Fashion = Art.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to have one of those endearing encounters that stay stuck in your brain for quite a while.  In fact, I still get a big smile across my face when I think back to all of the details that took place that morning.  I was sitting in the store, completing fall inventory orders and doing some paperwork when a young girl and her mother came into the store to shop.  When I asked them if they needed help with anything, they said with a smile that they were just browsing, and started sifting through the racks.  I immediately noticed that the young girl was drawn to sparkly things- she was a girl after my own heart.  When the pair finally got to the counter with their intended purchases, the mother kindly asked me if I was the girl from the newspaper.  “Yes!” I replied, “as a matter of fact I am”.  The pair continued to inform me of the 5^th grader’s love for fashion, on how she reads my column weekly, and about her interest in one day becoming a fashion designer!  (Hopefully she remembers this column in twelve years and seats me in the front row of her show when she makes it big.)  We proceeded to talk about favorite designers (this girl knows her stuff), and about her sewing classes in Danville.  In fact, she touched me so much, that I felt that it was my responsibility to inform my readers on the importance of fashion.  That’s right, fashion is not just some frivolity for people with extra money to spend; it is truly a form of art. More importantly, fashion is an outlet of self expression for a countless number of people, young and old alike.

First and foremost, a little crash course in history is in order.  What many people don’t know, is that the history of fashion design dates all the way back to Egyptian civilization, but became prominent in society during the 18^th century, with Marie Antoinette and her court.  Fashion became a pastime for the royals, and was considered to be even more impractical than the 5 inch platforms that we (or I, at least) wear today.  In the mid 19^th century, a man by the name of Charles Frederic Worth, changed the game of fashion forever.  Until then, couturiers would have to travel to a clients’ home to custom fit and create garments for them.  Worth, who is deemed the “father of haute couture”, was the first person to create an actual collection of garments and to organize a “fashion show” of sorts, complete with his own label that was sewn into the garments.  The 1900’s came next, with fashion taking a different twist.  Fashions became more practical and accessible, with corsets taking a backseat to looser fitting garments that could be worn by women working alongside men.  The rest is history!  Fashion trends today are ever changing, adapting, and recycling themselves to correlate with many sociopolitical issues, economic trends, etc, and have become a form of self exploration and expression.

So how does this relate to the art world?  Well, the large majority of us are purchasing mass produced “designs”.  But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an artist behind the inspiration!  You’ve seen The Devil Wears Prada, right?  If not, go rent it; or better yet, buy it!  Somewhere out there is an artist, sketching up a gorgeous design and hand draping and patterning that design to perfection.  The designer must perfect the design using a slew of mathematical calculations based on sizing, as well as marketable calculations based upon the type of client that will be wearing the garment, the price point, and much, much more.  If you still aren’t convinced that fashion design is an art form, I challenge you to create an ensemble from a piece of cloth, and see how many people are willing to buy it.  Oh, and of course you have to be able to create a garment that has the masses just itching to get into it.  After you’ve got that down you’ll have to create an entire collection of desirable garments, and do it a minimum of 4 times a year, essentially with no breaks in between.  And you’ll have to squeeze in time for fashion shows, press releases, and industry events to get your product out in the spotlight, of course! 

Lastly, fashion is not only a form of art, it is a form of expression.  How many days do you wake up wondering what to wear that morning?  Well, probably not as often as I, but most of us have those moments from time to time.   More often than not, I typically dress for my “mood”.  Most of us have heard that colors can drastically affect one’s mood, known commonly as “color psychology”.  Have you ever wondered why spas tend to decorate in a certain palate, why schools’ interiors tend to be painted in a particular color scheme, and why gyms are typically adorned with red or orange hues?  It’s all a mind game, my friends.  Different colors evoke different moods, which is why we may reach for a red shirt when we’re feeling energetic, or a blue shirt on a calm, cool, and collected type of day.  Just the same, getting dressed in the morning can be a strategy of sorts.  Think about the encounters you will have throughout the day and what type of emotion you are trying to evoke from your encounters.  I try not to think too hard about how my t-shirt will affect the way people talk to me throughout the day, but I do follow one rule.  If I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I’m wearing black, all black, and black alone.  It’s always chic, put together, and gives off a “don’t mess with me” type of aura that is suitable for any situation.  It’s also associated with power, mystery, and elegance to name a few.   Which emotion am I feeling that day?  I’ll never tell.  After all, that would take mystery out of the equation, now wouldn’t it?