Aphorism 1: 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.

This aphorism argues that fashion is a personal expression from the designer who creates the clothing, and the wearer. In these two sides of fashion, through designer and wearer, stories and emotions from both are told. In poetry, it’s told through words but a designer and wearer, it’s told through clothing and accessories. The designer uses their memories, emotions, and feelings through silhouette, color, texture, material choices, that the wearer also uses to tell their story, as well as how they pair articles of clothing with other pieces. Memories are relived through the clothing that they represent, designers who create based on a memory, or for a wearer who has an emotional connection to a piece of clothing because of the memories that it holds. I strongly agree with this because as a designer, I pour my thoughts and emotions into what I design and as a wearer, I choose outfits and clothes because of how I feel, and certain pieces of clothing remind me of events. When I walk down the street, the way people dress themselves is a way that they show their stories and feelings and is a personal expression of themselves.

Aphorism 2: Fashion does not define. It is instead a term that demands definition.

This aphorism discusses fashion in the idea that fashion does not define someone. Different groups of people, sometimes categorized by race, religion, sexual orientation, ect, make up what fashion is. Society and people are defining fashion by what they do, say and wear. It’s not easily definable also because as people are always changing, the meaning is always changing. The time old saying of calling someone “fashionable” is not accurate because we cannot be defined by fashion since we are creating it and we need to define what fashion really is. I agree with this aphorism because I believe that subcultures and society are always re-defining fashion, and that the word fashion is defined by us and what we think it means. I am not defined by what fashion means, I create what fashion means to me by dressing the way I choose to.