well i don't know anyone who really uses avant-garde to describe their style anyway. personally it's all relative,imo. i do agree though about the strength of pieces. for me that's a very important component in dynamic expression.
Do you dress eccentrically?
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^I echo your sentiment, Scott. My budget never matches my desire for garments from certain designers. But I think judging from your taste, I'm suprised to hear that you don't consider yourself having no style at the moment. Perhaps you're being hard on yourself
I'd say a lot of our members, including our dear Inaya, MulletProof have rather unique, off the path and avant garde styles. Susie_bubble is quite an example, she styles clothes in the most interesting, quirky way
haha...maybe boring would be appropriate
fashionista-ta
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^ I think susie does avant garde sometimes ... like the denim cage shorts she made recently. (That would be an example of DIY avant garde ... it was all just regular denim & elastic before she got started ...)
Maybe susie's ears are burning and she will show up
Maybe susie's ears are burning and she will show up
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gius
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you could do avant-garde in a subtle way couldn't u?
not drawing attention to oneself
i like the idea that avant-garde is not about wearing crazy clothes
i mean i have seen people who don't dress like the norm but in the fashion world they are probably considered normal. and i have seen people wear very simple ordinary clothes but maybe the fabric or colour match is a bit odd, and it would be something not worn by the majority. maybe avant-garde transcends both the 'real' world and fashion/underground world
not drawing attention to oneself
i like the idea that avant-garde is not about wearing crazy clothes
i mean i have seen people who don't dress like the norm but in the fashion world they are probably considered normal. and i have seen people wear very simple ordinary clothes but maybe the fabric or colour match is a bit odd, and it would be something not worn by the majority. maybe avant-garde transcends both the 'real' world and fashion/underground world
That's a great idea gius. I think that's a perfect expression of what it means to be, it transcends your everyday society (ie the one you interact with daily, not the society of the world) and the fashion world.
I guess what I was saying is that for me, determining avant garde is done through form. It's not necessarily the print or the texture of the fabric, but the shape it's creating. This is why I guess I think some of susie's stuff doesn't qualify for my definition. Because the shapes may be quite basic or simple (certainly not always, just speaking generally) but in prints, or color combinations.
The denim cage shorts are a good example. I thought those turned out really well actually.
I guess what I was saying is that for me, determining avant garde is done through form. It's not necessarily the print or the texture of the fabric, but the shape it's creating. This is why I guess I think some of susie's stuff doesn't qualify for my definition. Because the shapes may be quite basic or simple (certainly not always, just speaking generally) but in prints, or color combinations.
The denim cage shorts are a good example. I thought those turned out really well actually.
Yes, she's obsessed with cages.Found the post:
pics from stylebubble
http://www.stylebubble.co.uk/style_bubble/2009/04/getting-some-elastic-wear.html
Those shorts might be considered avant-garde, but I consider Susie's style more gothic (not goth) or romantic.
Most of the people here I consider to dress avant-garde don't post pics of themselves here; however, I suggest bizzy as an example. She is a master of dramatic silhouettes and subtle yet arresting color combinations.
Most of the people here I consider to dress avant-garde don't post pics of themselves here; however, I suggest bizzy as an example. She is a master of dramatic silhouettes and subtle yet arresting color combinations.
yes yes, dramatic sihlouettes. I think that is what I was trying to say when discussing the shape of clothing, versus the print or textile. I also thought of bizzy for these reasons and this is probably why I would also include inaya.
gius
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thanks!
yes it's quite odd ^^
i think that could also count as a fabric/texture.. the form (shorts) is very simple
in terms of form
i think the white shirt and hat and even the fur vest are interesting..
stylebubble.typepad.com
So avant garde with designed clothes..
customized, designer, DIY etc.
yes it's quite odd ^^
i think that could also count as a fabric/texture.. the form (shorts) is very simple
in terms of form
i think the white shirt and hat and even the fur vest are interesting..
stylebubble.typepad.com
So avant garde with designed clothes..
customized, designer, DIY etc.
GasolineRainbow
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Though some might distinguish between quirky and avant garde style, I believe TFS member Petit Lucille deserves a mention here. I'm so impressed by her unusual, experimental outfits, both in use of color and silhouette. She doesn't appear to strive for a specific effect, like provocation or cutting edge-chic or child-like cuteness; she's surprisingly ambiguous and understated. Her style is very much her own, and neither does it seem to fit or be derived from any particular fad, subculture, or cluster of designers (then again, don't know enough about South America, so I can't be certain).
Petit, if you're out there, by all means correct me, or better yet, strut your stuff
Petit, if you're out there, by all means correct me, or better yet, strut your stuff
softgrey
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i totally agree that lucille and bizzy have an avante garde style...
avant garde means...AHEAD...BEFORE...everyone else...
fashion FORWARD...
it means that you are wearing it this year..and everyone else will start wearing the same thing a few months later ...
it means ahead of the curve...pushing the envelope...
it doesn't mean just being different...
it is different for a REASON...
it is what fashion (and the masses) ultimately follow...
it may be in the selection/editing of the garments...
but it is ultimately about how you wear them/put them together/style them...
if you do it well...people will notice and try to copy it...
and that is why you always have to keep moving forward...
personally..i dont' see susie being ahead of anyone...
she is just sort of in her own little susie 'bubble' by herself...
avant garde means...AHEAD...BEFORE...everyone else...
fashion FORWARD...
it means that you are wearing it this year..and everyone else will start wearing the same thing a few months later ...
it means ahead of the curve...pushing the envelope...
it doesn't mean just being different...
it is different for a REASON...
it is what fashion (and the masses) ultimately follow...
it may be in the selection/editing of the garments...
but it is ultimately about how you wear them/put them together/style them...
if you do it well...people will notice and try to copy it...
and that is why you always have to keep moving forward...
personally..i dont' see susie being ahead of anyone...
she is just sort of in her own little susie 'bubble' by herself...
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I don't know. I agree that avant garde means fashion forward, but I don't agree that it necessarily results with people following. I think a lot of designers traditionally thought of as 'avant garde' like Ann, Dries, Rei, Junya, etc. produces many designers which are never really embraced by people. Of course, likewise, they have designs that other people water down and mass produce, but like I said, I see being ahead and others following several months/years down the line as being a trend setter. That is different than avant garde which may be very "now", but just separate from the mainstream in construction.
My interpretation of Avant Garde includes Jane but maybe I'm wrong on this.
softgrey
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it very often the same thing...
and it's not MY definition...it's THE definition...
you will always be ahead if you are avant garde...
whether people choose to follow or not is another matter...
but if you are doing it well, as i said...they usually do...
...additionally,
i do think that avant garde style is somewhat linear...
and thoughtful...
*it's also somewhat instinctual i guess...
but it's not random... it's not just throwing on clothes...
i feel that there is usually a thought process behind it...
a method to the 'madness', if you will...
like, you think...
ok...i have A...and i want to get to B...
now what do i need to do to get there...?
and then you put together the road map of how you will get from A to B...
and those are the rest of the outfit...
and that there is some sort of statement to be made with this outfit...
*it's not just about looking cute for a date...
does that make sense...?
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fashionista-ta
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Hmm ... I guess we need to get clear on what avant garde is before we can talk about it
To me, channeling the zeitgeist (which Marc Jacobs arguably does better than anyone) is one thing. That really is grabbing what's next out of the ether & putting it on the runway. I think it's demonstrable that he has a handle on what fashion-conscious people will be doing next (if not the unwashed masses). I often start getting a taste for particular colors, or see something 'random' & want more of it (e.g., oxfords a few years ago), and then seasons or years later, it explodes. It's an unconscious trend forecasting.
The designers we typically describe as avant garde--Margiela, Rei, Yohji, etc.--are doing things that it seems to me will never be adopted en masse. Their work to me stands apart from fashion & is almost classic. Unless you're familiar with the individual collections, you can't tell what was just made, and what's from years ago. If it was cool then, it's cool now, and just as edgy as it ever was. We have an avant garde shoes thread that uses the term in this sense.
To me, channeling the zeitgeist (which Marc Jacobs arguably does better than anyone) is one thing. That really is grabbing what's next out of the ether & putting it on the runway. I think it's demonstrable that he has a handle on what fashion-conscious people will be doing next (if not the unwashed masses
). I often start getting a taste for particular colors, or see something 'random' & want more of it (e.g., oxfords a few years ago), and then seasons or years later, it explodes. It's an unconscious trend forecasting.The designers we typically describe as avant garde--Margiela, Rei, Yohji, etc.--are doing things that it seems to me will never be adopted en masse. Their work to me stands apart from fashion & is almost classic. Unless you're familiar with the individual collections, you can't tell what was just made, and what's from years ago. If it was cool then, it's cool now, and just as edgy as it ever was. We have an avant garde shoes thread that uses the term in this sense.
MissMagAddict
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I don't think wearing avant-garde designer clothing makes you have avant-garde style. That most often comes off as gratuitous & calculated... the worst of the avant-garde. When I see someone having true avant-garde style it connects me to the emotions of the individual. Things are not always what they seem & there is a wave of emotion that emerges & strikes me with full force. For me an emotional fashion moment is most often created by intelligence & not by piling on clothes and/or accessories. Great fashion edited flawlessly & presented sharply is one way to do it. Wit... charm & a fantastic sense of humor is also most likely a requirement. If you're really avant-garde then you cannot be taken literally... thus creating real change.
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What means this word can't?
To put it in a simple way...most people here don't know who Karl L..or least Miuccia and Rei K are...and a lot of them dresses like fotocopies...for lack of a better word...so different things freaks them out
...I belive that avant garde style reflects when you're able to make something unconventional look good on you, a shape, a texture, a color or a bold print, anything...and you melt it together so it creates an unique look...something different than you normally see but still atracts the eye to it....I do like some AG designers and the clothes they make...it just a matter of wear it your way...because then who else would...
..as for Jane of seaofshoes...I know she's a member...but her style come as very random for me...sorry
fashionista-ta
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^ My view is that it's very good for others to be freaked out on occasion ... it broadens their minds (on a good day)
Perhaps I just don't know the right people, but I don't see wearing avant garde designers as contrived. You have to seek it out, and I assume people do so because it genuinely speaks to them & their personal style. Perhaps this exists, but it would be a rareified crowd indeed buying Rei, etc. to impress other people.
Generally those who are 'dressing to impress' seek out something they perceive to have the 'Good Housekeeping seal of approval,' whether it's Chanel, a Birkin, or the Gucci logo plastered all over.
I like seeing someone with a personality strong enough to pull off truly out-there clothes (like the CdG 'extra hands' pieces). You are never gonna see that at Wal-mart
Perhaps I just don't know the right people, but I don't see wearing avant garde designers as contrived. You have to seek it out, and I assume people do so because it genuinely speaks to them & their personal style. Perhaps this exists, but it would be a rareified crowd indeed buying Rei, etc. to impress other people.
Generally those who are 'dressing to impress' seek out something they perceive to have the 'Good Housekeeping seal of approval,' whether it's Chanel, a Birkin, or the Gucci logo plastered all over.
I like seeing someone with a personality strong enough to pull off truly out-there clothes (like the CdG 'extra hands' pieces). You are never gonna see that at Wal-mart
MissMagAddict
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^ My view is that it's very good for others to be freaked out on occasion ... it broadens their minds (on a good day)
Perhaps I just don't know the right people, but I don't see wearing avant garde designers as contrived. You have to seek it out, and I assume people do so because it genuinely speaks to them & their personal style. Perhaps this exists, but it would be a rareified crowd indeed buying Rei, etc. to impress other people.
Generally those who are 'dressing to impress' seek out something they perceive to have the 'Good Housekeeping seal of approval,' whether it's Chanel, a Birkin, or the Gucci logo plastered all over.
I like seeing someone with a personality strong enough to pull off truly out-there clothes (like the CdG 'extra hands' pieces). You are never gonna see that at Wal-mart
I mostly agree... but I also don't think that wearing Rei, etc. automatically makes you avant-garde. You can create odd & interesting fashion from goodwill, vintage, and yeah even Wal-Mart, etc. And just because a person might find the idea of avant-garde fashion incomprehensible doesn't necessarily mean they're culturally illiterate.
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