Christopher Breward: Forward
“Fashion is not necessarily spectacular (though it often conforms to the theory of the society of the spectacle) it can also be demotic, ordinary, mundane, routine and humble. It is the stuff of the ethnographer and the anthropologist.”
Fashion has such a broad definition, it spans from fashion shows and luxury wear to cotton T-shirts and sleepwear. It can take a lot or no planning money and time. I believe fashion can be boring and mundane because fashion can (and should be) anything you want it to be. Fashion is a direct reflection of personality, mood and circumstances. The extreme cannot exist without the boring. I think the aphorism is also indirectly making a reference to how fashion is a direct reflection of peoples surroundings & lifestyle. Breward later stated in the reading that “fashion and dress as material culture and everyday artifacts.” I wish that fashion could be solely determined by personality, and that anyone could afford/have access to any type of fashion.
“Fashion is intensely personal, in the same way that poetry is intensely personal. It is a medium through which personal stories can be told, memories re-lived and futures foretold.”
I agree that fashion is like poetry, in the sense that it is a personal, creative expression of the artist. I do think these art forms, in one way or another, loose their personal ‘touch’ when experienced/read/worn by someone else. yes, fashion is a medium to share a personal story, but there is expression and feeling lost through fashion, from the creator’s thoughts and process to the finished product worn by someone else. I partially agree with this statement, yes, but I do feel the aphorism described as “intensely personal” is not entirely accurate.
