For a few years now, more and more people are talking about the need to reinvent the fashion system, to rethink the way we look at runway shows and to do things differently. Not many propositions on how to change have been made yet though, as people either don’t have an idea of how fashion should change, or because they are afraid of stating out loud what needs to be said.
Many movers and shakers of the fashion world have taken a stance and commented on the state of fashion. In a recent Attire Club article, we wrote “according to giants like Lidewij Edelkoort, the fashion system as we know it is “obsolete” and needs a reconfiguration. For many people like Li Edelkoort, the image that represents the fashion of today is the “Nothing Changes” jacket by Russian designer Tigran Avetisyan. When we interviewed Tigran for the July 2017 issue of InCompany by Attire Club, he explained that the jacket represented the way he was feeling about the state of the fashion world today. And, while many people love fashion and discovering new clothes, there is a feeling that some things should change in the fashion system.”
It appears that today, more than in the past decades, we see a lot of focus on the concept of trends, despite many people being openly anti-trends. And, unlike trends that are “in” or “out”, the focus seems to be on upcoming trends. Trend forecasting is something that people seem to want more and more. Trend forecasts that announce what is likely to be “in” and what is likely to happen in the world are very, well, trendy, these days.
And there is a strong reason behind this obsession with forecasting. It can be argued that we live in dark times – this is something that almost everyone these days seems to agree, even though it is for different reasons. And so, in troubled times, people are looking a lot at those who can shed some light into what’s to come, so that they can prepare.
Fashion is a great expression of what is going on in the world. If you look at the history of apparel, you will notice how the clothes people have worn have always been in strong relation to what was going on the in the world politically, socially and culturally and how they morphed in organic ways. Thus, grasping the state of fashion in a correct manner will give one a small insight into how it may change in the near future, and, by extension, how culture at large will change.
It seems that overall, the fashion world is today in a state of undefined fogginess. Looking at photos from runway shows, may they be from London, Paris, Milan or New York, it seems that the inspiration for many designs seems to be a dusty dystopian world, a world of decay, which, it can be argued, is a good reflection of today’s world at large. In many ways, it seems that designers don’t build as much clothes as they break down. Not necessarily in a distressed trend kind of way – even though that’s a big thing as well – but from a thought process perspective.
It seems that today designers don’t focus as much on what clothes should be, but rather on what clothes shouldn’t be.
We see an inflation of political perspectives, of social and economic passions transpire through the clothes that walk the runways these days that the clothes themselves seem to have become secondary. It seems that for many designers, fashion is not so much about clothes, but about forcing ideas and a certain lifestyle on its potential wearers. And this is why so many men are at odds with the fashion world.
There is a strong disconnect today between the wants and needs of the audience and the views of many labels. Commercially, the big fashion brands understand this and make sure to translate the clothes into wearable, practical pieces people will want, but the reason why menswear has went downhill for a while, after having had such an incredible boost in the beginning of the decade, is because most men don’t really identify with most of what they see on the runways of the world.
When we wrote our review of Paris Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2019 on the digital edition of Attire Club, we wrote “we live in a world where designers have very clear and distinct voices. This is definitely an advantage, as it allows customers to know exactly where to go for the type of clothes they desire. Having a strong voice in the fashion world today is essential, as one needs to stand out and be clear what their take is in order to be easily identifiable in the sea of voices and views. However, at the same time, it can be said that have such a clear and distinct voice can prove to be a disadvantage as well, as it does not allow one to explore and do different things. It seems that many designers simply work on processing the same aesthetic over and over again that they lose sight of the bigger picture. Of course, it’s natural to have a personality – ultimately, this is what fashion is all about, but at the same time, after so many seasons of similar approaches, the excitements tends to get lost.
It could very well be that we find ourselves in a moment of ending, with a new shift on the horizon, but that horizon is still far and the first rays of the new sun have not come out. Yet. “
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
Attire Club Mood Board: Racinet’s Costume History book
The problem with art, beauty & fashion
Fashion show changes: A comparison between the 1990s and the 2010s
A critique to fashion and fetishism
Is there a crisis in fashion blogging?
P.S. We want to hear from you! Do you think there is a strong need for change in fashion? What do you think will be the next big trends in terms of clothing and cultural movements? Why? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!