(#1) Native American style never goes out of style, like the little black dress never does. For decades designers have been incorporating Native American style into their footwear, clothing, jewelry, purses and accessories (Nittle, n.d.). One of the first styles that became popular was fringe boots and bags. However, the culture is now becoming bolder, such as strong links to nature showing the wild side as well as the free-spirited side. A great way to accomplish this look is to mix colors, patterns, and textures. For example, wearing an airy dress with a leather jacket, and necklaces will top it off (Fashion Inspired by the Native American, 2008). Nadra suggests purchasing indigenous fashions from First Nations designers and artisans throughout North America to be sure that the style/clothing is offensive to Native Americans (n.d.).
(#2) Vito Di Bari states: “It will be the convergence of technology, science, and fashion that will change what we see in our closets.” (n.d.). All of a sudden, in the fashion world, technology has become very cool. The key point that will differentiate the winners from the losers is to make online shopping personal yet social (The New York Times, 2011). The elements of design are no longer the same due to the ever-changing technological climate where the rules for fashion are simultaneously changing (The New York Times, 2011). However, beautiful is always beautiful no matter how technology changes (Di Bari, n.d.).
(#3) Cause branding is defined as a profit making initiative by a for-profit company to raise awareness or money on a social or environmental issue (Frechette, 2010). A great example of this is Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. To help celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in Vermont, they renamed their popular ice cream Chubby Hubby to Hubby Hubby for a month. They partnered with Freedom to Marry to help raise awareness for marriage equality. Hubby Hubby made a huge impact. It was mentioned in the popular late night shows and had more than 1,600 media placements. Freedom to Marry’s Marriage Resolution had almost 1,000 new signers and had over 15,000 new website visits in only eight days (Ben & Jerry’s Hubby Hubby, n.d.).
(#4) The fashion industry has notoriously been harming the planet and its workers for years. A lot of our materials we use for clothing can be very environmentally unfriendly. For example, the conventional cotton we use consumes 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of our world’s pesticides. It is arguably the world’s dirtiest crop (Pierre-Louis, 2012). However sustainability has to naturally coexist with fashion expectations, given that aesthetics and style concerns drive the industry (Lachut, 2010). It is no surprise that the interest in sustainable clothing materials have risen in the past few years. Many companies have adopted natural fibers such as hemp, bamboo, and recycled materials. The materials we use, the rate we buy, and exploring larger roles that fashion plays in our lives is encompassed in sustainable fashion (Pierre-Louis, 2012).
Fashion Inspired By The Native American. (2008). In Trends. Retrieved from http://styleobserver.com/2008/08/fashion-inspired-by-the-native-american/.
Nittle, N. (n.d.). Native American Influences In Fashion. Retrieved from http://racerelations.about.com/od/diversitymatters/a/Native-American-Influences-In-Fashion.htm.
Di Bari, V. (n.d.) Interview with Tim Gunn. Retrieved from http://www.vitodibari.com/en/interview-tim-gunn-future-fashion-dont-silhouettes-styles-materials.html.
Fashion Startups Present Visions at F.I.T Capital Conference. (2011). In The New York Times. Retrieved from http://nyconvergence.com/2011/12/fashion-startups-present-visions-at-f-i-t-capital-conference.html.
Ben & Jerry’s Hubby Hubby. (n.d.). In Cone Communications. Retrieved from http://www.coneinc.com/ben-and-jerrys-hubby-hubby.
Frechette, H. (2010, July). Defining Cause Branding. Retrieved from http://citizenpolity.com/2010/07/21/544/.
Lachut, S. (2010, September). Innovation and Sustainability in Fashion. Retrieved from http://www.psfk.com/2010/09/innovation-and-sustainability-in-fashion.html.
Pierre-Louis, K.(2012, January). Sustainability of Fashion. Retrieved from http://www.theurbn.com/2012/01/sustainability-of-fashion/.
Deidre 
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