Fashion can not only reveal the aesthetic influences on our minds, but can also indicate influences that crossover from sociological origins. Observations on the workings of our world can create a tip-off to designers who connect events with fashions that came before. Knowing the public has similar connections within, the designer can create fashion that harmonizes with those sentiments.

Those who have been paying attention in the business world have seen the rise of articles on the value of diversity and the lack of it in various industries. The transparency our culture demands these days has revealed surprising revelations in unlikely areas. The assumption is how the tech world would be a place of innovation, yet companies who chose to be honest showed the severe slant in gender and age representation amongst their ranks. These join other various stories of the still-present lack of female representation in leadership roles, the income disparity that defies logic and yet is still present, and the climates that remain unwelcoming or limiting to females in the workforce (for example, this article here or, more recently, this article here).

Other articles reveal the importance of diversity for creating healthy workplaces and how more innovation, higher profitability and healthier environments depend on a rich mix of races, genders and ages and an environment that supports a variety that reflects the real world it serves, in particular looking at LBGT individuals who are left out of the equation unfairly (such as this article by the Harvard Business Review here). While there may be perceived social advances regarding areas like marriage, family formation and anti-discrimination laws, the reality is how sophisticated discrimination is, seen in economic data from a report by the Movement Advancement Project, Family Equality Council and Center For American Progress entitles “All Children Matter: How Legal and Social Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families that came out ion October 2011 which can be found at www.childen-matter.org that was more recently covered in the Washington Post dispelling the myth that LGBTs have more disposable income ( see article here).

So how does this talk about races, genders and equality fit into the fashion scope? History, of course, which is fashion’s ally when it comes to inspiration. Amidst other sociological similarities that trigger designers to look back are the rise of discussion and exploration of empowerment. In the 70s, minorities banded together to support each other in a united cause of addressing the issues of discrimination. Feminism, racial equality and gay rights all came about in the era of protest. We saw the return of empowerment for these same groups in the 90s when data showed inequalities remained. And here we are again, looking at issues with the same groups as dialogue over inequality returns to the table.

And so the 70s/90s hallmarks that proliferate the 2015 Resort collections isn’t merely about the typical succession of decades that comes back as fashion normally sees, although this too contributes to the return of such influences. Rather, the triggers or recurring issues triggers creatives to look back and re-explore influences from those decades. Whereas the 90s took inspiration in part from the nostalgic exploration of camp the 70s provided in childhood sitcom memories coupled with the drug experimentation that paralleled both the 90s and 70s, the more political aspects now fit. And where before female empowerment went hand-in-hand with male exploitation of the 90s, now we have a more corporate review with social responsibility mirroring the concern level the 70s brought.

Another and very important aspect needs to be looked at when determine why these decades have become ripe for trend revisitation. The original empowerment and quest for equality that occurred with the Baby Boomers has come around to match the social fairness now desired by the Millennials, a generational group that has been receiving a lot of attention for its size and market potential much in the same way the Boomers had before them. And as this comparative social revelation is made apparent, the assessments beg reinforcement of inspiration seen in retro fashion revisits such as indicate above.

That’s not to say these are the only decades of inspiration and we know that as the media has joined in for the examination quest this blog has long touted. There are other comparisons to other decades made to this much-studied generational group, and fashion is doing its duty to include these in its dialogue…fairly, of course.