LINK TO FULL PDF FILE OF RESPONSE

In Christopher Breward’s Foreword to Fashion Studies: Research Methods, Sites and Practices, he mindfully laid out a series of general truths, or aphorisms— as opposed to a manifesto of rigid points defining “fashion”, allowing room for interpretation. The fourth and last aphorisms resonated the most with me and how I direct my art.

Breward introduced the fourth aphorism stating, “Fashion moves in space and time.”  Fashion is a paradox— like almost everything. Despite being inanimate, fashion (i.e. trends) has a life cycle. When fashion is materialized and met with a body, it can physically move through space and time while also transcend those same illusory constructs. It can exist beyond the material world as a semiotic tool. I related to the part of the aphorism regarding merging science and fashion. Instead of abandoning my love and curiosity for physics upon entering design school, I delved further into it in order to inspire designs that are beautifully informative and innovative. 

The tenth and last aphorism declares, “Fashion does not define. It is a term that demands definition.” Over the years, I have conducted research on what makes up a brand’s identity and how people can self-identify via fashion. I believe an error within many large fashion companies is the over-marketing of false lifestyles, thus blurring the line between defining their customer base and the individual in society. I liked this aphorism for its simplicity and ability to cut across the notion that an individual should be a certain way to fit in and obtain pleasure. Due to the subjectivity and versatility of fashion, an individual can always project their inner world onto their clothes.