About Me: Laine Mackle

My name is Laine Mackle, a senior at Kent State University, majoring in Fashion Merchandising (shocker) and including a minor in Fashion Media. I say shocker when talking about majoring in Fashion because The Fashion School at Kent State is ranked in the top 4 of universities with a prestigious fashion design/merchandise program. I am originally from a suburb about 30 minutes from Chicago, Illinois; which means I introduce myself from Chicago because know one is going to know what Orland Park is.

I would like to think my values would resonate with my sororities values, love, honor and truth. However, I think the things that mean the most to me is being honest and not trying to hide who you really are. And, I think that my past life experiences has installed that into my brain and will continue to do so as I move on to the adult world in a few short months. I like to add humor in whatever crevice it allows me to; humor has always been my 'coping' mechanism in a way that I feel a lot of joy when I can make someone laugh. I try to add a little humor in my writing and of course whenever I have the chance to speak my mind.

I am always trying to communicate with individuals my own age, however I find it realitivty hard especially in this competitive industry that I am taking part in. That being said, I like to think my audience is between the age of 19 and 26. My unique selling proposition for this blog would most definitely being honest with a little bit of humor; relatable but also not afraid of giving my opinions on things most people just look over.

One of my favorite things that has happened in the past couple weeks, being fashion related + my love of the royal family, would be the BAFTA's dress code of only sustainable fashion.

Being sustainable has different meanings. In this case, the dress code meant any outfit coming from a sustainable designer, a re-wear of a dress worn previously, or something vintage. For the men, it was easy because you always need a black tux. I think the real challenge was for the women. After doing some more research and not just looking at what Kate Middleton wore (it was a dress previously worn in 2012 by designer Alexander McQueen), some celebrities made subtle sustainable changes in their outfit choices. One of the more interesting ones was that of American-Irish actress Satires Ronan, who included discarded satin fabric in her simple black Gucci gown (See the image above).

Overall, I like to believe that celebrities are taking notes and trying their best on making more sustainable choices because that is where the fashion industry is moving forward to. However, I do think that it is harder for them then it is for the rest of us. Some of those reasons are:

• the stigma of always having to wear the newest, latest fashion

• celebrities who tap into the influence category (Khloe Kardashian, Hailey Bieber) and teaming up with fast-fashion companies like FashionNova and Shein

• the always intensive scrutiny from people like us

In the end, I gave a huge praise to the British Academy of Film and Television on making such a dress code and also providing farm to table dining options in a time where sustainability is the 'hot, new' thing. I hope that award shows, and other related big name events can follow in these footsteps.