Fashion Is Boring ... Have they Run Out of Ideas?

[just_me]

Who siad anything about blindly follow??? i think this debate is getting fairly heated and a bit b*tchy (to my mild amusement). The topic and difference of opinion is quite simple. My point is simply that for those who feel bored with fashion they should extent their source(s) of inspiration until they find something interesting. What is it about fashion that you find boring - whats been churned out on Net a Porter?!?!? Yes of course if you look at mainstream lines which are produced only with commercial success in mind then they are boring. Its the same with music. You can look at the charts and say "music is all the same, its been done before, its boring and commercial" but there are other sources of music musicians doing really interesting stuff and trying to push the boundaries. My point is simply that it is up to individuals to find inspiration in an alternative place - as opposed to just writing off the season (and therefore, by default all designers) as boring.

Brilliant, brilliant post!!! Thank GOD someone said it!!

WhiteLinen, you only look at mainstream designers, designers that are up on style.com maybe you need to follow new designers more and underground fashion in general.

 

[Whitelinen]

WhiteLinen, you only look at mainstream designers, designers that are up on style.com maybe you need to follow new designers more and underground fashion in general.

Do I really come off as that? I adore indie designers. My favourite collections from this season were not from big fashion weeks like Paris/Milan/NYC/London.

Just because you are indie/underground does not mean you are instantly creative, cutting edge or avant garde.

I am actually a little bit offended by your comment. Could you please show me an independent, underground designer that is doing something innovative and avant garde, something that is taking fashion forward?

 

[zamb]

Do I really come off as that? I adore indie designers. My favourite collections from this season were not from big fashion weeks like Paris/Milan/NYC/London.

Just because you are indie/underground does not mean you are instantly creative, cutting edge or avant garde.

I am actually a little bit offended by your comment. Could you please show me an independent, underground designer that is doing something innovative and avant garde, something that is taking fashion forward?

I am not takint the position of the person to whom you are responding, neither is my intent to offend,
but to answer your question, with a designer who is not so new, but is innovative and taking fashion. waaaayyy forward.

HUSSIEN CHALAYAN.

 

[Whitelinen]

HUSSEIN CHALAYAN.

I agree! But I don't think he is "underground", and the person in question here was saying we should all look for undergroung designers to find innovative ideas.

I am not sure if Chalayan is taking fashion forward in shapes etc. but he is doing a lot with the interactive part of it- and that I think is new. However, the actual clothes are not innovative in their shape I think. They are traditional, but done in a new way. But he's a good and exciting designer. I definetily wish there were more designers like him, although he still is not innovative enough for my standards.

 

[zamb]

I agree! But I don't think he is "underground", and the person in question here was saying we should all look for undergroung designers to find innovative ideas.

I am not sure if Chalayan is taking fashion forward in shapes etc. but he is doing a lot with the interactive part of it- and that I think is new. However, the actual clothes are not innovative in their shape I think. They are traditional, but done in a new way. But he's a good and exciting designer. I definetily wish there were more designers like him, although he still is not innovative enough for my standards.

If you want innovative shapes you should check out his earlier work (also , how innovative can you get with shapes when fashion, something intended to be worn is limited by the anatomy.)
also could you PLEASE define your standards, so that i understand what you mean by saying "he is still not innovative enough for MY standards"

 

[Whitelinen]

My standards; Something completely original. Something that will make people go "this cannot be possible to wear in a million years". Something that will make people wonder. Something that will make fashion change. Something that will make people fear.

 

[fashionhollywood]

!....you GUYS and GALS are so on the money with your thoughts. I was thinking that I was the only one that noticed the change. I honestly only blame it on the schools. Back when I was in school (in the 60s), teachers made a conscious effort to teach students about Craftmanship, style, history and creativity in fashion. Unfortunately. It's not happening now. If it is then somebody better tell us about it and where to find it cause it sure ain't happening on the Runways....! Nowadays everybody is putting out a "line". Even the one's without a clue to what FASHION is ALL about. God Help us All...!

 

[Salvatore]

My standards; Something completely original. Something that will make people go "this cannot be possible to wear in a million years". Something that will make people wonder. Something that will make fashion change. Something that will make people fear.

Well see, I think it is somewhat impossible to be completely original at this point in time. It is easier said than done. I think references to something will always pop up no matter what is done.

(and by the sounds of your standards, minus the completely original part, you have a good ole Galliano show! )

 

[Rami]

designers can't be too risky or else they won't have a market...

 

[Blanche DuBois]

In my opinion, fashion is boring now because of the trends and the whole scenario that designers have been putting on the shows, the mood and everything

it always happens, it happened in the 90's when suddenly a lot of unknown models appeared with androginy and everything, and it was a strong trend, but the mood at that time was sober and sad, and those models helped to built that image...and then we get rid of that and something happy and fresh appears, I mean change of trends, for instance the 2000 when Gisele and Carmen were the models of the season

I believe we are now in a low spot...the models are all the same, we don't have right now a Vodianova, they are very plain girls with no spark...and the proof of that is the backstage pics that used to be such a fun when daria and company was at the shows...now the girls have that sad look that just don't appeal to me

Those baloon skirts and egg shapes just made every show weird, and unwearable, and just ugly, I hated those proportions,...they are not soft at all, we dont' have something sweet and delicate to balance that...there so much yang and no ying

I think we need to see beauty in a new state, less hard, more graceful, and a
bit of circus aswell, because we need the buzz of fashion, we need news, changes, and please no more theorizing about fashion...bring back new and happy references, we need to dress with grace again...

 

[DuTTyRoCK112]

well i find it very pretentious to have that anti-commercial mentality, because something can be very commercial but very appealing. right now, nobody is both, but that was not always the case. i'm thinking of 2000-2003-ish. that was a very optimistic period when every commercial designer had a very distinct vision and hardly anyone relied on very prevalent trends. commercial fashion can be good as long as it's marketed for it's loyal customer and not for every "fashion fan"

 

[Alejandro]

you have to go way down to the underground, because even some indie designers these days have become so pretentios, as the scene becomes pretentious as well.

 

[zamb]

My standards; Something completely original. Something that will make people go "this cannot be possible to wear in a million years". Something that will make people wonder. Something that will make fashion change. Something that will make people fear.

I find your response to be somewhat unrealistic and vague.
there are no specifics in your respone.
to to reply to what you say.
again, if fashion is something to be worn, it is regulated by the anatomy,and therefore finite.
there are so many variables that dictate fashion. Sometimes i think we fail to look at one things relationship to another, and thus loose sight of the big picture.
I will give you an example.

whenever i design my collections, there are always things that i design, ideas that i have, that i can never do because i dont have the time and resources to do them.
if i should get some kind of resources (financial investment) then i could do a lot of things that i cant do now, however, there are a lot of things i do now, that i wouldnt be able to do if i had an investor, because he (the investor) is expecting a return on his investment, and whether we want to admit it or not, it influences what we design
there is not a single designer alive who does not want to sell products.........those who innovate too far from the saleable market, often create a route to perdition...............

 

[dior_couture1245]

I find fashion more exciting because its more accessible....I can see things I couldn't even imagine before. I don't find it boring at all (well except NYC fashion week ) - I find it as inspiring as I did when I was 14 and first caught the bug. Admittedly I don't like the same kind of fashion now but thats how ones tastes evolve & mature surely...? I am not sure I find mystique interesting per se.....its beauty that i find interesting. And beauty is still there.

I agree 100% with you, helena. I still love fashion more than anything. I remember so clearly the first fashion show I ever saw (not in person, obviously) was Dior HC FW 04. I've been hooked ever since! I still believe in fashion with all my heart...it's just going through a little lazy period right now!

I, as with most others here, agree that fashion has become a bit too comercial, and that the true creatives have been burried under the weight of the pressure to sell. And...I have no idea how it can be solved!


The firing of Anna Wintour will change a lot, I believe. Here in America, so few people KNOW fashion. Americans who read Vogue do it because Jennifer Hudson is on the cover. They consider themselves fashionable because they shop at Juicy Couture and Abercrombie and their favorite model is Gisele. They all know Dior but don't know who Galliano is. They think Marc Jacobs is God and Chloe is "cute." These are the people that feul the rut that fashion is in right now. If Vogue were to get an editor who could make the magazine something more like French Vogue, we'd be getting somewhere.

When the people begin to demand creativity, then, I think, designers will be able to rid themselves of the pressure to sell. Instead, Americans are being spoon-fed by Wintour what's 'fashionable' in editorials with a jumping Caroline Trentini and designers are having to cater to that crowd....the celebrity crowd...ughh...*shudders*


Sorry for the Wintour rant, but I truly believe she plays a very large part in the issue.

All that being said...I really don't think fashion is THAT boring. Well, maybe I think that because the designers I deem boring (most of the NY/ London/ Milan fashion crowd) I don't even pay attention to. Instead, I worship Galliano, McQueen, Gaultier and am delighted beyond believe when these guys are their true selves, much like Galliano and Gaultier were this past season.

 

[gius]

The firing of Anna Wintour will change a lot, I believe.

 

[Whitelinen]

The firing of Anna Wintour will change a lot, I believe.

Well yes, in the US. But there are lots of other countries too.

 

[dior_couture1245]

Well yes, in the US. But there are lots of other countries too.

Well, clearly, yes....but....I mean, you walk around Paris and you see people wearing cool designer stuff. When I was in Paris I saw several people wearing those infamous Balenciaga boots and also saw several of those amazing red leopard Louis Vuitton scarves. There are a lot of people there who will take something straight off the runway and incorporate it into their own style. In America, you see people wearing Abercrombie. Americans want wearibility, not creativity. The perfect example of this is on an episode of "My Super Sweet 16," a girl flew to Paris to buy her gown for her party. She went into all the high fashion stores and thought all of them were "really ugly." Instead, she went to a little boutique shop and bought a gown that she could have got at a Windsor in the mall.

Besides Anna Wintour, celebrities play a major part in the boringness of fashion in America. I mean, really. Everyone wears Versace on the red carpet (and I really do like Versace...), but I wish celebrities would branch out and push the boundries. When celebrities like Cate Blanchet, SJP and Ellen Pompeo wear Alexander McQueen, they get shot down by the tabloid magazines, and then some talentless starlet get an A+ because she wore a Versace gown. And that's why I really applaud Reese Witherspoon for doing this whole Nina Ricci, thing. Olivier was featured in People magazine! America needs to know who he is!

 

[Salvatore]

The firing of Anna Wintour will change a lot, I believe.

Oh I so agree! Yes, there are other countries, but I somehow get the sense that many designers are trying to please her these days. She's like a dictator bug or something (I don't know the proper word ). I believe without Anna present, the entire energy of fashion would totally shift. I think that celebrities and designers would be more of themselves while still being commercial. Then again, I could be wrong.

 

[stilettogirl84]

Americans want wearibility, not creativity. The perfect example of this is on an episode of "My Super Sweet 16," a girl flew to Paris to buy her gown for her party. She went into all the high fashion stores and thought all of them were "really ugly."

Is it possible that all the designer dresses were really ugly?

I think it's like the story of the emperor's new clothes. All the sophisticated, intelligent adults pretend to see the garments beauty style, and grace, while the little child cries "he's naked"

It's the same thing here. We are sophisticated (we think) and we want to be able to see more than the masses, or understand style in a different way. But
if it takes an in depth understanding of fashion in order to "get" a certain look, maybe we are just fooling ourselves. It's just cloths, there shouldn't have to be something to "get" Perhaps it takes someone unsophisticated and banal to point out to us what is obvious to anyone outside the "fashion circle".

To me fashion hasn't been getting more boring in the lst five-ish years, but has been getting less so- and in a bad way. Clothes have become more strange and unflattering and ugly in order to be considered cool.

perhaps we need to think- what would an unsophisticated, abercrombie clad midwesterner think of this dress? If they might say it looks like a burlap sack with electrical tape on it- then really- it probably does, and to try to wear something like that, is in my mind, simply an absurd ammount of pretentiousness

 

[The_Ida]

perhaps we need to think- what would an unsophisticated, abercrombie clad midwesterner think of this dress? If they might say it looks like a burlap sack with electrical tape on it- then really- it probably does, and to try to wear something like that, is in my mind, simply an absurd ammount of pretentiousness

I think fashion would be in a very bad and A&F-clad place if it was up to the white middle class America to decide what is good taste and what is not. And honestly, you kind of imply that we cannot think for ourselves and just blindly follow any silly editor's opinion on whatever...and we all know that is not true Different people have different preferences. And really...I don't care if some 16-year old girl thinks I look silly.