In the line of my work for a british website I came accross a french article written by Katell Pouliquen for L'Express Styles (that you can find here: http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/mode/c-est-quoi-la-mode-en-2011_1049824.html) and one question she asks particularly interested me.
"Is a fashion only a show?"
She answers by pretty much saying: 'ok deisgners, its cool you're doing conceptual clothes and all but we won't wear your clothes like this so please put some wearable outifts in your show'
I put myself in her place and answered the same question:
The answer is ‘yes’, if it wasn’t they would have disappeared by now.
We go to shows for the atmosphere, for the music, for the feeling, for the people. We go to fashion shows to live an experience, the experience the designer or the brand want us to feel, so that we understand his/her collection better. If clothes were the only thing we were interested in we would stick to showroom appointments. In the showrooms we can touch the clothes and if your size allows it try them on; we don’t stifle from the heat or are cold from head to toe in showrooms. We don’t wait sometimes hours for one to open, we don’t get pushed outside of a their doors. Showrooms are so much easier.
But in such a commercial state of fashion, seeing a moment of pure creation, whether it’s wearable or not is so inspiring. Of course you won’t probably dress like a Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens or a Versace model but who cares, it’s a show!
I don’t think we should ask designers to deliver something commercial on the catwalk, this is probably the only place they have some kind of liberty. Where Mrs Pouliquen is right is when she says some designers, as Haider Ackermann, don’t include wearable and commercial pieces either in his show or his showroom. But don’t worry, he will eventually realize that if he wants to keep designing he is going to have to sell some clothes.
What do you guys think?
"Is a fashion only a show?"
She answers by pretty much saying: 'ok deisgners, its cool you're doing conceptual clothes and all but we won't wear your clothes like this so please put some wearable outifts in your show'
I put myself in her place and answered the same question:
The answer is ‘yes’, if it wasn’t they would have disappeared by now.
We go to shows for the atmosphere, for the music, for the feeling, for the people. We go to fashion shows to live an experience, the experience the designer or the brand want us to feel, so that we understand his/her collection better. If clothes were the only thing we were interested in we would stick to showroom appointments. In the showrooms we can touch the clothes and if your size allows it try them on; we don’t stifle from the heat or are cold from head to toe in showrooms. We don’t wait sometimes hours for one to open, we don’t get pushed outside of a their doors. Showrooms are so much easier.
But in such a commercial state of fashion, seeing a moment of pure creation, whether it’s wearable or not is so inspiring. Of course you won’t probably dress like a Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens or a Versace model but who cares, it’s a show!
I don’t think we should ask designers to deliver something commercial on the catwalk, this is probably the only place they have some kind of liberty. Where Mrs Pouliquen is right is when she says some designers, as Haider Ackermann, don’t include wearable and commercial pieces either in his show or his showroom. But don’t worry, he will eventually realize that if he wants to keep designing he is going to have to sell some clothes.
What do you guys think?
