Fashion is a broad aesthetic term in a certain context and at a certain time, specifically in clothes, footwear, fashion, accessories, hair style, makeup, and body measurements. Fashion can be consciously managed and influenced by certain individuals such as artists, designers, stylists, shopaholics, movie stars, etc., while it can be a byproduct of the times or the culture that surrounds an individual. Some people claim that fashion is only what we see and feel, but it is also a language that we speak to each other. Therefore, it is not only what is visible, but also what is invisible.
As mentioned above, fashion can be consciously managed by the designer or the couturier (maker or manufacturer of a particular article of clothing or accessory) in order to promote it. It can also be an outgrowth of culture, times, and currents of an era, which can become the driving force behind the creation of new fashion statements. This also applies to the ways in which certain designers or couturiers interpret and create fashion. For instance, high fashion in the twentieth century was centered on the sculptural styles, like those developed by artists during the Art Nouveau movement.
The ready-to-wear and the off-the-wool fashion design industry, however, have evolved since the Second World War. The modern haute couture, whose origins are traceable only to the early Eighties, is characterized by its disregard for the established fashion trends. Unlike ready-to-wear, which is produced in predetermined quantities, ready-to-wear usually originates from a personal collection or an individual’s desire to express himself. Some examples of haute couture are: Yves Saint Laurent’s leather jackets, Gucci’s unique handbags, Chanel’s Bohemian jewelry.
The majority of designers working within the high fashion discipline are located in the major cities of Europe, while there are also a few haute couturiers who have established their names in Asia or Africa. In recent years, some fashion designers have ventured into producing low-end fashion products for the masses. Some examples of these are: Christian Dior’s boutiques, Marc Jacobs’ clothing lines, and Calvin Klein’s clothing lines. High fashion as a whole, however, is thought of as the exclusive domain of the extremely wealthy, leaving the masses, who are interested in both fashion and clothing, behind.
New trends in fashion design tend to emerge from designer collections. For instance, during the eighties, Ed Hardy and his wife were the central figure in the rise of tattoo designs. Today, urban fashion designers such as Sir Hardy Amies are reinterpreting traditional motifs and incorporating them into mainstream fashion.
In addition to these actual fashion designers, there are many individuals who work in close collaboration with fashion designers to create new styles of clothes and accessories. Examples of these individuals include fashion consultants, fashion marketing managers, and fashion manufacturing managers. The rise in popularity of customized clothes, which includes customized T-shirts and even custom made suits and shoes, has also helped make clothes more popular among people. If you want your clothes to become fashionable, you need to do your share in the development of new trends. As the fashion industry evolves, so do the fashions that are incorporated into it.