Menu

Fashion Observed


Trend observations with a sociological eye from afar...

by Darryl S. Warren  

Follow  on Twitter:         @FashionObserved
              on Instagram:   @fashion_observed_ 
              on Facebook:      /FashionObserved
              on Pinterest:      /FashionObserved

Art is as product of the expression of ideas, concepts and emotions realized in media outside of conventional communication. Its capacity to reach us in primal, unspoken ways is immense. It is impossible to not have art, for it permeates in every aspect of expression ranging from industrial design to interiors to architecture to marketing. It is the sophistication of our vernacular. And it is very much at home in fashion.

Fashion also represents our attention span and our focus. In periods where careful study and slow appreciation were our mindsets is where fashion slows down. Variations in trends slow to a crawl in favor of subtle exploration of nuances within the constraints of the times and for most of history our fashion has evolved this way, reflecting a mindset where we had time and patience to study our surroundings and allow time to fill our thoughts. As technology rose we found our live accelerating and with that our fashion interests keeping tempo.

To keep fashion alive the inspiration rotates. Sometimes it’s from ideas of the streets and sometimes it’s from the design genius who finds a platform to lead and inspire. Sometimes it’s form our surroundings and sometimes it’s from the creativity the surroundings bring. Art, architecture, politics, social revolution, they all have a place in shaping our fashion.

The tension and fear that politics and economics have provided can only be sustained for so long. Human beings have a limit, a ceiling if you will, of how much such emotion can be absorbed. After a while the ceiling is reached and the mind shuts down or changes focus. The shift form war and fear of the 50s and early 60s eventually gave way to love and escape that the 60s and 70s steered towards. The hippie movement , Summer of Love and later disco turned resignation into aspiration of finding optimism in what we can control rather than what we cannot.

Music is always part of our cultural expression. It is the easily created benchmark that supports sentiment, shares commonality and unifies the public with perfect timing. It provides the tone of the moment that is not lost on fashion. Music played a huge role in supporting the movements of the 60s and 70s, spreading messages of peace and love and fun, something we all crave when inundated with too much seriousness that makes the world weary.

Thus the similar sentiment has found us again and the summer was taken by surprise by music. The interest in music found its way into fashion as influence shifted form the serious inspiration through galleries and art towards something lighter: music, festivals and dance.

As covered in the last article, Saint Laurent’s Hedi Slimane tapped into the ease that the public was embracing and pinpointed the parallel that is the foundation of the festival look that is really a polished version of the hippie festival mood of the 70s. Heavy hitters in media such as Vogue and the New York Times had articles covering this direction. But other sesigners such as L’Wren Scott and Sarah Burton saw the glossier version of the period in 2013 Resort collections and showed the more disco side of fashion in their collections a few seasons back. They knew that something else was afoot and that not everyone was going that casual in wardrobe, even if they wanted a freer feeling of love.

If anything was supporting this love affair with the release from tension, it was music that jumped in. And if that tension of the mobilization for war was found in tunes such as “Dynamo” by Laidback Luke & Hardwell in the spring then our version of a summer of love was taking it to a groovier direction. Tunes such as “Can’t Go For Dat” by Reno Disco, “Holding On” by Classix and “Cloud Life” by Treasure Fingers were amongst the   groovier tunes that captured the fun and love of the disco beat. But one song trumped them all was “get Lucky”, a tune co-written by Daft Punk with lyrics penned by disco genius Nile Rodgers. It was utterly catchy, breezy and had the right vibe that resonated with what people want to feel this summer. That Vogue has included Daft Punk in their August cover shot and editorial for their North American publication tells you how influential their hit has been with fashion. The song is heard everywhere. 

What is interesting is that this genre is not exclusive. There are other trends harmonizing with trends expressed in current collections, such as the 80s revival that has not let up. The dance craze of clubbig that the 80s represented is matched with the current trend of clubbing at lunch. Recently, an article covered the craze happening with lunch dance parties put on by culture website Flavorpill, the venue a cacophony of 80s imagery such as Nagel’s ladies, graphic images of 80s hitmakers such as Paula Abdul ,a and art by graphic masters like Keith Harring. Club music of that period has been increasingly re-released as a new generation finds interest in the individuality the music expresses within the elcrtronic slant that is our mainstay.

And as religion has come into the fashion dialogue (cue to “Devine Inspiration” March 17, 2013 or “Finding One’s Religion” March 25, 2012 articles plus the recent soon-to-be released German documentary concerning fashion as a religion with Karl Lagerfeld as its "pope")  songs such as “Come Into My life” by Richard Grey and Ron Caroll and “Sinner Winner” by Manic Street Preacher bring out the revivalist spirit that fashion has been increasingly exploring.

Will this influence that music is now providing be the front runner? For now the relationship is symbiotic and music is having its moment. How much of it is leading has yet to be seen but its prominence is certainly one to be recognized and we may as well listen for now, or at least as long as it has our attention.

Go Back

Post a Comment
Created using the new Bravenet Siteblocks builder. (Report Abuse)