Christophers Breward’s aphorisms in my personal understanding.
Aphorism 1: Fashion does not define, it is instead a term that demands definition.
In a more common expression, fashion is a vague word. If one hundred people were asked to give the meaning of fashion, none would give exactly the same answer. On the top of that, everyone has their own sense of fashion. To some, fashion is something that is temporarily popular. It could be something that was never a trend or it might never be. Besides, one trendy item cannot be defined as trendy on its own, if it was placed in a different time or genre, it would not be recognized as something trendy anymore. It is the opportune moment and a few human factors that create things that are defined as fashionable at the time. In another word, a trend does not grow on its own, it is purely human effort. Therefore, just because one style out-trended another, it does not mean it looks more attractive or less. Think about it, a trend that died from one month to ten years ago, you distaste it, regardlessly. A trend that died more than ten years, it becomes classic. Even though if under a different context, you might not be even able to tell which one is better. That is fashion.
Aphorism 2: Fashion is intensely personal, in the same way that poetry is personal. It is a medium through which personal stories can be told, memories re-lived and future foretold.
Yes extremely personal, just like any other art related matters. Viewing someone’s fashion work is the same as viewing their vision, state of mind and experience, but through clothes or accessories. For example, when you look at one of your friend’s or some famous designer’s collection, you usually would be able to recognize and respond “Yes that is very you./I could see you making those.” One cannot create exactly the same thing as another(unless plagiarize). That is where the value of artists reflects. The more individuals appreciate the work, the more precisely the vision would be valued. The application of the personalization also include that fact that fashion claims the artist’s statement, it can be political, environmental, humanistic or just purely visual. The influence of visualization subjects impacting social problems are conspicuous.
