Tents, but no circus... Fashion is no fun anymore

[Menace]

The sense that fashion is a business much more than an art has been around since the 70s, I think. But it is only now that it has gotten to such a point that business has taken over completely. Not even a genius or two is allowed if they cause any kind of trouble.

It's foolish since it's precisely when people stop affording things that they start having to be convinced to buy things.

Much like music.

 

[Melisande]

Much like music.

Just what I was going to say.
In music, in art, in fashion. There is little passion and fantasy, dreaming anymore...and little sense of urgency in what we do as artists...I don't know why this is so...I know it's partly because of business aspects taking precedence...but it makes me sad......

Yes, McQueen. Galliano.
Theyskens for Theory? What a waste, frankly.
I'm not saying his work for Theory is not good. But good lord, knowing what he is capable of, it is a travesty. I think it embodies this whole problem.

I don't think it's just about the shows. It's the amount of madness that goes into the work. Of course, there are people who create excellent, inspired, exciting, artistic, consistent work quietly, like Yohji and Ann, often Gaultier, etc. And I'm not saying their work is of any lesser quality. But I guess I'd say in general, the quality of taking one's madness and working it, sublimating it to the point of genius has disappeared in most genres...letting go, whatever the cost...I'm talking about the Wagners and Van Goghs of the world as opposed to, say, the Haydens and Reubens. It's just a feeling...

In any case I came to this thread because I admit...I've been bored with the collections these past few seasons...:S

 

[modelista]

there are a some documentaries on the sundance channel that explores this very topic. there is this one called "the red carpet issue" thati really like seeing that's very interesting & u guys should check out
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[educo]

I've been feeling blasé about the state of fashion for a while now. I thought i was personally depressed but I see it's not only me. There are so many factors involved in this whole problem, economics, technology, accessibility, and pure laziness.

Ever since the suits came in and started to take control over fashion companies, things started to go downhill if you weren't defiantly committed to your vision like Galliano and McQueen. i think, and understandably so, that many designers were probably so sick of barely getting by with their work that they rather make a deal with the devil and sacrifice a piece of their voice for a roof over their head, food on the table and an international spotlight. To each his own, really. However, to discover a visionary designer that hasn't been snapped up by conglomerate is rare these days, and that makes me sad. That's what was fun about fashion for me, discovering an underground designer who was making things in his studio or basement selling here and there and being happy that way. Now, many designers coming in want world domination for no reason.

With technology these days, the blogging, the tweeting, the this, the that...the mystery is gone. No wonder Tom Ford wants to do secret shows! Fashion was all about the build up, the ANTICIPATION of what a designer was going to unveil in the next season. But now, if you're not on every single social network ever known to man, nobody wants to know about you. Bizarre, no? Chances are, if the designer has an online presence, someone has discovered it before you did. I just never understood that. Technology makes everything stale as soon as it's released.

The accessibility in fashion has made it boring as well, with celebs at front row, bloggers at front row, mostly useless people at front row. No more Isabella Blow, or any of her kind, the fashion beasts in the best sense of the word. For the majority, being at front row is really more about bragging rights on a blog than a pure unbridled love affair with the art and craftmanship of fashion, once again shattering my heart a little bit more.

Which brings me to the laziness on so many levels in this industry. The fact that you can basically buy an entry into NYFW is ridiculous (Hellloooo Kira Plastina or whatever her name is). Unless you are displaying pure unbelievable quality and craftsmanship with an incredible theme, there is no reason you should be having a fashion show. Everyone has seen what a french seam looks like, no need to display it on a runway over and over. I'm talking QUALITY clothes that have to be seen in order to understand the message. I think it's also lazy for a designer to bring a blogger to a show, unless they're working for a publication or they are someone like Susie Bubble who can speak intelligently about fashion. I understand sales are important, but why not just invite them to the showroom or send them a lookbook or a dress? It's not like most of them say something relevant anyway. I just feel like there is probably some intern editor/fashion journalist who would love to have that experience covering a show and would probably have something better to say than some blogger that makes their money posting looks and whining about how much Prada costs.

 

[Menace]

^I agree with every single point you've made.

There was this interview with Iris van Herpen... She said that she has worked for McQueen and Viktor & Rolf, but she found the business too restricting and just started doing her own thing... and look where she's at now. She has shown her collection in Paris for the Haute Couture season and her collections are being showcased in museums!

 

[educo]

^I agree with every single point you've made.

There was this interview with Iris van Herpen... She said that she has worked for McQueen and Viktor & Rolf, but she found the business too restricting and just started doing her own thing... and look where she's at now. She has shown her collection in Paris for the Haute Couture season and her collections are being showcased in museums!

I LOVE this woman Iris, the more I read about her, the more I fall in love with her work and ideals.

 

[snowqueen]

I miss the elitist mystery around fashion. The mystery surrounding it and how it seemed a million miles away from me and my world. Now that it seems more obtainable, as in breaking into industry getting catwalk shows etc. it doesn't seem as appealing any more. ironic really. I really do miss artistic lavish over the top collections. But times changing and everything goes in cycles so who knows we might go back to that one day.

 

[iluvjeisa]

With all the collections now, it's essentially forcing high fashion to be low fashion. Nobody can produce 500 original, beautiful, outfits in one year. Well, maybe YSL in 1976, but that's an exception.

And this, unfortunately, might tie nicely into another thread in this forum - the no negative fashion reviews thread - how can you expect fashion to correct itself if those with the know hoe are forced (shall I say bribed, it sounds a bit harsh) to spew out flattery? Obviously, there's flattery that just sounds like flattery but really is harsh criticism....unfortunately that's bound to not reach most readers/viewers.

Fashion is no fun if there's no talented designers and artists around - and if there is no critical voice - there will not be a functioning selection process.

 

[Menace]

What really doesn't seem fair to me is all the unknown potentially fantastic artists that are just interning for big fashion houses and then just thrown to the side as "assistant assistant designer #2" that don't really get a chance to shine because fashion is so much more about business nowadays.

Sad really.

 

[jmrmartinho]

I love the balance between circus and basic runway....the problem is that the new generations of designers do not care about circus and so problably in 10, 20 years we will not have any SHOW on the fashion week.

Is that bad? I dont know, but i agree the ad campaigns are the way designers can express the show part of their colection.

And a show that i loved because of the balance between circus and basic runway was Mugler (dont judge please ) i just thing there was something really original but on the same time there was just models walking on the runway....

 

[AD122915]

The crisis is not only financial.

with the recent development of media and global market; imo small houses became more survivable.... when you had no internet, no cell phone, u only read about the prominent shows magazines wrote about... u could never hear about a small company on the other side of the world.... but now, u have complete coverage on every single house... HQs and full shows of every single collecion... bazillion of fashion sites, magazines, bloggers, tv stations, even celebrities promoting cheaply worldwide designer houses... no matter whether big or small...
that naturally makes unbelievably competitive environment (even though fashion was already super-rough before)... houses can produce artistic collections (they still have the designers and sources available) but when customers go to other brands because they are more 'everyday-life', more wearable, management is not happy and they replace these artistic designers with unimaginative commercial workers.... in the past... top houses had the name and their reputation was not shacky... they could experiment and be innovative and people acclaimed them properly.... now, u have so many houses and so many 'well-dressed' people that you really dunno what to wear so you end up with these people at the fashion show "i wanna see something i would look good in"... not those Galliano Mcqueen art creations...
as it was said... art turns into industry... moreover, since the crisis every house fights rampantly for EVERY customer... the more they fight, the more commercial and 'appealing' they are, the less artistic/amazing/fun they are.... its a business... fashion wall street... who will sell the most?

 

[isabellegrape]

Customers aren't necessarily after a big circus performance of a fashion show like Victoria's Secret. Sure, it can be interesting and exciting but i'd say customers are more after the clothes and the new ideas rather than judging a collection by its show?
A designer doesn't have to put on a spectacular show to be considered as a great designer?
And as for McQueen, it's like the journalist is implying that McQueen was the only relevant one and that is just very ignorant.