Part of our technological networks that we have established is the capacity to not only be hyper-informed, but to allow ourselves the privilege of supporting real-time flows of information that could bring to light information we may have previously been exempt from. Sites such as WikiLeaks have drawn the ire of institutions and governments by providing the kind of information that those institutions do not want us to have, yet it is because of this information making it into the public sphere that has provoked dialogue that moves us closer to more ethical conversations in our quest towards making this a better world rather than to just talk about it.

Now we have the ability to see progress made on bringing subjects to light due to this never-ending superstream of information. If individuals are concerned about lack of privacy they should know that organizations are also subject to this new evolution within the information age that brings accountability into the public eye. And as dollars tend to be connected with this resurgence of responsible consciousness, more and more companies are making the effort to come clean so as to keep public trust.

Oddly enough, this trend was anticipated by many trending organizations and, in particular, expects this to be a major aspect this year; the subject of transparency certainly was noticed by PositiveLuxury.com during the World Economic Forum at Davos-Klosters, Switzerland back in January, especially as it was a component of many speeches and seminars during this convention. In fact, last month, H & M took to disclosing their supplier factory lists in order to demonstrate their willingness to be transparent about their sourcing as they aim to keep their word about supporting sustainability. It was a bold move not normally done in an industry that carefully guards its resources and was well-noted within the industry.

UK trending organization Mudpie covered this topic back in 2011 when discussion how transparency would become a component of our image as a commodity. Designers are no stranger to all this information; not a brand name exists that doesn’t have services with trending organizations, especially if one wants to be part of the global language and aims to be ahead of the curve.  So it makes sense that this focus gets the literal treatment, something well-noticed in the spring-summer collections that will appear in stores this year and again later in the fall.

Worth noting is how much sheer has been a staple in fashion over the decades and how aspects of our intellectual illumination have coincides with this use of sheer. The breaking of convention and frankness of dialogue between the sexes in the 20s contrasted with the looking beyond the surface in the 40s and 50s and use of sheer contrasted appropriately.  Increased demand for disclosure and accountability in the 80s and increase of being informed each decade after saw more sheer being used in strategic ways that reflected how we seek for and get our information, handily interpreted by savvy designers who treated their designs as a canvas of expression.

How interesting that there has been recent exploration by Dutch inventors at Studio Roosegaarde into the utilization of technology to make clothing transparent based on physiological expressions such as heart rate and body temperature connected to our telling the truth. Our quest for transparency certainly is a literal one in more than one manner. Only time will tell whether we see life matching the fashion concept but if H & M’s move is any indication this trend is making itself clear.