of exposure to the sun can lead to such things as vitamin D sufficiency, fertility problems, general poor health and most significantly depression.  

So despite science, why does the summer make us feel good? Maybe its because we can finally enjoy that holiday which has been booked since February and we have worked hard for. Or its because we can sit out in beer gardens in the late evening and not feel cold. For me, summer is the biggest party season of the year. As a university student, its true, I party all year round, but there is most certainly a significant difference to going out in a coat and jeans to going out in a skirt and cami! Trust me it makes all the difference. Summer is about festivals, good sport, sunning it up and comparing your glow with friends and enjoying those drawn out evenings with most probably an alcoholic beverage of some sort. As I said previously, summer is the time for parties; parities by the pool, house parties or just evenings with friends. I mean I'm not even talking about a Project X style house party, just summer sunshine, friends and the summer charts. Now, when hearing old songs play, they transport you back to a memory or event, for example Daft Punk's Get Lucky takes me back a year to last summer, but there is something about music in the summer which just makes it more special. There has always been a song from recent summers which reminds me of all those memories, and whenever I listen to it I am transported back to that summer heat and I love that!

Well, what about this summer? So its still very early, however I am sure you are all counting down those days until your holiday, I certainly am! We are currently on the brink of summer, that final stage of anticipation, now the summer clothes have taken over our shops and have entered our wardrobes, along with the sandals and sunglasses. The evenings are long and beautiful and we can now eat ice cream with an excuse for it being a snack which will cool us down. The only thing left to do now is gather those last holiday goodies, enjoy the sunshine (how infrequent it may be) and smile, because summer has virtually arrived! 

The 70th anniversary of D-day

Seventy years ago today, June 6th 1944, was D-Day, the beginning of the end of war in Europe. This day, to you that do not know, was the giant aillied assault on Normandy France, codenamed operation Overlord. This invasion was conducted both by air and by amphibious landings on five beaches and parachute drops across northern Normandy. It is estimated that 15,000 men at least, were killed on this day alone. 















So, you may ask what is the importance of this day seventy years on? The sacrifice of so many stopped Hitler in his tracks of deploying more troops to the Eastern front, which would have meant the war would have most certainly continued, killing thousands more on the home front and in action. Therefore, our freedom even now should be attributed to this day, and to the British, American and Canadian soldiers who liberated those beaches.

I visited Normandy ten years ago, on the 60th anniversary of the D-day landings. Even though I was only young, it struck me how recent those sacrifices were. When visiting Normandy, the five beaches and the coastal towns, it is like walking into a time capsule. It feels, when walking around the towns and along the beaches, and as a child running down the bomb craters that you can sense the pounding of feet, the sound of shells and the firing of guns. The floating harbours, built to contain military vehicles still stand as they were once put 70 years ago. Furthermore, the gun battlements, built by the Germans to defend the Atlantic coast, still prevail on the top of the cliffs, surrounded by bomb craters created by the British airforce. Most importantly, the tales of the veterans who still live today is our most prominent reminder of this monumental invasion. This is why I believe it is important to remember these events, as we can witness first hand, the history of D-day. 

The famous film Saving Private Ryan (1998) and television series Band of Brothers (2001) give a realistic and hard hitting portrayal of operation Overlord and I most defiantly recommend you give those a watch to at least have a glimpse into the horrific chaos these young men endured.


Saving Private Ryan- Omaha beach

Band of Brothers- Normandy Drop

Is today's society damaging to children?

As a 90's kid, I grew up in a fairly secluded environment, as children in previous generations did. The reasons for this are simple. In the 90's there wasn't half of the communication media we have today. People were only just getting to grips with the internet let alone the likes of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter! Today, information is circulated dangerously quickly! Only last week we witnessed a video of the UK band- One Direction smoking illegal substances. However, is the transition to a 'digital' society proving rather unhealthy for children growing up this decade and the ones to come?

The idea of our society becoming much more liberal is emphasised all the time in many different ways. For example chart music of this decade, the most popular music listened to by young people, contains many precarious lyrics which are possibly unsuitable for young people. The release of Rhianna's S&M (2011) for example, sparked much debate over its sexualised lyrics, along with a ban on the video for containing too much sexual content. Furthermore, artists such as Eminem, Drake and Nicki Minaj often use lyrics which contain offence language. Is the exposure of such material not terrible for children? It surely portrays unsafe messages?  This type of music was not witnessed in the industry in the 90's, and if it did exist it was not particularly popular. Bands such as Take That, Wet Wet Wet, and the Spice Girls ruled the charts! Slightly later bands such as Atomic Kitten, S-Club 7 and Westlife captivated my childhood, all of whom stressed harmless messages such as 'Reach for Stars'. The music I listened to back then is beyond compare to what I listen to now as a young adult!

Is the social media revalation of the 21st century also damaging to children of today? The
significant increase in use of sites such as Facebook and Twitter has dramatically changed the rate at which information is spread. Children of today are accessing all sorts of things which they never have before. The increase of social media sites and sites such as Youtube expose material which parents try to protect them from! Social media sites such as Facebook also encourages low self esteem amongst young people. There is a constant state of competition by watching other peoples, it naturally leads you to compare your life to theirs. The obsession with appearances, from small things such as how many likes one may receive on their new profile picture may determine a child's confidence on how they look and may make them feel very self conscious. This, combined with today's consumerist society, focused on what you own, can lead children to feel embarrassed about their way of life and doubt about who they are.

Moreover, because of such quick communicative methods, children can witness the demise of their favourite idols which may possibly lead them to believe that their behaviour is acceptable. For example, the transition of Miley Cyrus from innocent American sweetheart to a devious and defiant young adult. Not only are children able to witness the classic 'bad' habits such as drinking, smoking and taking drugs; they see people such as Miley becoming very popular through it, even though perhaps infamously. Yes, I am not suggesting this is a new trend, this happened in the past. I mean the transition of the Beatles from a young and upcoming British band to new international superstars led them astray along the way, entering into a world of many drugs. Moreover, in recent times such cases as Lindsay Lohan demonstrates the stress of fame, however is publishing these images good for children?


Is our society suited to children?
Our emerging society, one of communication, is incredible in a sense that we are able to communicate with people all over the world! Social media allows us to learn of events breaking out across the world within seconds, along with the latest gossip which may not be an entirely good thing. As a young adult, I do not condone the world of social media as it proves very useful in my life. However, I do witness the excessive gossip through sites such as Facebook. Unlike my childhood in the 90's and early 2000's, children of today are exposed to much more corruption, wether it be through google images of celebrities taking drugs or youtube videos of Miley Cyrus 'twerking' on Robin Thicke, or music videos such as the one recently posted by Route 94- My Love (2014) of young people being promiscuous. It seems the more liberal society of today does not do enough to protect the innocence of children as children have been in previous generations.