Fashion: Art or Business?

[jadorelamode]

Just wanted to gather some opinions on this topic.. Do you look at fashion as an art or a business?

 

[lucie_05]

Myself, I look at is a mix of both, however I'm more apose to it as an art. But then again I'm not experienced in the subject as I'm just starting a fashion&textiles BA in college.
But thats my opinion

Lucie

 

[Deleted member 82231]

Unfortunaly, it has become 90% business. Ever since the new (cough) "designers" (read:marketers) emerged as the super rich of the fashion world, a great deal has changed. By this I mean Tommy Hilfinger, Ralph Lauren, etc.

But recently, things have been changing back! I hope the tide remains this way.

 

[jadorelamode]

I agree and disagree. Fashion has become so commercialized that it is losing its luster as an art form. It is crazy to think that anyone who has money with no knowledge of fashion can get a line and brand established. (i.e. P. Diddy (Sean John), Jessica Simpson, Gwen Stefani (LAMB), Beyonce (House of Dereon), Jay Z(Rocawear), J Lo (Sweetface)) Being a designer myself, with a more business minded approach, I regret to see this for the very fact of the history behind fashion. Back then, it was just an art form, many designers worked for little or no money and didn't have their brand established until years later.

 

[xLeoniex]

For me, it has got to be a mix of both..
Although the designing side is definately an art in itself..if you decide to go into the fashion indusrty then you have got to be talking business with whatever you want to do...if you really want to make it big....but thats just my opinion!! xxx

 

[Stylebites]

We all love the fashion angle but at the end of the day, baby's got to eat!

 

[jadorelamode]

I think your business skills have to be relevant enough to succeed in any kind of business, fashion especially with all of the markting and ad campaigns.

 

[BetteT]

Business .... with a little bit of art here and there. Without having money to start the line and without actually making money a line can't continue to exist except in the mind of the designer. So the line must be profitable ... first and foremost. Only a very few can afford to make art ... and those lucky designers still have RTW lines to pay the bills.

 

[fouroclock]

Isn't art a business as well?

One of the reasons why designers sruvive is because of one powerful person who believes and and champions for them by giving them either exposure or money. Now people can see this, using connections, as a business strategy. However, others can see this as art dominating since the designer didn't have to appeal to the mass consumer at it's first bat.

 

[jadorelamode]

Art is a business, but not in this sense. Art in fashion is so often overlooked that it barely exist anymore. There are still several designers that truly express it as an art form, however they are the ones backed by the groups and houses to finance them, and their mistakes. I can't help but think of all the great 'artists', 'innovators' if you will, who were let go by or parted ways with their respective house brands. (Helmut Lang, Tom Ford (Dominico de Sole), Jil Sander, et al) Sure business is business, but when it comes down to it you have make it work. That being said though, everyone has their own creative likes and differences. As for the mass consumers, designers have to set the tone with their collections at first bat or else they will not gain faithful, loyal customers. You are only as good as your last collection/product, so in order to gain recognition you have to be able to appeal to the consumers.

 

[jeffrey0806]

So many seem to complain the fact that it is a business, but in a capitalistic world, it's all about supply and demand. the only reason i see people b*tch about celebrities having their clothing companies is mere jealousy. in true honesty it's just another marketing technique used to create business. a consumer buys in to the lifestyle the celebrity name has. as did people when tom ford was working at gucci. Tom Ford and gucci had a lifestyle, a look to it. A consumer buys a piece of that.

Fashion is not art. Art does not sell, unless you sell it, market it, or make it a business, therefore fashion is a business. all these big brands have stayed where they are because of the money they make. if companies/designers didn't make money they would go bankrupt and be in people's memories faster than you can blink your eyes.

people who say fashion is art, will never make it in the industry, unless you have a billion dollars to spend on to make garments most no one will buy, and then that defies the purpose of even being a fashion designer.

 

[jadorelamode]

jeffrey you have some good points. consumers do buy into the celebrity looks and it could be looked at as a good business acquisition (rather it is a good acquisition, investment). fashion is a business and business is all about supply and demand, you are absolutely right. if your product don't sell, you go out of business, simply put. i agree with you on everything but the jealously topic. however, I am not in a position to debate it.

 

[arlekindearrabal]

We all love the fashion angle but at the end of the day, baby's got to eat!

yeah exactly

imo there has to be a very fine balance between the two... the only ones who can afford to be truly creative are the ones who cater to niche markets, and those enterprises never become big businesses... so i guess it really depends on what you're aiming for

 

[jeffrey0806]

i guess the jealousy thing that i was talking about comes out from the fact that i see so many people/designers who are quick to judge without really understanding how the industry works. they are also personally bias against a certain celebrity and say it out of hate. you know what i mean?

 

[jadorelamode]

oh, i completely understand. that was coming from my personal perspective, I cannot speak for everyone else. all in all though, I am glad that fashion has become more of a business based industry. without that, we wouldn't have many of the designers we have today because they would have never got their chances with no financial support. in my fashion approach, I am definitely more business minded because I understand how markets work and how consumers can dictate how said markets work. i completely agree, people are so quick to judge.

 

[Oria]

Let me add that it's a bit of both, you can't have one without the other --IMO.

There must be a balance in everything, including fashion. To ignore the business side, is to ignore the creative side, well this is my motto and so far it serves me well.

 

[imthejolt]

IMO, it's a mix. I think it used to be more art than it is now. Especially haute couture. It looks like art on the surface, but behind it, it's all numbers. To be successful you have to be good at business and selling yourself in this industry. Sadly, the unknown yet really artistic/talented designers are lesser known because they don't have the funds on their side.

 

[style_savy]

Fashion is a complete art in itself but the world of fashion is strictly business. Even when being creative designers must consider the market they're selling to and how well it will sell.

 

[ShuggaStiletto]

unquestionably both. It's an art that needs business and a business that needs art. I hope that made sense..ahh probably didn't! There are some great designers out there that no one knows about because they don't have the outlets, exposure, money to make an impact. They're art is beautiful, but they aren't major, well known designers because of the business aspect.

I believe that to be successful in the fashion industry you have to be a creative person who is business savy, or has someone working for you who is business savy.

 

[lindsaypoo]

Fashion is a business: mostly marketing
Design is an art you can live off of: very convenient!