For a designer to remain relevant, he or she demonstrates a connection with the largesse of world affairs by translating current events, concepts, and sentiments in a garment format to convey connection with those in witness to its creation. It's kind of like creating a code that taps into the subconscious associations we have of the world around us, forged by years of consistent reinforcement of symbology. In the most basic form, colours hold associations that can trigger memories and elicit reactions to bring our moods and even actions. Decorators, for example, know this when carefully choosing colour schemes for restaurants. The foundation of this knowledge is worth billions with many industries relying on findings associated with this knowledge.

Designers have a more complex task, however. Under constraints to keep fashion fresh to continue interest while being germane to global events, designers must involve all aspects of interpretation to their wares. This means that cuts, shapes, materials, finishings, accessories, pattern and appliques all must contribute to relating and must balance innovation with conformity to the larger fashion climate. Get too far ahead and it can go over the heads of the general public who aren't aware of the gift of trend prescience and can results in lost sales, negatively impacting survival. Come too late and one can lose cache for being out of touch or behind the curve, thus losing reputation as producing items worthy of investment. It's a stressful balancing act for those who aren't practiced in this field, especially when the well-being of others under ones employ comes into play.

Sometimes the inspiration is fro a lighter place, such as art or music. Other times the sophistication of understanding world affairs becomes the source. In the 80s, the awareness of starvation in Africa due to pronounced drought in the face of increasing world technological real-time reporting in contrast with our focus on celebrating consumption stirred our conscience. While mega-events such as Live Aid sought to tap into our altruism via pop culture framework, fashion was influenced by reflecting an interest in African culture. This resulted in tribalistic and African prints utilized in clothing trends, and encouraging appreciation in new international genres, such as the rise of “world music”.

Not always is the inspiration light or as optimistic. The exaggerated turbans and chunky shoulders of the war years in the 40s was a subversive reaction to the Nazi regime, where designers still in Europe were forced to design for the high society within those dictatorships. They chose to design what they thought was ridiculous and absurd creations made to distort and make ugly the wearer as away of creative retaliation in the only way that they could. Oddly enough, these elements found their way into fashion trends as the irony wasn't conveyed to those who followed fashion, but for those who were central to the efforts they felt some satisfaction in their outlet of expression.

Such is all forms of art. Sometimes the creator has a firm message or vision it wants to impress and sometimes the message is left for the audience to interpret, with the power of any reaction being more important than the specifics.

When looking at current events that have multiple facets of activity, the inspirations may not always be clear. Looking at Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine over the past year, one can see a few angles for inspiration. Here is a n area that has been under greater focus in the media, partly due to the Olympics and partly due politics. The more appreciative cultural view looks at the rich heritage from patterns, cuts and accessories native to the culture that form our associations. But another view focuses on these cultures as a result of the not-so-wonderful happenings. The hampering of LGBT rights by Russia while hosting a world-class international event was the wrong kind of attention that may have garnered incorporating elements from that culture into current design. Its escalating the threat of democracy in the Ukraine is also another event that can become inspiring, be it for designers that are reminded of the beauty these places can create or the designers that thrive in subversive or provocative inspiration because of what is happening in those places now.

So, while Russian-inspired accessories were found in collections by Badgley Mischka and eastern European folk print was seen at J. Mendel, KTZ's collection was dripping with Slavic elements in cut and print, some quite provocatively Ukrainian.