Luxury’s most important political role?

Articles abound about the political meaning of clothes worn on certain occasions or the political significance of words on some jackets.  Such reflection is certainly appropriate but reading this excellent piece by Joel Kotkin (https://www.city-journal.org/html/new-demo-pessimism-15991.html) deepens our understanding of the political role luxury fashion might play.   V&R Chapter 1 assesses David Hume’s argument about…

Under Armour goes localist!

News indeed!  And credit where credit is due.   In a number of earlier posts, I have been critical of Under Armour’s commitment to Baltimore not being matched by a commitment to manufacturing in Baltimore.  That is starting to change (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/01/30/under-armour-debuts-made-in-the-u-s-gear-and-tests-what-we-think-we-know-about-manufacturing-in-america/?utm_term=.936aae807586).   Taking a leaf from Zara’s book (http://www.ethicsoffashion.com/fast-fashion-localism/), Under Armour has linked design and…

Not as mad as it sounds

Byborre updates traditional friar’s habit for a new generation As the article points out, the design permits local makers the world over to use customary fabrics to kit out Dominican brothers and sisters.  The designer — perhaps in jest — wonders whether the Order might get into the fashion business. It’s not so crazy: a…

Localism and L.L. Bean

*I would like to thank Jordan Ross for supplying the opening image to this post.  More of Jordan’s work is at: www.jordanrossmedia.com   L.L. Bean is a model of localism (http://www.ethicsoffashion.com/baltimore-and-under-armour/). It is also a challenge to something heard around business schools all the time: businesses must grow!   This supposed imperative is not a moral…

Baltimore and Under Armour

This post continues an earlier one on a talk by the CEO of Under Armour (http://www.ethicsoffashion.com/armour-morally-responsible-company/). Affirming the company’s moral standing, Kevin Plank argues that Under Armour provides thousands of jobs for the poor overseas and with a major redevelopment of underused land in Baltimore City for flats, housing, and restaurants also gives back to…