The Importance of Privilege in Fashion

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"I always wanted to be in fashion," she says. "But I just wasn't going to take the straight forward path that someone with, you know, disposable income or someone with a lot of privilege to take." She talks about how ethnic parents are like, You're going to school for liberal arts? No, you're not. So basically explaining to my parents that I wanted to work in this industry that my mother wasn't the type of person who was really super into fashion to begin with,. It just was a non conversation".

Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May.

This week, Katherine asks Aja Barber how we can change the way we buy clothes.

Many of us have an uneasy feeling about the clothes we buy and wear. Although we know that there are ethical issues with their production, few of us understand how to change our behaviour, and make better choices. As a stylist and fashion consultant, Aja makes it her business to understand the whole supply chain, from raw materials to disposal. There are some dark stories to absorb, but there’s also plenty of hope: Aja shows that the change starts with us, and with the joy we find in the garments we love.

We also talk about Aja’s path to the work she does now, and her beautiful practice of getting dressed on Instagram. She can teach us so much about about learning to love our own bodies, and to cherish our old clothes.

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