Vignette:A Fashionable Day
A Fashionable Day
natashia stared out of her dormitory. The sky was dark, no stars, just the artificial skyline of the Zalivkov skyline beyond her. The largest city in Osorra, perhaps in Avalonia, around 15 million people made up this megalopolis. Faint, yet tall towers could be seen from miles away - when you go closer you would see the heraldry of these vast megacorporations. Sosya, Zerkola, KarpaKom, etc, etc. Perhaps an office for the Yarovar clothing brand she worked for. This megacity wasn't known as a fashion center for no reason, as it exports tens billions in textiles yearly, not merely content designing them.
She had always dreamt about fashion. What meager funds her parents gave her she would invest on the latest fashion trends. She followed all the bloggers, read all the history, and hoard all the magazines. She thought about designing her own clothes but with grades far too low she settled herself with saving up until she could finally afford something. From her tiny town in Southern Osorra, she moved away to Zalivkov. The city at first scared her with its sheer size and scale. Obelisks dot the city, with symbols praising the great megacorporations of post-Communist Osorra. Hundreds of thousands of small workshops dot the city, making a variety of goods from clothes, shoes, makeup, car parts, and other products. A cultural scene more confusing then it dazzles, she finds it hard to fit in. Still she goes out on the weekends to whatever her roommates recommend. She lives on little, saving up most of her funds for her dream fashion school, eating instant ramen and entertaining herself with cute fashion games and simulators.
Anatashia slept peacefully, preparing for another day ahead. She used to be insomniac from the stress and sheer intensity of the city, never knowing she would fit in. But she finally comforted herself in the recognition she's a mere cog in a vast scale industrial machine. A new Volkovist women contributing to post scarcity across the world. Where the poorest person could afford fashion for barely a few kopeks - Oleg Kozlov's legacy emblazoned on even the poorest villager. This recognition perhaps filled her with a sense of joy and patriotism. One day, perhaps, she'd find a fashion designer husband, settle in, and produce kids to contuine this grand machine. How beautiful, how sublime, she often thought staring out into the city lights.
She woke up, prepared some tea, and set out for work. She peacefully set about stiching textiles, taking cut fabrics and through the process of alchemy turning them into a beautiful garment. Scared of her manager she moved extremely fast. Her manager smiled at her. "Anatashia, you are a model worker. One of the most productive in the factory. Feel no problems asking me for a bonus.". She smiled, exactly what she needed.
Walking out of the factory she walked with some of her roommates towards the bus. She could perhaps get a car, but she was trying to save as much money as humanly possible. The bus wasn't so croweded today, and they rode towards the metro station. Riding the metro they came into one of the many malls dotting the city. Perhaps, she couldn't possibly afford many of these prices, but with a smartphone and some searching she found similar clothes at far lower prices from the many factories dotting the city. Her friends even knew how to get these clothes directly. Still, she did not buy any of them to keep her fashion school dream alive. Her friends were quite opionated on these clothes, their colors, materials, and other attributes. Finally after many hours, they took the metro towards a home show and raved the night away. Returning at 1, she slept, and waited for another workday.