Fashion is Important
Fashion, according to Miranda Priestly, is an integral part of our lives.
Not only is it an expression of what we want the world to see us as; not only is it an art form, the most important because we live our lives in it; it is also the catalyst for a struggling economy. It creates jobs for factories, craftsmen, carpenters, photographers, magazine writers and countless others that the fashion industry influences.
This... 'stuff'? Oh... ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff.
And the controversy surrounding the cerulean sweater. No, Oscar De La Renta did not have a 2002 collection of cerulean gowns. Here is a part of a New York Times article which elaborates on this fictional chain effect of “the cerulean sweater”. ![27devil.xlarge1[1]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKLNNDuQ4dfhb2Ay42SmQC8RvoQN_jz_DdrWyucc-hnMj0VxDXqVc5FtIAP9uqIyq4BXeH55JGaaM_1Ub5a3P1MGT-aT7h_OK72A0scfW4t-NM-ZGD83IrflPzVAV_nsITC2-gUqCaz_J/s1600-h/27devil.xlarge1%5B1%5D%5B3%5D.jpg "27devil.xlarge1[1]")
Well, in 2002, de la Renta showed Russian Cossack hats, lavishly embroidered coats trimmed with fur and some beautiful pale pink and gold gowns, but no cerulean. Saint Laurent announced his retirement in January that year; his final couture collection was a retrospective. Tom Ford, who was then designing YSL ready-to-wear, was busy making leopard-print caftans and black velvet skirt suits. Anyway, the idea that such a progression would unfold over several seasons seems particularly dated in an era when the designers are right there with the rest of us, looking at runway shows on Style.com.
So there you go. The speech was quite inaccurate if not made up. Still, this speech echoes with me today because it so eloquently demonstrates the necessity of a fashion industry.
Sometimes when I make posts I start to think, “Why should I bother? Do I really want to be so superficial? Fashion is so useless.” In those occasions, I think back to what Miranda said. Fashion is not useless. We need fashion, some more than others.
Anyways, I felt compelled to share this post after Clare, Kasia, and Camille expressed their passion for fashion and art.
7 comments :
I always kind of hum to myself during this part of the movie simply because I never liked it. Her example was just awful. That sweater is blue because blue is a primary color and it most likely was sold at Old Navy in a variety of different colors, not because of Oscar de la Renta. However, that doesn't mean her point isn't right. It is true that mostly every trend starts off from the runways and pages of magazines. A better example would be Balmain Spring 2009. Christophe showed a few structured sequin dress and military jackets with tennis ball shaped shoulders. Those few dresses and jackets are then bought off the runway by fashion editors, and the pieces are featured in their magazines. Then, fashion stylists see them in magazines and order a few for their celebrity clients to wear out to an event. The celebrities where them, and get their picture taken. Then retailers like Target and TopShop see those pieces and produce cheaper sequined dress with prominent shoulders, and a little vest with the same military feel as the ones shown by Balmain. Then, regular women will shop at those stores and see those little dresses and vests and buy them for their teenage daughters. The pieces sell out quickly, and more and more retailers begin to sell their own versions, until society has officially labeled it as a trend months and months after they were originally shown on the runway by Balmain. Then years from now, those teenage girls will grow up to have children, and they will see those little dresses and that little vest in their closet and they will look back at the time when they were teenagers.
Just because fashion isn't important to everyone, doesn't mean that it's not important. It gives certain people joy, and to me, that's why we have it. I don't like sports, but if someone likes to watch sports games because it reminds them of the times they used to go to the stadium with their father when they were little, then they should be able to. Everyone has their own passions, everyone has their own way to hallmark memories. Maybe these passions won't save dying children, but that doesn't mean that they're not necessary. These little silly hobbies and likes that we all have are here to keep us sane, they are here to provide memories and joy. In this day and age we are beyond the point of just surviving. As a culture, we would fail without a source of escapism - essentially a source of fun.
I have had that monologue memorized ever since I first saw the movie, and could resite it any time you ask. The very next scene after that is when Andy's boyfriend's grilled cheese is sizzling on a pan. :)
Whether you are interested in the industry or not, fashion DOES touch every single one of us in some way, shape, or form...whether you like it or not. Fashion (to me, at least) is art. It is a form of expression, and it is unique to every single person on the planet.
Just because a girl decides to throw on some ratty, old jeans and a sweatshirt does not necessarily dismiss her from the fashion industry. Not at all. Fashion is what you make of it, and it is undefineable. Everyone has a different taste, and that girls taste includes ratty, old jeans and sweatshirts. Though she may not acknowledge it, that is her version of style. That's how the industry reaches her.
Fashion isn't Balmain military jackets or Galliano gowns. It is whatever you want it to be, whatever you think it to be. And, I understand that not everybody takes the time to actually think about what fashion is to them. But in my heart I think that everyone has their own definition sub-consciencely written in their soul. You cannot escape expression and individuality; which is, to me, fashion.
Thanks for writing yet another essay no one will ever read.
(kasia)
AnonymousSexy - I read it, and I'm glad I did. Aparently you cared enough to remark about it. So, what does that say about you, hm?
I can't help it. :S
Lol, thank you Cam for sticking up for me. :)
oh snap!
I love how some people just love drama while other's just shrug it off.
Hehe...99% of our little stardoll-fashion community keeps it classy.
We don't always agree but we respect each other...most of us anyways, with one exception.
:-)
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