If I read somebody raving about Comme des Garcons Victorian biker ballet dancers, I can just guess that they aren't likely to be into Jessica Simpson. It's because the designers all have their own auras and essences that they give to their clothes and shows; they all make some sort of statement about the world, whether it's "luxury is good, live like the rich and famous" or "the separation between men and women is arbitrary, we should have angrogyny". Any of the established designers have a very defined idea of what they are about, and that's where people draw their likes and dislikes. For me, there are so many examples in the shows that just happened! Marni played the Beatles Here Comes the Sun, which is probably my favorite song in the world, and Marni is one of the designers I love. And she also played the cover of that song by Cat Stevens, as a political statement, and I thought that was cool too because it was in sync with the way I felt about things. It's not a coincidence; I don't see Gucci or Versace or Heatherette playing Here Comes the Sun. Viktor & Rolf put women's heads in plastic bouquet bags for the flowerbomb show, just the way we do to flowers -- making a statement about the way humans treat nature. Undercover did a Svankmajer-inspired show, which I was bound to like because Svankmajer is one of my favorite directors, being into revolution and all. McQueen did chess pieces, and guess what -- I play chess and like the idea that the pieces can be people -- sort of like toys coming alive! I'm pretty consistent in the type of designers I like; I am way too bored by most collections. But I know I like the experimental guys like Watanabe and Chayalan, and the other side of me likes the quirky & lighthearted guys, like Prada and Marni. But I'm pretty sure not to like Chanel or Tuleh or Ralph Lauren, because their houses are just not relevant to me, or the way I see things, or want things to be.
Art imitates life! Of course people have reasons for liking a designer! Some people like to look at classic Roman sculpture, some like to look at Picasso, some like to listen to Britney Spears, some like to listen to Frank Sinatra. I guess there are people who sort of like it all, but for a lot of us, there are definitely links between personality and the designers we like.
