Early 21st Century

As newer technology emerges, we can observe another shift in influence. According to the New York Times, television surpassed motion pictures in the ability to serve as a fashion trend setter in 2010 (Tortora & Eicher, 2015).

 

The internet and e-commerce assisted the rise of fast fashion, which pushed the industry and society further into the mindset of over-consumption and mass-production. Amy De La Haye and Andrew Tucker write in Costume and Fashion, 

"Between 2006 and 2011 online international fashion sales increased by 152%, significantly boosted by the new transactional websites of high street stores, while fashion applications on smartphones facilitate purchasing on the move" (Laver, p. 294, 2012).

 

From the technology-inspired clothing to the rapid sharing of trends through social media and the purchasing of fashion through online channels, the story of fashion and technology became further intertwined in the 2000s.