Fashion (as we know it) is Obsolete

[softgrey]

10 APRIL 2015
BY KAM DHILLON
Talking Trends With Li Edelkoort

The trend forecasting industry remains a relatively new phenomenon and the now unloveable terms ‘trendsetter’ and ‘trendy’ were not even coined until 1960 and 1962 respectively. Despite its infancy, there is one overlord who leads the guard in astutely packaging prophetic thoughts, and that’s Li Edelkoort. Following Li Edelkoort’s masterclass at NJAL’s multi-sensory pavilion at d3, it’s a timely moment to examine the significance of trend watching with the most influential trend forecaster today and her journey to becoming the industry’s certified tastemaker.
Fortune telling has existed for centuries, but the art of trend forecasting is an infant in comparison. It relies on more than an innate feeling, and rather it’s a systematic analysis of compiled observations that leads to identifying a trend. The term began to be used more generally in the 19th century to refer to the way in which things changed over time. The textile industry was the first to adopt the term in order refer to changes in design styles. However, its widespread use only came after the 1960s–breaking out from the confines of the scientific and commercial worlds, and the public alike began to identify with the term.

Today, the trend forecasting industry is a burgeoning beast, and it recently acquired a value of £36 billion and almost every blue-chip company wants in. There’s one particular modern-day soothsayer who comfortably claims the lauded title of the world’s most influential fashion forecaster and that's Li Edelkoort. Born in the Netherlands in 1950 and based in Paris, Edelkoort advises fashion companies and consumer brands around the world. In 2003, Time magazine named her one of the 25 most influential people in fashion and she also was director of Design Academy Eindhoven from 1998 to 2008.

It’s been an interesting journey for Li Edelkoort, whose expertise in re-shaping consumer tastes across several industries can’t be underestimated. Edelkoort says “trend forecasting is much like archaeology but to the future”, and such a statement refers to the importance of recording and refining information. From predicting the growing importance of white and nudging Estée Lauder to launch a skincare product based on milk to inspiring Nisan to launch five cars in acid-bright hues in Japan–her insight and intuition has become an invaluable tool in capturing imagination and relies entirely on absorbing and distilling everything in contact with the human sensorium. All of us have the tools to do it, yet it requires a delicate balance of creativity and pragmatics to distill curiosity into certain conviction. In NJAL’s exclusive interview with Li Edelkoort–the trailblazer of future-forecasting charts her journey to the top and elaborates on exactly why she announced fashion as obsolete.



Tell us about how you became a trend forecaster?

It started with a fashion design competition in a Dutch newspaper to “create a new carnival design”. It was in my early student years and I submitted a rather fashionable design; a skirt was worn over a pair of shorts, and it was a very new and avant-garde look for that time. The organisers gave me a special mention since that season, fashion shows in Paris all showed the same concept as I had designed. They wondered how could this kid in the middle of nowhere have known what Paris is showing! In the early years of my career after art school, I was a buyer for the womenswear department of a famous Dutch department store, de Bijenkorf. I somehow always knew what customers were going to buy. Soon after, I moved to Paris and entered the trend forecasting industry; at first with Mafia and later with Nelly Rodi, both of whom inspired my future.

You state ‘trend forecasting is like archeology but to the future’, can you please elaborate on this?

I use the same methods as archeologists who dig into a site. They are able to find small fragments of our past and with the information they find, they can construct how people would have lived; what food they were eating, what clothes they were wearing, about hierarchy in society and ritual celebrations. I do the same thing, only that I dig into the future, tracking the zeitgeist of tomorrow. When I have enough fragments, I connect them with each other and a new trend emerges.

At Design Indaba 2015, you fired a broadside at the fashion industry by declaring it as dead. Is the loss of a real relationship with fashion painful for you?

Absolutely. I love fashion myself. It’s not easy for me to say fashion is over the way we previously knew it, and that it’s old-fashioned. In my work, I sometimes have to say things, which are not coming from a personal preference; I’m only the messenger. This statement is part of my new Trend Union forecast about the future of the industry, one in which I feel we will focus our attention on garment-making and say goodbye to current marketing attitudes. This is a strategic statement that is available in my trend book and is used by companies to plan for tomorrow.


Though fashion has lost touch with the world, and what people want–it also proliferates mainstream society like never before in large part due to the Internet. Mass-culture is permeated by fashion and this cross-pollination consumes all our faculties. How do you think fashion has changed since the Internet?

Clients always tell me how afraid they are of the impact of the Internet and online shopping. But I’m convinced that we are living in a moment where off-line can’t survive without online and the other way around. Online needs off-line and this will always be the case. Since the late 1990s, I have forecast that the more digital we become, the more tactile our fingers will be, and this is why textiles and materials have become so three-dimensional today.

Are there any new materials that are being co-opted into future fashion that you’re particularly excited about?

We have never seen such an enormous impact of active wear on fashion as we see now. In Asia, entire department store floors are now dedicated to active wear brands. Famous designers are embracing smart textiles, sports gear, backpacks, sneakers and more. Fabric developers are mixing design with science, looking at more bio-technical ways to create fabrics and garments. So much so, that I recently started a trend book specifically about active wear trends for menswear and womenswear.

Is the fashion topography changing with the rise of emerging economies and can these markets (who have been typecast as consumers of fashion) deliver their own niche fashion perspective to the global stage?

I strongly believe in the growing importance of the southern hemisphere, including on its border the Gulf and South Asia. This is also why I was pleased launch Edelkoort Arabia in Dubai to cater to their needs (edelkoortarabia.com). These southern countries were used to copying trends from Europe and America and felt like they were a season behind the rest of the world. When I travel to countries such as Brazil, South Africa, Australia and India, I sense huge potential and now tell my clients there to pretend they are a season ahead. From food and lifestyle to summer fashions, this region has the capacity to influence global style from a local perspective.



Is intelligent, uncensored and thoughtfully considered critique possible in fashion right now?

Yes, it’s a perfect timing. Social media has proven that people want to critique, vote and debate. My anti-fashion statements have ignited a lot of discussion online and in the press, so I’m excited about this spring’s conference tour to present these trends in different markets. Fashion is in dire need of change and therefore some serious reflection.

You’ve predicted the comeback of couture. Do you think this could reshape how mass society conceptualises fashion?

This exodus of fashion will change the landscape of what is the culture of clothes. My hunch is that we will see the comeback of couture as a major benefit. After all, it is in the atelier of couture that we will find the laboratory of this labor of love. Suddenly the profession of couturier will become coveted and the exclusive way of crafting couture will be inspiring all others. Perhaps ultimately leading to the selling of patterns to the department stores, just like the previous arrival of prêt-à-porter. Making history turn round and inspiring people to understand that making their own customised clothes is possible again, in various forms and at any price-point.

You’ve previously said that fashion is insular and is placing itself outside of society. Has it lost touch with what’s going on in society?

Absolutely. In my anti-fashion manifesto, I explain in ten reasons why the current fashion system is obsolete. From education to marketing, production and journalism, fashion doesn’t correlate with who we are anymore, while other industries such as design and communication have kept up with the times. Change can come but we first have to admit that the whole situation is rather ridiculous. Once we agree and there is consensus, there will be possibilities for new and exciting ways of enjoying the way we dress ourselves. In my new trend book, I give some direction to start celebrating actual clothes again.



If forecasting is about spotting subtle signs of change, filtering them and giving them a name–then what advice do you have for bourgeoning tastemakers today?

It’s about a definite point of view. Everyone is nowadays very well informed about style. I even wonder whether we can still speak of one avant-garde class. I’m amazed by the knowledge of style within everyday households and fashion is not even aware of this social intelligence. Consumers are curating their own wardrobe and they don’t need to be told what sets to buy in order to look good. So everyone, has in fact, become a tastemaker. People need to be informed about textiles and that thro-away fashions are not sustainable. They should be themselves and enjoy garments, swap them, upcycle them or try to shop for magical pieces that move them.

What are the problems with fashion education in 2015?

The lack of textile awareness is one challenge; the false illusion that all students will become catwalk designers is another. Accepting students on financial grounds instead of artistic merit is another problem. Garment design is an industrial design profession and so we should embrace better designers of fashion products of quality and fair trade.

What’s inspiring you right now?

Society, and it’s longing to be together instead of alone. Students work together in art and design schools and even after graduation they stay in couples and teams. We’re done with individualism where it’s all about me, me and me. People are ready to gather together and share ideas, talents, skills and experiences. A move towards more humanity is inspiring me right now.

 

[softgrey]

Li Edelkoort...
GENIUS...

i loved watching this video...
http://www.dezeen.com/2012/12/28/su...-super-tactility-li-edelkoort-at-dezeen-live/



Interiors and products will need more tactile designs as the use of computers and screens makes us crave a sense of touch, trend forecaster Li Edelkoort predicts in this last movie filmed at Dezeen Live.

"The more screens we have the more our figures are afraid we’re going to disappear," she says. "I feel it already in my fingers that they want me to touch lots of things so I don’t loose contact with touch." Edelkoort therefore predicts that textiles will be increasingly important in interior design, supporting the increasingly nomadic lifestyle that mobile technology permits.

"You can be in the middle of the desert and people will think you’re in New York," she says, "So you become anonymous and you don't care anymore where you are. I think that sort of freedom which is going to be created will make us want to have lots of textiles, lots of rugs, we will have portable tables, portable sinks, portable lights like lanterns."

This nomadic attitude could also alter our social relationships, she suggests. "This liberty we have now in work and play will reflect also in the other parts of life, so eating, sleeping, entertaining, we would be more nomadic about that, not always sitting at the same table with the same partner."

Edelkoort proposes grandparents and grandchildren as "the new couple of the future," as people live longer and choose more freely who to spend their time with. She thinks that "individualism is over and so people care much more about family, even if it’s chosen family and friends," leading to a more compassionate society. "It’s all about a society which is, let’s say, softer, more rounded, more textured."



Edelkoort begins the talk with an image showing the hands of a child and elderly person. "There is a falling away of the generation gap, whereas grandparents are very young and young children are very old," she says. "They hang out together for a while... it means that you can be a baby your whole life, or you can be already old even when you’re born. I think that age is now going to be more of a mental thing than a physical thing actually."


The next image represents nomadism and shows textiles with portable furniture. "We have all our devices we can work and stay wherever we want," says Edelkoort. "This new feeling of freedom, which is fairly recent, is only now starting to modify the brain I believe."


Her third image shows Massoud Hassani's device for seeking and destroying landmines, based on a wind-powered toy and made of bamboo and plastic components. "It’s a mine killer, but its completely organic and very cheap," Edelkoort says, adding "it’s very beautiful how a childhood toy can become now such an amazing device."



Next is a set of building blocks for children comprising rounded wooden pieces and small leather balls. "This is to teach babies how to feel form and how to create buildings and skylines, and it’s like soft toys instead of the square toys," she explains. "Of course, already the babies have their screens so this is to counterbalance the screens."



The final image shows a mask incorporating bones and introduces the 2013 Arnhem fashion biennial (MoBa 13) that Edelkoort is curating on the theme of fetishism. "There is a moment in fashion where there is this super need to be very fetishistic. There is animalism, there is children’s behaviors, there is of course bondage, there is lace, there is fur, feathers and so on," she explains. "I'm going to investigate why."

Edelkoort concludes with the idea that "trend forecasting is like archeology but to the future", explaining how she looks for little fragments in current culture to predict what's coming next.

 

[BetteT]

Ohh, thanks so much for posting this, Softie! So much food for thought.

Not sure if fashion as we know it is obsolete, but certainly technology is changing things radically ... and it will become a different animal. Nice to learn what she thinks will be in our future.

Of interest to me is the nomadic lifestyle that says we are moving towards ... and I can totally understand her point.

And I always thought that we were loosing touch with other people because of technology ... on a physically, face to face and hand to hand way and it worried me. I thought that we might become isolated and unable to enjoy real companionship. But ... she says that it's causing us to group together to accomplish tasks ... and if she's right, I see a better future for mankind.

And along that line, and perhaps the most related to fashion, is that she thinks we are craving tactile sensations, touch ... and therefore our fabrics will become more varied in textures ... a good thing, I think.

So much in one interview! Almost makes my head hurt.

 

[rosiecheeks]

Whoa. That's a lot of text. Long, but did read

I share to a certain extent the sentiment that fashion is dead in the sense of trends. But perhaps that is mostly for myself; and I do see that girls in their teens and early twenties are looking mostly the same.

Isn't fashion just morally going bankrupt? As in, the high turnovers of pieces ( I read recently that people in the US purchase on average around 13 pieces of clothing a month!) leave a bad taste in your mouth when you see events like the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013. I think it is mostly that; and the decline of craftsmanship/quality in clothing.

Im not sure what to think of her comments on markets such as Asia and the Gulf (and in general I feel she is eurocentric when talking about fashion as a phenomenon, but ok, I suppose this whole forum is; including myself); sure the markets are merging, and people in the upper layers of said markets are looking towards Europe and the US; but most of these populations are not.

It is a lot of fun to go abroad for a longer period of time and realize that your perception of style, what colours work well together, what needs to be emphasized, depends so much on your culture. When living in Egypt I would laugh at the things some girls were wearing and lusting after; I thought it was so ugly. (obviously, a lot of them were also wearing skinny jeans and shopping at the gap, but different demograhpic here).

I'm rambling...

 

[mariemaud]

i wish i knew my english better
maybe someone can make a resume in french i would be so grateful

 

[softgrey]

If forecasting is about spotting subtle signs of change, filtering them and giving them a name–then what advice do you have for bourgeoning tastemakers today?

It’s about a definite point of view. Everyone is nowadays very well informed about style. I even wonder whether we can still speak of one avant-garde class. I’m amazed by the knowledge of style within everyday households and fashion is not even aware of this social intelligence. Consumers are curating their own wardrobe and they don’t need to be told what sets to buy in order to look good. So everyone, has in fact, become a tastemaker. People need to be informed about textiles and that thro-away fashions are not sustainable. They should be themselves and enjoy garments, swap them, upcycle them or try to shop for magical pieces that move them.

i'm all for this...


buy less, buy better~!

 

[softgrey]

Edelkoort proposes grandparents and grandchildren as "the new couple of the future," as people live longer and choose more freely who to spend their time with. She thinks that "individualism is over and so people care much more about family, even if it’s chosen family and friends," leading to a more compassionate society. "It’s all about a society which is, let’s say, softer, more rounded, more textured."



Edelkoort begins the talk with an image showing the hands of a child and elderly person. "There is a falling away of the generation gap, whereas grandparents are very young and young children are very old," she says. "They hang out together for a while... it means that you can be a baby your whole life, or you can be already old even when you’re born. I think that age is now going to be more of a mental thing than a physical thing actually."

i walk around and i see girls of 16 wearing the same thing as women of 60+
i definitely think that age has fallen away in the way that society used to think of it...
as society moves forward, no one wants to be left behind and everyone is doing their best to keep up rather than sitting around and moaning about the 'good old days'...

i know women who are 70+ who shop at forever 21...
what's right at any age is what's right for you personally...
not what society dictates...

i think this is a good thing...
but it means that everyone really sort of dresses the same...
and that is a bit weird to me...


makes me work even harder to separate myself from the pack...
...

 

[Crying Diamonds]

What an amazing interview. I felt as if she was speaking parts of my mind.

The textures definitely - the part that was missed out in the interview written down above was when the man asked her what she thought of London and her face dropped a little and she said it was all very safe and it's killing her.

I keep saying this - to stop fashion repeating over and over, to stop repeating skirt lengths, volumes etc inspired by the past and to concentrate on what we can do now with our technology - notably the new techniques in fabric and texture.

Francisco Costa, Lagerfeld at Fendi, Hussein Chalayan and previously Nicolas Ghesquiere are people that push this forward; beyond the satins and the crepe de chines of a hundred years ago.

I love how she's craving to see extremes - my heart jumped with inspiration - I think everyone is craving this, in that fetishistic longing for texture from the human that is 90% a screen.

 

[dior_couture1245]

Fabulous read. So inspiring and exciting to hear someone critically address the industry…point out all the outdated and outmoded ways of operating. This industry is so adaptive, so changing and so innovative, it's time to start acting like it again. There have got to be better ways of working, presenting, producing and selling clothing. The system as it presently is is not feasible any longer.

Upon further reading of Li's observations and forecasts, I found it particularly interesting that she has predicted 2020 to be an incredibly exciting, turning-point year, as she states it will be the time when we can finally let go of the last century and be operating on a new plane. What a fabulous thought! We, here at TFS, often talk about how great fashion shows were 10+ years ago. And it's true! They really were! But they were great in part because the spectacle was merited. The shows, the productions, the models, the front-row celebrities, the glamour of it all served a purpose. With no social media, no real internet exposure, this was how brands made themselves known.

Now, with the ubiquity of social media, in particular Instagram, consumers demand more, more, more. With this new demand, the "fashion show" as we have known it it no longer feels genuine. To me, and I'm sure to others here, these big productions just feel obligatory and hollow. A lot of pomp and circumstance for something nobody feels particularly enthused about anymore.

Fashion ebbs and flows. The show wasn't always a big production - think of the salon and maison shows of the 50's and 60's. It may be time for designers and brands to think about more intimate, clever, or unique ways of showing. And to those who still crave the spectacle - the pendulum will always swing back. Conservatism and pragmatism always lead to an eventual cultural excess and extravagance, which always leads back to pragmatism, each time, however, things look a bit different…but the general patterns of these shifts in attitude remain fairly consistent throughout time in immemorial.

Anyway…I'm rambling. I'm glad to have read this. As a designer, myself, it's great to read…super thought provoking and important to be thinking critically…which is not to say not be having fun and working from the gut…but asking yourself questions AND questioning the system. Asking the "why?"

 

[dior_couture1245]

Also want to add this great interview from Jean-Jacques Picart from Vogue, here.
Feels very in line with the discussion and Li's forecasts.

Adored by many and feared by many more for his sharp tongue, French fashion consultant Jean-Jacques Picart—the man who paved the way to success for fashion stars including Thierry Mugler, Christian Lacroix, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Riccardo Tisci, Hedi Slimane, and Guillaume Henry, and the engineer behind Uniqlo’s successful ongoing collaborations with Inès de la Fressange and Carine Roitfeld—today announced he is vacating his front row perch. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview, he spoke with Vogue.com about his “banana theory” of fashion, how the industry has changed, how it hasn’t, and why it probably should. Below, the highlights.

On his departure:
“I’m too proud to be tacky, like the actor who does the one film too many. So I’m closing the door quietly, not slamming it. In fashion, it’s not the clothing I love most, it’s the people: the journalists, designers, models, stylists, and buyers. Even if the people are very different, they belong to the same family. So I am sad to leave the family for now. But I doubt it will be forever.”

On fashion now:
“Every structure and habit has its limit: The system as we know it has worked for 20 years and now it needs to change. If I were 30, I would be terribly excited about it. It would inspire me. It’s a period of rupture, challenge, daring, courage, work—all the things I love. But I’m not 30 anymore. I knew it was time to leave when I felt myself age. I heard myself saying, ‘We’ve seen this before,’ which is something I hate hearing other people say because even if something has the same idea, it will never be worn exactly the same way. You have to know when to stop playing and cheer from the stands. I’ll still be around to applaud and criticize, but I sense my place is no longer down on the field.”

On fashion then:
“When I started, in 1970, it was a little bit like today because it was a period of transition. On the one hand there were the couturiers of the Avenue Montaigne, and all the French elegance and chic that went with it. Ready-to-wear was just beginning, with brands like Cacharel, Christian Aujard and Dorothée bis, Emmanuelle Kahn, and that creative energy balanced out [what was happening on] the Avenue Montaigne. And of course there was YSL Rive Gauche, which was all this French elegance and luxury made accessible. Five years later, designers like Montana, Kenzo, and Mugler arrived and that was a real duel between classicism and aristocracy and the artists who were shaking up the French fashion landscape. The parallels with today are clear. What I miss is a certain lightness. The world was different, more regional. Today, lightness is rare because we live in a world of anxiety. Back then, we worked hard, but the need to make money didn’t stop us from having fun.”

On fashion shows:
“Today’s ‘super-production’ show formula is at a tipping point. Up until the Internet, fashion shows were for professionals; now they’re for general consumption. But the message for the industry is not the same as the one for the street: Professionals can decode the runway and get excited about things that are ‘unwearable,’ but the general public takes it at face value, and then copiers can take the unwearable and make it palatable—all of that worries me.

“And forget standing ovations like the one Alber Elbaz got for his Spring 2003 collection for Lanvin: People hardly applaud anymore because their hands are occupied with their smartphones. People have one eye on the runway and the other on the screen. Who can concentrate like that?

“Do we really need to spend so much when money is hard to come by for almost everyone? You can’t have one show serve two objectives. A spectacle is entertainment for fashion lovers, social networks, and buzz; they should happen when the clothes are in-store because people want to buy clothes when they see them, not six months later. I’d love to see the fashion houses with means do a beautiful, scaled-down presentation during Fashion Week, and a spectacle later, which anyway would be a better advertising strategy. Cash-strapped young designers could just focus on the clothes. Later, when they are established, they can get into entertainment if they want. It’s time to reinvent things, but the answer is going to come from the younger generation—not from an old guy like me.

On designers and the end of the “star” system:
“I’ve always said that when a house focuses more on spectacle than clothes, or when a designer is more obsessed with his own look than the clothes, there’s a problem. Egocentrism is the artist’s process. Fashion is an extrovert’s job: You have to be open to others because no one can do it alone.

“Today, artistic directors are more like symphony conductors who make talented soloists—I don’t call them ‘assistants’—work in harmony. How can just one person handle everything? They can’t. Either you are a head designer or you’re a conductor. Either one can be a star, and it’s not a question of talent: It’s about how you use your talent. Phoebe Philo orchestrates well. Hedi Slimane does too. And in both those cases, they’ve chosen to work at a distance. They were the precursors of what we’re seeing now. The question is: Will major houses dare to take the kind of risks they took 20 years ago?”

On young designers:
“Young designers have a less hysterical, egomaniacal relationship with fashion. Everyone has their tics, but I think the new generation, like Cédric Charlier and Anthony Vaccarello, are more objective and calm. They may be ambitious and, rightfully, proud of their work. But they’re simpler, like Kenzo Takada was in his day. To me, even if a designer has talent, there’s something sad about choosing the ‘star’ model of behavior. The new generation of designers wants to do its work well and be happy at home. That’s very new. And it’s completely normal, because we live in a difficult world, business is hard, and if you’re unhappy or you’re totally dispersed, your work suffers. Deciding not to have a personal life is a choice. But it’s no fun.”

On journalism and publishing:
“There’s a new tyrant in town—a wonderful one, but still a tyrant—called the Internet. Of course, it’s changed everything. Our lives are run by the Internet, or rather there’s the Internet and then there’s everything else. You don’t even need to bother remembering things anymore, because it’s out there, like some collective memory, and it’s reshaping how we think. We no longer do anything the way we used to. People read newspapers and magazines on tablets. The way we talk about fashion is rapid and concise—and there are those who have a talent for short and superficial.

“But to me, the future of publishing lies in the paper you keep and collect, like the reviews of 100 years ago, not the paper you recycle. The images should be beautiful, the articles by specialized journalists who have had the time to research and write. That’s the kind of thing people will keep forever. I think there will be a trend toward things that take time to write, create, and make, done by specialists.”

On brands:
“A new world can’t just live with old names, like a museum. You need fresh eyes. You go to the museum to see the masters and into a gallery to see what’s new. I admire the designers who are sticking to their vision. We need all of them. In any garden, you have to have the courage to cull the old trees to make room for new ones.”

On fashion and the Internet:
“I find it incredible that a fashion lover in China or on the beach in L.A. can watch the same fashion show as I am. If a show succeeds, the designer has created desire not only for me, but also for everyone else around the world. Then you have to deliver or else there’s frustration. So you’re creating a desire for something that won’t be ready for six months. Perhaps you can buy pieces of a capsule collection at the time of the show. But it creates a kind of folie: It’s as if the minute you desire something, you’re already over it. That kind of immediacy scares my generation, but to the young it’s normal.”

On global fashion:
“Fashion has become so global, now we want regionalism and specificity. I’m not a fan of ‘Made in.’ I’d love labels to say: designed by a Turk, an African, a Frenchman. There are always cultural differences, and that will become more and more important. It’s a nice breath of fresh air. Talent knows neither gender nor nationality. What counts is what the designer is made of. What counts is: Is the dress pretty? Does the coat sell?”

On being an original:
“The most difficult thing is that competition is global: There are Fashion Weeks all over the world. The one thing you can do to stand out amid it all is to do something particular and original. If you’re going to do what everyone’s doing, you’re in the wrong industry. There’s too much competition. Whenever I hear some designer complain that they already did something two seasons ago, I recall my banana theory of fashion: eat a banana too early or when it’s too ripe, it’s disgusting. You can have a good idea, but if it’s too early or too late, it’s just like having a bad idea. Maybe something was not right two years ago, but it’s right today because it’s being presented in an original way.”

On Paris as a fashion capital:
“Thirty years ago, there wasn’t much that was interesting happening in the U.S.: You had Oscar de la Renta on the high end, Ralph Lauren was very English, and there was sportswear. In France 30 years ago you couldn’t buy a hoodie, so people would buy them in the States. Look at all the young designers there are now, in the U.S. and elsewhere. It’s no longer ‘just’ Paris. Paris is still the capital of fashion, but only barely. Who knows what will happen three seasons from now? Honestly, the difference in Paris is the emotion—there are shows where your heart just beats a little faster. London knows how to do that, too. But we do it better, if only because we outnumber them, and we’ve been doing it longer.”

On fashion’s future:
“I see fashion split between what is rare and artisanal, and what is highly accessible and e-commerce. What’s rare has no competition. What’s accessible is something you can get your hands on easily; there’s a physical relationship. And the virtual you buy with your brain, it’s an abstract approach. The ones who will be in trouble are the brands that are too expensive for what they are and not specific enough. But I won’t name names.”

On the fashion dream:
“Fashion will always be important because fashion is life—otherwise you’re wearing a uniform or you’re a nun! Fashion says who you are and where you’re from, what your taste and lifestyle is. Fashion is a passport.”

JJP’s best advice for young designers:
“Be true to yourself. Since we’re in the inspiration business—reflection comes later—you have to follow what’s in your gut. As I tell young designers: ‘Even when you’re wrong, you’re right.’ Mistakes are rich in material.

“Be different. Don’t try to do what’s already out there, there’s already too much of it. Difference is more important than ever if you want people to pay attention.

“You can’t please everyone. I never said this in my entire career, but now I am beginning to understand. In the old world, you had to please everyone. Today, that’s not necessary. You just need to cultivate consistency. That’s the strategy of difference. Before, you had to be sold everywhere and do everything. Today you can be very successful when you don’t try to please everyone.

“Learn to dream realistically. Otherwise, the illusion results in failure. Fashion is not art. It’s a business that has an affinity with art. Isabel Marant, Alexandre Mattiussi, and Alexander Wang dream realistically. They recognize themselves in their fashions. And they don’t copy anyone.

“Dreaming realistically doesn’t mean you have to be reasonable. Even the realistic dream has to remain exciting. Otherwise, life would be boring.”

vogue.com

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Thanks for the article, Dior.

Whoever still believes that all the older generation needs to be ushered out, dethroned and replaced by the younger generation needs to be reminded that such older but still wiser heads as Picart are very much relevant to high fashiondom.

For me, it will never be young vs old— it will always be about genuine talent and genuine vision vs mediocrity.

 

[softgrey]

it's funny- because i used to always look at the old garde and it was clear that no one in fashion ever retired...
they just kept working until they dropped dead...

in the last few years we have seen SO many big names exit the industry...
most of them still fairly young...
i think each one that leaves makes it easier for the next person, because it used to be looked down on for people to leave the industry- as if they were weak or had failed...

but the industry that most of these people started in simply doesn't exist anymore...
so in a way- they aren't really leaving anything...
just starting a new chapter...

it's a very different world...

i know that i stopped going to fashion shows once i could see them online...
and now, i don't even look at them online unless it's someone special...
i tend to look at them closer to when the clothes will be in stores, because that is when i begin to be interested in shopping...
or when the actual weather starts to turn...

ok- so the system is broken-
many people agree...
even the people who supported it for many years...
but no one knows how to fix it...
or they have ideas but are too afraid to try them...
or it's too big of a problem for anyone to want to deal with...

i think that last thing is a big part of it...
changing the system means you have to get the retailers on board and also the factories...on a global scale...
it's no small thing...

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^It's the retailers that really need to sort something out - this is an industry group effort, of course - but in my eyes, brutal retail demands are really what's making everything difficult for everyone. As someone who manages a garment factory, myself, I can tell you that the majority of the headache is coming from clients receiving orders late from stores, all the while the store's cancellation dates are not changing...leaving the window for production ultimately very short, and because of that, very complicated for factories to turn around the product. Everything gets stalled - designers don't order fabric until orders are finalized, but fabric lead time is generally 6-8 weeks for delivery, so you can imagine that it gets pretty hectic trying to produce an entire collection for retail in the span of 2 months. I'm working with designers, for example, who have just barely submitted their production orders for Spring/Summer 2016...because of straggling store orders, and fashion week was September! November is almost over, then holidays, and then they want everything delivered by January/February.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Interesting interview, thanks for posting.


I do disagree with him about Paris. To me, the best Paris shows are exponentially better than what's shown in other fashion capitals--better designed, better executed, more exciting. The level of professionalism is just different.


I also find age an important component in how one dresses. I don't want to judge anyone else's choices, but there's something of value that comes with age--the ability to be elegant, for instance. If someone shops at Forever 21 as a mature woman, not only does it cause me to call into question her shopping values and wardrobe-building ability, but to me it's throwing something valuable away. (I also enjoy not seeing myself coming and going, which I have to believe I would if I shopped there.)

 

[softgrey]

i don't agree...
one can be elegant at any age...
and with any clothes- it's all a matter of how you put it together and carry it off...
i was much the same as a teenager as i am today...
maybe i was just always attracted to that sort of thing...
maybe i matured early...
but i don't think maturity is always a function of age...
i have more in common with people older and younger than me than with many people my own age...
music is often the exception here, but with the 80's having been discovered by younger generations, now even that isn't such a big thing...

my mother and her friends buy accessories at forever 21 because they like trendy things- they want to be "hip" - but are smart enough to know that these things will pass quickly and don't want to spend a lot on them...
that seems like smart shopping, imo...
ie a hat or a crossbody bag...

sam edelman, aldo and nine west shoes seem to have customers in every age bracket...
from teenagers to suburban housewives......
a good shoe is a good shoe, after all...
and a good price is a good price...
*and it's why i, personally, cannot wear them...

 

[softgrey]

^^It's the retailers that really need to sort something out - this is an industry group effort, of course - but in my eyes, brutal retail demands are really what's making everything difficult for everyone. As someone who manages a garment factory, myself, I can tell you that the majority of the headache is coming from clients receiving orders late from stores, all the while the store's cancellation dates are not changing...leaving the window for production ultimately very short, and because of that, very complicated for factories to turn around the product. Everything gets stalled - designers don't order fabric until orders are finalized, but fabric lead time is generally 6-8 weeks for delivery, so you can imagine that it gets pretty hectic trying to produce an entire collection for retail in the span of 2 months. I'm working with designers, for example, who have just barely submitted their production orders for Spring/Summer 2016...because of straggling store orders, and fashion week was September! November is almost over, then holidays, and then they want everything delivered by January/February.

nightmare~!

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^Exactly.

I feel like what's happened is that luxury retail is trying to keep up with fast fashion retail. The speed, the amount of product, the unlimited variety, etc. etc.

The problem is that most smaller designers simply cannot afford to provide that much product and that much product that often and therefor end up drowning in the demands of department stores and larger boutiques.

I am not a retailer, and so I'm not well versed enough on shopper behavior and buying strategies, but I feel like there has to be a more creative, supportive and healthy way of operating. Let Zara and H&M be just that. Luxury boutiques and department stores should come up with different ways of providing product...no need to compete and keep pace with those fast fashion retailers. It's killing the industry.

Another thing that I've come to realize since working in designer manufacturing is that small designers need to be smarter with their finances. For so long, PR, marketing and big events have been the standard means of publicity, and a huge allotment of the budget. At this point, however, with social media being such a powerful marketing and brand building platform that is FREE, young designers should conscientiously be investing the majority of their budget into the actual product. I've seen too many designers try and penny pinch in the development and production process...and that's really where all the money should be going. At this point, the product must speak for itself. Good design and quality make are really what it's about now. Big fluffy marketing and hype over mediocre product is so dated at this point...Public School is prime example of this to me. The quality is terrible, the design is average at best...clearly a brand who allocates an enormous part of the budget to marketing and PR and not enough for the clothes.

 

[softgrey]

mostly- there is just a glut of product...
too much STUFF!!!

 

[Phuel]

Another thing that I've come to realize since working in designer manufacturing is that small designers need to be smarter with their finances. For so long, PR, marketing and big events have been the standard means of publicity, and a huge allotment of the budget. At this point, however, with social media being such a powerful marketing and brand building platform that is FREE, young designers should conscientiously be investing the majority of their budget into the actual product. I've seen too many designers try and penny pinch in the development and production process...and that's really where all the money should be going. At this point, the product must speak for itself. Good design and quality make are really what it's about now. Big fluffy marketing and hype over mediocre product is so dated at this point...Public School is prime example of this to me. The quality is terrible, the design is average at best...clearly a brand who allocates an enormous part of the budget to marketing and PR and not enough for the clothes.

SM may be free in the most superficial sense, but the fact that posters’ creatives become the property of these companies may be a major reason why many young, indie designers are reluctant to use them to their full potential on SM. That’s definitely been my experience working with such talents.

It’s not a big deal for huge labels/ brands to post sparingly and still have a strong presence on SM, all the while saving their major campaigns to a more exclusive means of promotion (publications, POP, etc) to keep the rights to their properties. Indie labels need to be protective of their creatives and are relying to stretch that campaign as far as they can without giving up their own property to SM giants.

It’s really tough for them out there.

I can't really contribute when it comes to more commercial young designers since the indie designers I work with are more artisanal-types with pieces up on SHOWStudio’s shop than rather than the more traditional high-end department store types with volume buyers. I don’t see how a label like Public School would/ could be anymore special had they concentrated on craftsmanship rather than marketing: There’s absolutely nothing interesting or unique about their spin on fashion, let alone original. Would they be on a totally different level if their pieces were of utmost, premium craftsmanship? I don’t see it… all they have is hype of a cool new label to go on so they need to keep that momentum up for as long as they can. I can understand their strategy.

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^I understand what you mean about Social Media presenting its own challenges…it still is a new frontier. But, I suppose what I meant is that when starting out, a small, young designer/company needs to prioritize their budget to be largely development and product based. Social Media does offer exposure that IS free and DOES work. I have several friends that are designers and artists back in NY and they have started to receive quite a bit of exciting press because they have cultivated a unique product and have been able to present their work and themselves in a sophisticated way on Instagram. They are contacted all the time by stylists, photographers, models, journalists, etc. through the platform. This was, until recently, impossible to do without an expensive PR team.

I've seen too many designers come through my factory and penny-pinch at every step of the patterning, fitting and sampling process. In my eyes, this exactly where the majority of the focus and resources need to be spent. I think after reading Li and Jean-Jacques' assessment of fashion now and fashion-future, it's definitely true that the era of the egomaniacal designer is over. Now is the time for designers to focus, be considered, be reflective, challenge themselves, and work really hard. It's all about the product. It's the only way that we can break into a new era. Once we've discovered new ways for fashion to operate, I think we'll emerge into a new era of play and creativity and really exciting fashion. But right now, it just doesn't seem like designers are having much fun…there's simply too much work to be done. Or when something is "fun," it's so forced or it's super cynical in nature (Vetements, for example, is pretty cynical fun, IMO).

I also like what both Li and Jean-Jacques talked about entering into an era of collaboration…which is also a sign-post of the end of the egocentric designer. We are craving human connection because most of us live our lives digitally. We crave physicality - working together, making things with our hands, tactile stuff.

Society - in particular American society - needs to collectively find value and pride, again, in being a tradesperson, an artisan, an expert. We're dangerously on the brink of grooming every last citizen to know only how to spend their talents, energies and potential in front of a computer screen. We HAVE to learn to make things again. Our economy needs it, and we need it personally as a matter of rewarding self-fulfillment.