Fashion is too busy to be art
Long before I started this irreversible dive into the fashion industry, fashion was not written with a capital 'F', and it wasn't referred to as Fashion in my head; it was style or 'do I look good?' That was before 2019. Fast-forward to 2024: I picked up a book called [Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told?] A collection of essays from Jenny Diski, a writer unknown to me, but I quickly fell in love with. Very witty, she cares deeply about the topic she wrote about, but exudes an air of too-cool-to-care in between lines. Flip to pg. 189, I was met with the essay titled [Fashion as Art]. My eyes widened, and my ears perked up, ready to hear myself read each word out loud. It's always a pleasure to come across fashion-related articles from authors that you don't associate with fashion at all, the equivalent of finding out that Henry Cavill loved Warhammer 40k and Robin Williams played World of Warcraft.
Jenny Diski spoke about Fashion.
Right at the beginning, quoting her, this is what she wrote:
In spite of the V&A's Versace festival, and books like Fashion Statements: Archaeology of. Elegance 1980-2000, I've never been convinced by the idea of fashion as art. I don't see why it has to be; it has so much else to do.
A deliberate usage of small 'f' fashion, and what a statement!
Fashion was never art until I saw it as art; it was existing with no problems in my worldview, just being clothes and bodily decoration that I never had the intention to go beyond the notion of 'style.' But here I am, now engrossed in the art of it all. I am sure you can also imagine the slight emotional rollercoaster I was on: my anticipation for Diski's artful take on fashion, which could hopefully inspire me in unknowing ways, took a sharp turn and blundered into a slight bout of self-doubt.
What do you mean you don't see Fashion as Art? It's so obvious! Am I missing something here?
To Diski, fashion is clothes, fashion is anecdotal, and all about the time she spent searching for the perfect piece, just like the rest of us, and I would argue, an ingrained experience for any fashion lover. It's rare to find someone who is just academically and theoretically amazed by fashion and doesn't care about style or clothes themselves. A very clear dichotomy for writers like me: we can willfully turn off that critical and theoretical side when we browse clothes; we can turn into fashion ghouls, entranced by the search for that perfect coat, that perfect skirt, that perfect white tee, with no concern for sociology and the interrogation of behaviours. They coexist, but is it wrong to connect only with one side? And is it outrageous to reject either side even when we are made aware of it?
Fashion would not be complete for me without one of them. Perhaps I can still enjoy a very beautiful coat by Louis Gabriel Nouchi, but then my own fashion-observing experience will be impacted. Appreciation for a good outfit isn't enough, I want to know why Fashion up North in England is different than down South; I instinctively ponder on why a certain color is becoming more popular in the past 2 years compared to the 2 years prior; How did Jun Takahashi incorporate his love for Surrealism into his work? On the intersection between Fashion and Art, where did Lee McQueen stand? Where did Madame Gres stand? Where is Robert Wun standing right now?
Recently, I learned about this couture renegade called WEINSANTO. There were two main reasons why I took an interest in their work. Thibault Brière R. Descors, the Sales Director of the brand, whom I met in Paris some time last year, is a lovely soul; you can tell he is very confident and outgoing, and he will tell you all about his passion immediately, and he is very passionate about WEINSANTO. I suppose that drew me out of my shell a little bit. About a month ago, he reached out to let me know about WEINSANTO's latest collection. I watched the presentation and asked Thibault some questions. Here, I learnt that the brand sources its material from NONA, an LVMH-owned initiative that resells unused Couture material from big luxury houses, and on top of that, the brand offers couture services (experience) at a luxury RTW price. Being environmentally conscious while disrupting the traditional pricey image of couture? Wow! The second reason was the incorporation of dance in their show. My angelic girlfriend is a Hip-Hop dancer. Even though it was a different genre than what was displayed in their show, Mia, for the past few years of being together with her, had opened my eyes to the spirit of dance. No matter the genre, dancers are extremely disciplined and have a high level of body control. It's always a delight to watch people dance, albeit some genres are more invigorating than others. From my lens, WEINSANTO didn't treat dance as just a background to sell their clothes, you can tell. It is very obvious when brands slot art into the collection or the presentation just to prime the audience. Inauthentic. I asked Thibault about the presence of dancers, and he simply replied, 'Because Victor (Weinsanto) was initially a dancer, so he always included performers as part of his shows,' and this warmed my heart. To me, WEINSANTO is art.
Couture is an extreme example, I know. Not all fashion is 'the highest form of dressmaking,' but I think the argument here is that fashion is art, whether you choose to perceive it or not. Not a prerequisite, but also a non-negotiable. Diski ended the article by saying that Fashion as art and Fashion as culture leave her cold. With context, I know she didn't say it with malice; I can sense satire, and this wasn't like what Timothée Chalamet said about Opera and Ballet. Still, I find myself reluctantly opposed to Diski on this one, perhaps out of defensiveness from taking Fashion too (hopelessly) seriously.
Fashion may be busy, but it always has the time to be art.