T he world has seen its share of contrasts and contradictions in the past few years, dominating our attention and inspiring creative output along the way. The previous article, if you recall, touched on the contrast of nature and architecture as prominent fashion influences that found their way into the more influential and creative collections coming in the 2019 Resort, 2019 Spring Summer and 2018 Fall Winter Haute Couture seasons. In those executions, technology played a strong role; the advancements that we now are in the midst of are producing spellbinding incarnations of craft and design prowess. Many of the most inspiring ideas have, as they often do, come from new materials and trail-blazing techniques to craft garments that push the envelope of what we consider our daily costume. But not everyone is as fond of technology...nor the consequences of continuing such unsustainable practices...as one might think. If one needs an example, ponder how the information age has done a wonderful job of documenting the toxic damage that the industry itself has imprinted on our already-fragile ecosystem. Given that we are already in the midst of changes inspired by generational and technological shifts not before-seen since the Industrial Revolution, the timing to change habits seems apropos.

The "slow movement" is something that fashion has been cozying up to with greater frequency as both an antidote to the rapid encroachment of technology as well as an homage of times when on-calendar trends took a back seat to carefully crafted items where the unique imperfections gave soul and personality with great care. This shift was not exclusive to fashion, though; fashion's foray into this is rather new in comparison. This movement has been percolating for many decades, starting as a reaction to industrialized fast-food encroachment and gaining traction in many industries in the face of growing concern to step up its role in contributing to sustainability as the process involves more hands-on care along with greater opportunity for less waste. Rather than feed the endless loop of consumption, the conversation within the fashion community has been building since 2007 to move towards many factors supporting sustainability and ecological imprint minimization in producing pieces that become heirloom quality, that seek to be more an investment versus an on-the-moment statement in itself. Among the many approaches is the creation of fashion that honors craft and rejects trend, an irony itself that the growing attention of this movement has itself become a growing trend, but at least this direction benefits larger ecological concerns as well as the planet as we strive to adopt shifts towards healthier result.

In tandem with this approach is the inspiration of natural form (the last article citing further inspiration) that finds poetic harmony in its incarnation. The indetermination of society holding itself together by a thread that we are currently experiencing brings forth some rather literal translations into material; the lattice-like looseness and stray tendrils that once held connection, rendered in textile art are chief representations that are becoming a growing presence in designs. Those in the early noughts will recall some of this similar craft-inspired execution around the time that moods were dark and full of mistrust, held by the reminiscence of a once-cohesive innocence of the pre-9/11 years and especially around the great recession; think about those webby knits from Rodarte and McQueen or unwoven tweeds from Chanel circa 2008. This attenuated fragility of social interconnectivity was reluctantly palpable as events and the reactions that followed conspired to test what was left of our collective innocence. This loose community spirit found artistic affinity in the haphazard interlacing of handcraft, and fashion accepted this into its design vocabulary.

Here we are again, facing strain in the face of copious information particulars that alert us to how fractured our world is, and yet contradictory and hopeful idealized voices try to shed light on how we are still one, if only loosely bound. So, when looking at the return to appreciation of craft, we find this represented in collections from more established houses such as from Guo Pei (example here), Issey Miyake (here), KTZ (here), M. Patmos (here), and Ports 1961 (here); from emerging talent such as HOH Pabissi (here and here) and Minoar (here and here); and from fledglings such as Central St. Martins graduate Derek Lawlor (here), Antwerp graduate Nawal M. (here) and Iris van Herpen intern Stephanie Santos (here). And the more artisanal touches reflecting both fondness of handicraft while reflecting our societies both coming undone and trying to keep it together come out as loose ends, frays & weaves and naturalistic woven lattices & nets, all which can be seen in creations from designers such as from Iris van Herpen (here), Craig Green (here and here), KTZ (here), Mane Mane (here), Ports 1961 (here) and Sacai (here) as well as from innovative rising tech-inspired talent Clara Daguin (here and here) and clothing artist Bartholomaus Wischnewski for CEXN (here).

The beauty of seeing interpretation from fresher eyes is that these voices, seeking to find their place in the larger fashion field, take greater risks in the name of making a name. As such, their points of view are more direct as opposed to strategic. This creative freedom is not as bound to more established infrastructure that asks for compromise in the name of maintaining corporate interests. That isn't to say that more established creatives are slaves to commerce, for the more creative talent understands that their voice is what got them to where they are. It is in listening to these voices, regardless of what stage of growth, that we find perceptive expression to apprise us of where we are in our humanity. The combination of the two, reflected in the cumulative examples we see now, bring forth much to consider, both from an aesthetic and philosophical manner that speaks to the larger audience while representing how fashion can be more than just a superficial art. All this, done for us...and quite naturally.