In Defense of Fashion

You ever see something that gets under your skin for no reason?  Something that really has no relation or bearing to your actual life, something that just has nothing to do with anything you have any control over and really isn’t in the scope of your everyday life, but for some reason, this irritating thing causes you to have a little mental meltdown? Ever had that?

It probably happens to me with more regularity than it should. Last night, a friend posted a link to a Buzzfeed story that displayed photos from various shows from Men’s Fashion Week in Milan. The article boils down to a series of carefully curated photos with snarky commentary from what was certainly the most out of the ordinary looks sent down the runways. The general premise being, “aren’t these ridiculous??!!...What are these fashion people thinking??!! No one would ever wear this!! Does Donatella think the next “Big Thing” is going to be gladiator costumes??!!”

And this, this is what set me off. Yeah, I’m not in the fashion world. I don’t design. I only own a couple of pieces of true Designer clothes. But, the lack of understanding about what a fashion show is, what purpose it serves, and the disrespect and ignorance (usually followed by disdain) that people often give Fashion got/gets/will continue to annoy me.

I’ve spent more time than I should have in my life defending not only my love for fashion, but also why it isn’t something to be discounted. Let’s start with a few quick premises:

1)      Fashion is Art. And no, I’m not necessarily talking about what you’re going to find at H&M, J. Crew or even the mass produced Calvin Klein you find in Macy’s in the mall. I’m talking from real design houses that actually spend time completing an honest to Gaga collection. Those collections have themes, intents, and actually work to say something that the specific designer wants to say. Sometimes it’s social commentary, sometimes it’s challenging the idea of masculinity and femininity, and sometimes it’s even commenting on Fashion itself. However, a true runway collection is no different than any other type of art exhibition. It’s an artist attempting to present an idea via the artistic medium he or she has chosen. Fashion just happens to be worn as opposed to an object d’art hanging on the wall or sitting in a gallery.

2)      Fashion shows are not for you. Or me. Or most of us really. They are either for the buyers at the major retailers who will pick what clothes will be sold in their stores, or for fashion magazine editors who will try to capture what the designer was saying and maybe comment on it in an editorial.

3)      That brings me to some of the looks that often make it onto things like the Buzzfeed article. Every season designers show pieces that are “weird” or “out there” or even “unwearable” in an everyday context. THESE ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE WORN WHILE YOU CLEAN THE HOUSE/GO TO WORK AT YOUR CUBICLE/OR EVEN OUT TO DINNER. These are often conceptual looks that fit into the collection by displaying a new technique or use the extreme to hammer home the larger message of the collection. Just because it goes down the runway on a model doesn’t at all mean the designer intended for that look to be worn by the masses as it was shown. If it shocked you, that was probably the designer’s intent.

4)      To that end, let’s talk about the exclusivity argument. Fashion is often seen as something for the pretentious elite, something that the shallow folks with gobs of money waste their trust funds on. And sure, most Fashion is above most of our budgets. Just as most of the art hanging in the Met or Guggenheim is out of our budgets. So, what’s the difference? Why is it ok for someone to spend thousands or even millions for a painting with precious little outrage, but it’s a crime for Prada to charge $5000 for a dress? Sure, you can buy a $100 suit at H&M. But, you also pay for what you get in terms of fabric quality, construction, attention to detail and the wages of those who made the garment. The garments may even appear similar. It’s sort of the same principle as buying the original Van Gogh or buying a print of it in the gift shop on your way out. Most of us don’t buy the original. Instead, we buy a mass produced, cheaply made version of it.

5)      While we’re on the topic of wages, take a moment to consider that awesome $5 t shirt you bought at a discount store. Sure, it was a great bargain for you, but at what cost on the back end? If you’re truly interested in the high cost of low priced, disposable clothes have a look and listen here and here. Maybe also watch an episode of Project Runway and see the art, talent and time it takes to construct one garment. Then, think about how it can be that anything sells for $5.

6)      And finally, let’s talk about the nature of what Fashion is for most of us. Even those who shun the world of Fashion have to engage it in some way to know what to rail against. And yes, just as it was succinctly described by Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada”, what shows on the runways will eventually trickle down (with increasing speed due to that cheap manufacturing) to us masses. See all those printed shirts? They’ll likely show up in stores in toned down, more widely appealing patterns. See those color pairings and silhouettes? They might just show up too, in a way that hints back at the original’s general concept, but in a way that is relatable to most people.

And with all that being said, I’ll close with my final defense. Perhaps it’s the ultimate reason I’m bothering to post this. It’s the defense of myself. I’ve been accused of being shallow, pretentious, vain and any number of things due to my love of Fashion. It’s always been frustrating to attempt to explain why I don’t see Fashion as others seem ready to understand it. However, it is nothing more than an appreciation for what seems to me to be the art form we all most interact with, whether we like it or not.