The articles detailing the influence the late Amy Winehouse made through her music and image have been well-substantiated since her untimely passing. She influenced Chanel, helped add profile to labels Preen and Arrogant Cat, and collaborated with Fred Perry. She impacted editorial themes for LOVE, Numero and both Parisian and Russian Vogues. She added to the interest in retro 50s and 60s design due to her loyalty to iconic style details such as her cats-eye eyeliner, beehive, penchant for polka dots and her quirky approach to wearing fashion her way. Unique in her choices and true to herself, her image coupled with her music caught the attention of the fashion community who embraced those elements into their fold.

Her untimely passing and the cause of death are the subject of much speculation and discussion, more suited for tabloids than for the pages of fashion industry publications. The question is whether her influence will endure to affect fashion collections that have yet to be unveiled. Beloved by her fans and recognized for her talent, the recognition of those positive qualities are not to be ignored.

While this may seem callous, the death of a style icon alone is, unfortunately, rarely enough to dramatically affect fashion immediately. As is, designers have a wealth of information and multiple influences to keep track of. Fashion collections are a hybrid of multiple influences that aim to reach the broadest audience in as many attractive ways as possible planned with some degree in advance. While lead times from conception to production have dramatically decreased over the years (look at any brand making their business off of “inspiration” for proof), any real impact is more likely when the individual has tremendous deep cultural bearing without scandal. That’s not to say that the possibility doesn’t exist. Rather, the reality is that a scandalous past does lessen the possibility when it overshadows accomplishment.

When Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols exploded into the music scene, he and the band’s image had tremendous impact for both their music and their image. The same can be said for grunge icon Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. However, fashion did not continue to draw influence as much after their demise. Respected their contributions to the past, yes, this was heavily and respectfully acknowledged. In each case their death only served to remind the public of the perils of drug abuse that overshadowed their identity, gifts and potential, especially when this is where the media is focused upon their death.

These moments tended to become a milestone as we moved forth, marking a point where we progressed. It’s not the best analogy, but it’s over when someone dies during “the party”. A tragic passing of this nature (even suspected so) by someone high profile causes many of us to re-examine our path, our behavior, to sober up if even for the flash while we contemplate our own direction, especially when some of our lives have been a bit reckless. The introspection is part of those milestones, especially when drugs and celebrity are publicly involved in our speculation.

So the true measure of whether this person will have any more of an influence compared to any other in passing is more likely determined by how much their death as much as their life impacts our lives. She impacted the industry upon her “arrival” and added to our catwalk soundtrack. We were moved by her music and her sound. Unfortunately her legacy is mired in the media’s focus of her addiction, which overshadowed her talents more recently to the point her downfall was the butt of jokes in our pop culture. The public exposure of this downfall coupled with disdain for drug abuse and subsequent ridicule seldom adds to a choice a designer makes for their repertoire of inspiration. And while sources such as Vogue and MDPClick.com posted detailed acknowledgements and appreciative words for the late Ms. Winehouse’s contributions and impact, WWD, also kind in their sentiments made a brief but succinct point that her influence would be more in the past than in the future.

Somewhere further in time we will come around to a similar point where similar circumstances will parallel when the late Ms. Winehouse was an influence and another generation will wistfully draw upon her image and music for inspiration as they reinterpret her style, translate it into their voice and express it through their design. She may not sway us as did when she appeared, but as all culturally influential people in the past, she will have her day again. She gave of herself and we benefited from her creativity and for this potential and for the memories of the good she gave our culture and this industry we should honor her memory with gratitude.