The first aphorism I chose was “Fashion has a tendency to construct its own canons … Like art historians, fashion scholars need to look and question.” I interpret this aphorism to be a direct challenge to the view that fashion is created around the culture of superficial marketing, star designers and celebrities. I agree with this aphorism because fashion must be viewed as part of the art and culture that makes up the human spirit and society and has a deep and inexorable connection to human life. Fashion scholars must look at the changes, analyze the trends and learn to systematize much as an art historian would do for culture and art. According to the Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry, $340 billion a year fashion industry has become an integral part of modern-day existence.[1] Therefore, it must be studied and analyzed commensurate with the important role it plays, much like that of culture and art.
The other aphorism, “Fashion does not define. It is instead a term that demands definition” is interesting but I think of it in opposite terms. I believe fashion to be complete when a person wears it rather than when it is on a mannequin (this is why I prefer fashion to paintings on walls) because it is essential who wears the fashion and how s(he) expresses what s(he) is wearing. Fashion defines the person who is wearing the fashion, and fashion itself expresses the full culture of the designer. It communicates far more than merely “define” a particular aspect. While people have attempted to find an exact definition of fashion, it is impossible since fashion has a multitude of aspects defying a single definition.
Bibliography
Kunz, Grace I., Elena Karpova, and Myrna B. Garner. Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry. New York: Fairchild Books, 2016.
[1] Grace I. Kunz, Elena Karpova, and Myrna B. Garner, Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry (New York: Fairchild Books, 2016).
