Whether they’re referred to as mental illnesses, disorders, or problems, fluctuations in mental health have often been thought to indicate weakness or abnormality. However, with the World Health Organization reporting that hundreds of millions of people are impacted by mental and neurological disorders worldwide, it seems that issues with mental health are everything but abnormal. The devastation and lingering effects of COVID-19—including struggles with isolation, income, and losing loved ones—have only amplified the importance of addressing mental health and accelerating cultural change that nurtures rather than stigmatizes these issues.
Reports have shown that mental health issues are particularly common in the fashion industry, which, as some would argue, seems to normalize emotional suffering to the point where it is seen as a necessary outcome of working in the industry. The relentless pressure perpetuated by the fashion cycle—exacerbated by long hours, unsustainable production levels, and economic instability—takes its toll on the mental health of people working at every level, from the tragic suicides of high-profile fashion figures like Alexander McQueen, to the well documented (but far less-publicized) prevalence of PTSD amongst garment workers injured in the collapse of Rana Plaza. At the same time, mental health can have an impact on how we all dress ourselves, making the connections between fashion and mental health relevant to anyone working outside of this industry.
In an effort to promote greater understanding of how mental health impacts our lives and to engender a supportive platform to discuss these issues, FSJ seeks contributions to a special series on the theme of Fashion and Mental Health. Our content ranges from thoroughly researched scholarly essays, media criticism, and personal narratives to photo collections and poetry. This series will ideally do the same, reflecting the infinite ways that mental health intersects and acts upon the fashioned self. Theoretical, historical, ethnographic, personal narrative, and creative perspectives are welcome.
How do we define mental health? Issues with mental health can take many different forms. Ones that typically require diagnosis and medical treatment include anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a variety of developmental disorders including autism. However, mental health is unique to each individual, and this list of medical conditions doesn’t fully illustrate the myriad ways that fluctuations in mental health can impact our daily lives. We invite contributions that address mental health from all angles, from methods for dealing with suffering to ways to strengthen and embrace that which makes us all unique.
Some Ideas to Get You Started
How does mental health impact the ways that we dress ourselves, either revealing or concealing our innermost feelings?
How can we use fashion to empower people living with mental health issues?
How does social media impact mental health and our own self-image?
How has mental health been affected by COVID-19 and how does that connect to how we dress ourselves?
How does the fashion industry contribute to normalizing mental health issues?
How do mental health issues faced by notable figures like Alexander McQueen and John Galliano help to shine a light on this subject while potentially romanticizing the idea of the “tortured artist”?
How can the fashion industry work towards destigmatizing and raising greater awareness around mental health issues?
How can schools support and promote mental health among fashion students to create lasting change in the industry?
How can academics and instructors working in the field of fashion be more open about stress and mental health without the fear or losing class assignments or tenure?
How does the growing wellness industry commercialize and profit from increased attention around mental health?
How are mental health issues interpreted and represented differently in cultures across the world?
How can greater inclusivity in the fashion industry potentially support mental health for those living with the extra burden of being racialized and/or otherwise Othered?
Please email fully considered pitches (500 words) and a brief bio (100 words) to laura@fashionstudiesjournal.org with the subject heading, “SUBMISSION: Fashion & Mental Health” by March 31, 2021.