Union Weekly ASI - California State University, Long Beach

EVERYONE'S A SELLOUT THESE DAYS

By >Violet Banks">ent/search/?searchword=violet+banks&ordering=newest&searchphrase=all&limit=20" target="_blank">>Violet Banks

Recently, Italian Designer Roberto Cavalli went on a rage-fueled rant about American designers and publications. He took to his twitter (@Roberto_Cavalli) to express his disgust and lack of amusement with major labels like Louis Vuitton and the infamous American Vogue.

These tweets show how much Cavalli finds American fashion boring and no longer creative.  He reluctantly references one designer (Marc Jacobs) as the only American designer he tolerates. “Fashion… is a big machine of money !! no creativity anymore ! In 50 years the books of fashion … THEY DON’T HAVE NATHING TO SAY ABOUT US,” Cavalli says referring to the currency-driven fashion industry and how they ignore “Franch”—as he calls it—designers. In the last of these fiery tweets he calls out Vogue Editor Anna Wintour mentioning how she does not come to see his shows in Milan because he doesn’t place ads in the magazine. He basically calls everyone a sellout.

Despite Mr. Cavalli’s unsettling take on English grammar—which I automatically have to forgive due to his immense amount of credibility in the fashion industry—this got me thinking. We have sold out. Let’s face it; money is number one and passions have assumed the role as “hobbies.” If it weren’t for this whole “economy in the crapper” business, I’d be blowing my hard owned financial aid on a fancy fashion institute in Los Angeles.  Luckily someone sat me down and gave me a little pep talk. It was a rude awakening—full of talk about four-year universities, back-up plans, and unemployment rates.

The Department of Numbers reports that California’s current unemployment rate is at 11% (that’s 2,031,378 people).  Several individuals (including myself) can contest to the fact that job hunting is complicated. Add in the fact that when you do get hired it can be so competitive. I heard one time a girl’s co-worker stole her trip to Paris Fashion Week (which would have advanced her career) right from under her nose. Okay… so that’s actually the plotline from The Devil Wears Prada. But you get my point; the scarcity of jobs makes it even harder to go with what you really want in life. Cavalli makes a good point on how we have traded in creativity and originality for security and currency.

I give kudos to those who are pursuing a degree they are 100% passionate about.  You are obviously very good at what you do and I would love the heart it takes to have that much confidence in my profession. Don’t get me wrong, I love journalism, but I would give my right tit to know I’d be the next Stella McCartney.

And I won’t leave out those of us hanging in there because our parents believe a law/medical/or any science based degree is best for us. And if this truth bums you out, cheer up and do what I do; I remind myself that when I attain a lucrative job I can always go back to school… or buy all the shit that will make me feel better about being a sell-out.