Prada V Primark

This was an article I came across in the September issue of the Magazine Marie Claire. I don’t often buy magazines, but when I do I tend to read them cover to cover (often not remembering what I have seen). For some reason this article stuck with me, I was out shopping the other day and I found myself wondering about the same issues that this article raises.

It is a two-part article, one half written by Tamsin Blanchard (a journalist who has just finished an article about ethical fashion) who spent a week dressed solely in Primark items. The other section was written by Kate Spicer who describes her fashion as being more about buying the odd designer item to wear alongside those from the high street, but has given this up for a week of being dressed by Prada. Whilst this swapping lifestyle principal is one that has been used so many times before, this article picks a very topical point of ethical clothing and looks at it in a very interesting way.

I don’t really think anyone can go into a shop such as Primark and not wonder how they sell jeans for £8 and still make a profit. This is one of the issues discussed within the text, as well as; are designer items practical for everyday, is there any benefit in buying clothes to last or is it better to simply buy and wear once what is currently in style and then bin it.

My only criticism of this article is that it didn’t really balance that well. The author they had selected to do the Prada week was undoubtedly a good journalist, but had been given slightly less column length. This meant that whilst it focussed on if Prada fitted into her personal lifestyle, it did not have time to go into the pros/cons of labelled clothes themselves. The first author having that bit more space, was able to balance looking at the industry in general with her experiences. This is a relatively small thing, but nevertheless one that I couldn’t help noticing.

An extract from this article is online at (http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/features/reports/Fashion_feature_Prada_v_Primark_Tamsin_Blanchard_article_131874.html)