My definition for fashion has been changed in that is has evolved into a more encompassing definition. It has been shaped by the context for which this class has built the way in which fashion is communicated. In Fashion and Cultural Studies Susan Kaiser states, “We can no longer pretend that there is a single way of fashioning appearances in the world.” (Kaiser, Susan B. Fashion and Cultural Studies. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2018.) This is precisely the result of evolving fashion, and its evolving definition. Fashion can no longer be defined as a way of expression, or an artistic voice. Rather fashion is the conjunction of many different subject positions intersecting to create an expression that is constantly evolving. This shifting definition has shaped my work in that I am more aware of the adaptations which I should be making to better understand the different subject positions which I occupy in my designs as well as in my personal way of dress. I am constantly adapting my work to ensure that my ideas are evolving and adhering to the complex nature of my changing subject positions. As I grow in my time at school I am becoming more aware of different viewpoints which I hold and which I must explore further. An example in my work was recently I did a project on personal identity for my design studio class. In this body of work I really struggled with finding meaning, and identifying the specific subject position which I was trying to find in myself. Similarly to how Kory Stamper describes how intersectionality is formed, “Words move from thought to speech to writing to other people. But that transmission isn’t always smooth. There are other currents to contend with.” (Stamper, Kory. “A Brief, Convoluted History of the Word ‘Intersectionality’.” The Cut. The Cut, March 9, 2018. https://www.thecut.com/2018/03/a-brief-convoluted-history-of-the-word-intersectionality.html.) This is what I was experiencing in translating everything I wanted to communicate, while trying to understand what was the best way to present such an idea. However allowing myself the creative space, and exploration allowed for my evolving ideas to be analyzed. In this project I identified my subject positions of ethnicity, sexuality, and place yet most of all, I discovered a way of therapy. In exploring human connection and how this has created growth in my progression, I was able to find a way of expression that was able to tie 2D, 3D, and 4D components to reveal that my identity had evolved more than I had ever thought. Overall the way in which I look at defining fashion has changed in that I view it as an evolving commentary on the complexity of subject matter and subject position.
