Do you often wonder why the same trends come back to haunt us in fashion, or why the creative folk aren't being creative, but repeating the same designs and the only difference is the shape and fabric used? Many people have stated that a lot of this has to do with shoes. It's the shoes that don't change enough in order for new designs to be created and for fashion to be given a chance to morph into the unknown. Fashion designers even believe that this may be one reason as to why so many designers have stopped coming up with new, fresh designs.
The first clothes ever made were created with natural elements, so animal skin and furs, grasses, leaves bones and shells. Most of the clothing was draped or tied but needles made out of animal bone provide evidence of sewn leather and fur garments made at least 30,000 years ago. Fashion spans back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, where Charles Frederick Worth, an English fashion designer who founded the House of Worth was the first fashion designer to have his label sewn into the garments that he created. Worth had one of the leading fashion houses in the 19th and early 20th century and is considered by a large number of fashion historians to be the father of haute couture.
Fashion is seen as an art form. It actually is considered as an art topic throughout the world and is aimed at the creation of clothing and other lifestyle accessories developed by designers to complete their range. Modern fashion is put into two simple categories, somewhat split into two, one being haute couture and the other ready to wear. The designer collections created though, are of higher quality, finish and are uniquely designed, sometimes designed to cater for celebrities who want to portray a specific look or even to collaborate with the designer to promote an upcoming style.
It seems that most trends come back into fashion because of past trends which re-influence us to re-visit them and to explore deeper to see if they suit our identity within our current fashion style spectrum. A lot of this has to do with the fashion influence in television and film from the past and the curiosity young individuals have during the time where they are finding themselves and who they are. For example, The New York Times interviewed costume designer Madi Line from the hit ABC show Pretty Little Liars about this and she says "Every single day I get tweets, Facebook messages and Instagrams from girls who line up their clothes next to photos of the characters". She also believes that 'Pretty Little Liars' is influencing retail as she has seen feather earrings and black and white striped dresses in stores. Also when I was sixteen my fasicination with recycled and vintage clothing grew. I started visiting vintage stores regularly and found many outstanding staple pieces that I could wear all the time. One of which, was a long fitted leather jacket that I loved so much. It had red shiny lining and the stitching was impeccable, the buttons were so old school and the split on the back created the edge and design that made the jacket amazing on the body. That's what the kids of today are doing as well, repeating fashion but recreating it to suit the current generation demographic.
Viktoria Kleidara from Rising East, an independent publication staffed by students in Journalism and Sports Journalism at the University of East London, interviewed a young fashion designer named Melanie. Melanie has worked for many vintage stores in the last five years.Viktoria asked her about why she thought that designers keep repeating fashion and why trends don't really change all that much. According to Viktoria, Melanie believes and I quote "The fashion industry tracks their behaviour, and so if the industry realises that consumers have developed a taste for 1980s fashion, then it will generate designs that revisit the 80s". Melanie also adds that "... most contemporary fashion designers do not have ideas and want to get rich quick. This has killed the high level of creativity among fashion designers. Since they want to come up with new products faster, they are unable to take the time to design unique fashion styles rather than copying styles that were used by other people in the past." This brings me to the point of old school fashion coming back into the mix, so styles created today have predominently come back from the past because those styles were not only popular but resonated with everyone.
Also no wonder why the repeat fashion offenders (Fashion Designers) have no time to create new designs, because fashion is such a fast paced industry that no time can be spared for new ideas because younger generations (Millennials) get ahead of the curve and already know what they want.
Fashion affects everyone in the world. It is one general tool used constantly in society and is always being refined by people after a difference. It also creates cultural presence because every culture is identified by the way they dress, so in other words a way of creating a social circle, a group per se to stand out and be differenciated according to your status. This can be seen as quite derogatory I know and really I don't agree with it completely as it goes back to the class quota society puts us under. Fashion is more about believing in yourself and yes, self expression but it's more about using fashion as a way to help you drive yourself into confidence and self empowered completion. Hence why fashion creates a character, your individual style and how you want to express yourself to the world.
Photo credit: GNE
