DEMYSTIFYING FASHION
In this series of blog posts, I aim to demystify the fashion world for both you and me. I do so by focusing on random elements of the fashion industry that specifically pique my interest- such as menswear, technology, finances, politics, and increasing globalization.
I think that the fashion world is an exciting, innovative, and important space of expression in our society. While there are many problems with this world that should not be ignored, I do believe that fashion captures a snapshot of our society, just like visual or performance based art.
The reason why fashion interests me particularly, is because of how elusive and intersectional it is. High fashion has always been a term that’s either regarded as ‘unaffordable’, ‘stupid’, or ‘exclusive’. “Who would wear that? Why do I care about something that I can’t even afford?” While these questions are very valid, I think that they have always missed the mark entirely. What, for example, are we supposed to make out of Balenciaga’ trash bag outfits? Was that just a publicity stunt, or a way to capture the company’s commentary on a modern consumer’s growing lack of interest in how we present ourselves to the world?
The answer to that question is actually irrelevant. But to not even ask that question is unfair.
I think it is crucial for us to at least give fashion a chance- and simply engage with it. I am not asking you to buy clothes from the fanciest racks, or be up-to-date with the fashion industry’s movements. But what I do ask for is some curiosity. One of the biggest barriers to this curiosity, I think, is inaccessibility- most of us have always been (made) so closed off to this world that we do not have the tools to interpret it. There have been historical reasons for this- fashion shows used to remain a tightly closed real-time circle exclusive to designers and buyers- until only recently, when social media allowed for virtual live streams and mass feedback.
One of the loudest ways a fashion house makes its seasonal statement is via a runway show, or in short, a runway. Each fashion house (a challenging term that I will explain soon, but think Dior) tries to bundle its ideas for a season (eg Spring), and present it to the world in a 30-minute (average) timespan to the world. This bundling up of clothes on a runway (aka a collection), is the effort of thousands of artists working behind the scenes- along with craftsmen, knitters, seamstresses, designers, creatives, and even influencers. The pressure is obviously high- due to reasons like wanting to make a profit out of a collection, creating the right buzz, and displaying difficult craftsmanship- but also due to the importance of tying a collection with a long-term vision.
There’s 3 dimensions to every show, and I challenge you to ask yourself these questions every time you see a runway shot on your Instagram:
Context
Every fashion house usually has a long-term vision.
(House is a rather confusing term. A fashion house is called so because it is the literal singular house/building where most of the ateliers make the garments and do the work. An atelier is a studio used by the artist. Most fashion houses tend to be in Paris, but in my opinion, this is just an opportunity to westernize, and subsequently restrict high fashion. Fashion houses can (and should) exist everywhere, and are increasingly globalizing. A fashion house is slightly different from a brand- for example, Zara is not a fashion house, but a brand; it does not house its artists in a building in Paris to create its clothes, but rather mass produces in factories using independent agencies. On the other hand, Chanel is a house, which designs most of its collections in a singular building in Paris.)
Watching a runway without first understanding the house’s vision is like picking a movie without knowing its genre. While it can be difficult to completely understand a long-term vision for any house, it is fairly straightforward to at least situate it amongst its peers. I have found that the method of comparison is often the easiest way to criticize a collection.
Ask yourself these questions:
1.Who is the audience?
Who is watching this show after it happens? This is critical for a runway, because it subsequently alters the collection itself. For example, most of you have probably heard of Demna, who used to be Balenciaga’s chief creative director (Every house has a creative ‘director’, someone whose central job is to create a vision for the house). Demna knows that you have heard of Balenciaga. He knows that its runways are going to be on front covers of magazines the next morning, and that his collection might even become a meme. This is his business strategy for the house- he monopolizes your attention to monetize and create influence via this mass marketing. By having celebrities and influencers walk its runways, Balenciaga is creating a carefully orchestrated marketing play that fosters its relevance.
On the other hand, you probably have not heard of Marshall Columbia, a small New-York based ‘house’ that also is active on the runway scene. This house knows that its audience is mostly made up of fashion experts or VIPs that simply want to purchase its pieces. This heavily influences its collections, since the aim is not to create a buzz as such, but to create everyday pieces that are wearable (and purchasable).
The audience also impacts the the bar of judgement when criticizing a runway. You cannot uphold these two brands to the same standard- since they aim to do very different things. When you watch a Balenciaga runway, you want to evaluate how the hype is being generated, and not “what would I wear from this?”
2. Artistic Vision: Who is in charge?
Every house has a ‘genre’ or ‘vision’ it is aspiring towards. For example, the lion-head we saw last year from Schiaparelli, is not just a crazy marketing strategy. It became a subject to a variety of memes, but in reality, its not out of pocket for the house. Schiaparelli was one of
the first houses to use surrealism as its vehicle of inspiration, and designed one of the first non-typical pieces of clothing we have seen. The house has worked with Salvador Dali and other famous surrealists to create clothes since the early 1900s. Given its reputation, the house does not want to deter away from its surrealist roots, and simply continues to create pieces that cater to it. So when the lion-head dress became popular, it really was not out-of-the-box for the brand, it was only a natural extension of their existing vision.
Some other brands instead use current affairs for their inspiration. Let’s revisit the Balenciaga example. Its NYC Spring 23 collection was a commentary on the crashing state of the economy. In the peak of the Fed’s monetary advisory and the confusion of an incoming recession, the focus was on comical wealth disparity and the diminishing nature of one’s social identity in today’s America. The clothes were designed to simply accentuate that- a collection of mostly athleisure and casual clothing- and this by no means is how Balenciaga started back in 1919’s Spain.
Sometimes, the message can be totally random- like with what Gucci did when it decided to bring a set of 68 identical twins down its SS23 runway.
The vision here was to reinforce a sense of uniqueness despite commonality. This could be interpreted as the brand’s own mission of creating a deeper place for itself in the fashion world amongst being known mostly for its mass production of commonplace handbags.
The house director is the one who really gets to decide how a collection will end up, and so it is important to study their natural tendencies, which only comes naturally with time and familiarity with the brand. I have found that the history of how a director got to their position often trickles down to a house’s choices in a collection.
3. What did shows prior to this look like?
If you were to watch a Wes Anderson movie, you would have an inkling of what you are getting yourself into- a colorful world with eccentric ensembles and unique visual styles. You know this because you’ve watched his prior movies. Similarly, for every show, you have to watch the show prior (and ideally, the last season’s show from the same time).
Knowing how shows prior to this looked like also helps create an occasional shock factor, that keeps things interesting, just like watching sports. For example, Ralph Lauren models tend to often smile and engage with the audience. For a Spring 1993 show when models did not smile, people were shocked- and this created enough substantiated hype for their new unprecedented urban wear collection.
I think that generating such a marketing buzz is important and should not be criticized or looked down upon- since this happens in almost every industry. I have noticed a general notion of disdain when it comes to the fashion industry’s use of social media and attention. Of course the intention of grabbing attention for profit is materialistic and shallow, but it is no different from many other industries- why not look at this the same way?
Environment
The setting of the show is as important as the context. Putting a show in a place with more access to high-end buyers can prove pivotal to a small brand, whereas for a bigger house, influence in a larger city is more important. Asking these questions also helps visualize the collection’s impact.
1.What is the tech behind the scenes?
Just like a movie, a runway has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Even within those components, there are different segments that have a different soundscape, feel, and uniqueness. It would be unfair to watch just one segment of a movie and judge it. Similarly, you have to watch the entire runway in order to accurately judge the collection.
The first few pieces of clothing, aka the first look, is like the artist’s statement- it defines what the collection will look like. The end of the show is where the most experimentation usually happens. The middle is aimed at seasoned couture collectors. This structure is common, but not rigid- every show is different. What you see on Instagram is only often the first look.
What music is playing during each segment? What is the lighting like? Is the stage design unique? Do models walk once and leave, or do they keep walking in different formations? All of this is determined by a tech director for the runway, who ensures that the whole operation runs like clockwork- since a minor glitch can impact the entire show.
Music is an important part of the show, since the tempo and beat can subsequently affect a model’s attitude and their speed of walk, which in turn affects the outfit that they wear. For instance, if you are walking really fast, you probably cannot accentuate the flow of a summer dress elegantly. Many runways intersperse music tempos and genres to display a larger collection of work that accommodate these variations in clothing. Some choose not to- for example, in most spring/summer shows, the emphasis is on lighter and slower music that accommodates the nature of clothing.
Karl Lagerfeld from Chanel is known for his iconic runway design choices. Choosing a ski village for a winter collection might seem obvious, but this choice also limits the collection- what if a consumer is looking for winter clothes that are not in a snowy alpine environment?
2. Who are the models?
The model choice is crucial for a runway. Elite houses will tend to gravitate towards their use of supermodels, and smaller shows might have some less popular models. It doesn’t matter who the model is, but what matters is the implicit act behind the model’s wear of the look- their body type, their composition, height and weight- these affect whether that piece of clothing will actually go into production or not.
Furthermore, model choice can also be a way to make a statement. Diverse model casts exemplify a house’s commitment towards inclusivity, whereas less diverse model casts might be used to make a more selective statement. There is a painful and complex history and legacy behind specific inclusion and exclusion in this world that is a matter of a whole different blog post.
Some questions to ask: Are the models walking too slow on purpose? Are they smiling on purpose? Are they interacting with each other at all? Are they showing their face?
3. Where is the show?
The location of a show is crucial, because at the end of the day, a runway is a pathway to impress most fashion critics, curators, and journalists. Most recently, Versace did its show in LA (which was unconventional) after it was reported that the brand was doing least profitably in the U.S compared to its other operating sectors. Post the success of the show, Versace became the biggest house for spring wear in America.
As fashion also increasingly becomes more diverse, we are seeing shows in different areas of the world that have previously never been on the fashion map. YSL recently did a show in Marrakech, marking its entry into the colorful luxury fashion world of Africa, becoming one of the first few houses to tap into the African market. Dior also recently did a show in Mumbai, becoming one of the first international houses to do a show in India, attracting a lot of attention from the Indian ultra-rich. A lot can be said on the validity of these choices and the intentions of these houses, but the choice of location is one very direct way of marking the mission of a brand.
Content
1.Is it just clickbait?
Ask yourself: is this probably just clickbait? Is this just being made for the show, and not for purchase? A lot of shows use an element of outrageousness and pomp to get your attention. A lot of the pieces you see on a collection are never planned to be sold; they are dumped into the archives for future ‘inspiration’. By knowing what is clickbait versus what isn’t, you can segregate what is notable with what is not.
2. What is the focus? Is the focus on craftsmanship?
Finally, an integral part of fashion is ultimately craftsmanship. Couture (custom-fit clothing) is clothing created for one individual’s proportions. Everything from the choice of the material used, to the labor and talent that goes behind the weaving or patching of multiple materials can be questioned. Sometimes, this is the focal point of a show- and everything else is just noise. Sometimes, it is completely irrelevant. A lot of the times, this craftsmanship is inherently political. For example, choosing reusable materials and incorporating a sustainable design is in itself a statement of the environmental responsibility felt by a brand. Some brands still choose to use fur and leather in their everyday collections. The craftsmanship can ultimately weave together the collection’s political statement.
These 8 questions are only the beginning to analyzing a runway show. I hope it gives you a tiny bit more insight into the many complexities behind a collection, and maybe even a bit of interest in making a more sound judgement the next time you see a fashion image on your Instagram page.
NEXT IN DEMYSTIFYING FASHION
Surrealism in Fashion: From 1900s Schiaparelli to 2020s Gaurav Gupta
Surrealism has been one of the most defining genres in fashion, but what exactly is it? I construct my own definition of surrealism by tracing its roots and seeing its modern forms in contemporary fashion.
References
Kristy Sparow/Getty Images
Courtesy of Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Versace, Balenciaga, and Dior
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