Talk about being distracted!
As I mentioned in the article “It Came From Over There” we are witnessing applications of technology in pragmatic ways that are far fom innocuous. Not only are these indicative of where our focus lies but their commercial success is telling us that the public has other ideas in mind of what constitutes practicality in fashion and what consitutes a daily need.
The apocalyptic path coupled with social unrest brought on by strains in various economies is not a comfortable pairing. Psychologically, one feeds the fear of the other. While some collections have chosen denial others have looked at possibilities that mirror past cycles, borrowing military elements and infusing these into the pret-a-porter collections, as if to prepare the consumer for battle.
Our World Wars came on the heels of global unrest and economic strain, as though there was a need for the cumulative stress to find an outlet (and not a healthy one). As such, clothing that came around those periods were more utilitarian. Part of this impetus was rationing of materials and part of this was where our priorities were. Adornation and decoration are found in times of peace, after all.
Although there is a lot of activity in the Middle East, this volatility is perpetual. However the concern of Iran closer to developing nuclear weapons and the awareness that Israel has such weapons does not bring comfort to many nations where scenarios have been played out of this conflict reaching international participation on a similar level. Add concerns of worsening, more destructive weather form global warming and economic conditions still affecting many parts of the world in ways we haven’t seen for a while and one can get outright defensive. And fashion is doing more than reacting through interpretive design.
Not too long ago it was announced in the New York Times that Woolrich’s was enjoying brisk sales with their casual daywear. It turns out that the clothing had practical aspects to their design in the form of structural alterations to support carrying weapons in a stealth unnoticeable manner. And they’re not alone. Another company called Under Armour also has expanded their clothing line to not only allow for carrying weapons but to allow for easy access and minimal detection as well.
Meanwhile, Ecouterre recently announced that scientists at the University of South Carolina have found a way to make a t-shirt bullet-proof without compromising its weight or comfort level. Surely this technology will find itself into clothing stores, especially in the 37 states in the US where carrying a gun is legal.
What do we take from this? Well, it certainly puts into perspective that concern is a class issue and that what we see being created for the masses does not necessarily reflect what is being demanded of by those who can afford to wear the more creative creations that make fashion fascinating. And just as in the 20s when fashion took inspiration from the street, it is inevitable that these innovations will find their way into the more gentile collections. Of course, it will be executed with more polish and tasteful embellishment. After all, one doesn’t need to lack style to be prepared for whatever it is that many seem to be waiting for.