Is the fashion industry fake and pretentious?

Alexandra Birukova
News Editor
I remember talking to one of my colleagues about LG Toronto Fashion Week and they said the industry was too pretentious and shallow. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but excuse me, what industry in North America isn’t pretentious?
Cocky office studs from Bay and Bloor? Check. Downtown hipsters who think they’re cooler than the rest of the world? Check. Government officials and politicians who think they rule the universe? Check. Worldly and wise free spirits who travel the world and talk about spirituality? Check.
The thing is, this list could go on and on. So the argument against fashion being pretentious really seems like an exaggeration to me. However, I do admit I’ve a strong bias when it comes to fashion, as sometimes I am too infatuated to see the flaws.
Why do I like fashion? It’s not because I am a girl who likes shoes and clothes with pretty bows on them. It’s because the fashion world offers an escape from the everyday, our sometimes gray and uninteresting reality. Fashion is ultimately about people expressing themselves, and should be viewed as art.
When some people proudly say that they have zero interest in fashion,  I sometimes wonder if they are lying to themselves. Denying fashion is denying an opportunity to look and feel great.
Plus, what guy would not want to wear stylish pants, paired with a tailored shirt and a knit cardigan? And what girl would not want to look beautiful on a special occasion and wear a gorgeous dress that highlights her features? I know I would, and that’s why fashion is important to me.