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Fashion Observed


Trend observations with a sociological eye from afar...

by Darryl S. Warren  

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I  t is a slow trickle at present regarding the Pre-Fall 2017 season offerings. Another glimpse may be singular but provides another piece of observation that designers  give in their interpretation of world events into things we find kinship in wearing.

The world's eyes have been squarely on the United States, in particular their election results and how this translates into world events. The ongoing onslaught of media attention to state position appointments, party member associations are equally discussed along with historic comparisons where policy and attitudes are concerned. It is common knowledge that history repeats. Those who proscribe to more spiritual beliefs regarding concepts such as those regarding material manifestation also find that expectations become reality; the long-trending apocalyptic sentiments that have strengthened post 9/11 only serve to reinforce this when looking at rising global tensions that are fed to the public.  

The oscillation between our spiritual awareness spurred by such fears and precedence of history actions as the basis for repetition expectations is our current lot. We who have a more far-reaching communication base have access to a new form of "church" where community comes together to share and reinforce beliefs; we know this as the internet. Spirituality tends to rise when threats become more concrete. Periods before wars tend to trigger reflection and connection and current circumstances are no different. The fear of another Third Reich in the most unlikely of societies is gathering steam, with historians citing striking similarities in actions and approaches warning of fascism and dire outcomes.

For fashion any cultural elements supporting or translating comparatives can further inspiration, such as Natalie Portman's recent film "Planetarium" which features many inspirational fashion moments within a film touching on the spiritual and the historic, being the Weimar years as bigotry and fascism precipitates World War II...how timely indeed.

Seeing another pre-fall collection inspired by a similar time period is Bottega Veneta. Here the peaked shoulders and demure minimalism of the pre-war 30s finds kinship with current concerns grow as the world watches the morphing of the new US government's crystallization before official implementation...and it's potential ramifications...takes place. 

Fears are a construct of the mind as a form of protection and survival inspiration. Not all fears are real and sometimes it is our fixture on them that leads our subconscious towards making these manifest..a self-fulfilling prophesy, if you will. While AI and deep learning algorithms along with more powerful computers can better pour over our cumulative information to make more accurate determinations of our fate in time, we are not fully there yet. So, our future is not in stone. Our fears, though, are certainly gelling, and it will be interesting to see how other designers broadcast their mindsets in the coming weeks as pre-fall collections continue to be released. 

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