One of the things
that makes fashion particularly interesting is its position at the
intersection of art and commerce. With one foot in the art world and
the other solidly in the business world, there exists an inherent
tension.
Unsurprisingly,
the fear among the fashion community is that fashion is moving too far
towards the side of commerce. Indeed, the last decade has seen the
close of a number of haute couture houses, perhaps most notably that of
Yves St. Laurent in 2002. But it’s not just couture houses that are in
danger. Teri Agins of the Wall Street Journal wrote in September:
"Mr.
Lam has built a $4.8 million-a-year business but it has yet to reach
the critical mass necessary to operate profitably and efficiently.
Derek Lam Co. will lose money this year, as it has every year since it
was formed in 2002, although Mr. Schlottmann declines to say how much.
Mr.
Lam is part of a new generation of rising fashion stars struggling to
follow the path to financial success blazed by American fashion icons
such as Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, and Bill Blass.
Handicapped by broad changes in retailing and manufacturing, these
young designers are finding it difficult to capitalize on industry
acclaim and turn a healthy profit."
Agins
is right on the mark when she identifies the financial difficulties
faced by designer ready to wear designers like Derek Lam. Lam’s
contemporaries–Zac Posen, Peter Som, and Behnaz Sarafpour, to name a
few–are also feeling the tension between fashion as art and the need
to make a buck.
Today’s fashion marketplace is especially unfriendly to such designer ready to wear manufacturers. But why is this?
At
the top of the fashion totem pole sits haute couture, where fashion as
art reigns. With a steadily declining number of customers as patrons,
couture is often "subsidized" by other divisions of a luxury
house–fragrances, handbags, perhaps even ready to wear apparel. While
couture isn’t a great revenue generator, it can generate favorable PR,
which intangibly helps other parts of a design house.
On
the other edge of the market sits mass market fashion. Think of
H&M, the Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch. Mall stores and the like that
make their money on volume. However stylish their goods may be, they’re
primarily driven by commerce. At their core, they’re not about a
designer’s artistic vision–they’re about what will increase sales.
Between
these two extremes lies designer ready to wear, the province of the
up-and-coming fashion elite like Lam and Posen. Such designers are
faced to walk the tightrope between art and commerce, and the end
result all too often is failure. In the same WSJ article, Silas Chou,
the former financial backer of Tommy Hilfiger who now backs Michael
Kors, was quoted, "Out of all the 15 or so young designers, there will
probably be just one that will make it and become a big name."
We
don’t pretend to have the answers here, and there are no established
paths for upstart designers to follow, short of giving up (some)
control of the company in exchange for outside money, which is in and
of itself difficult to obtain.
Nevertheless,
we do have hope for the future of fashion art, in spite of luxury
conglomeration, regardless of the travails faced by developing
designers, and in the face of the almighty dollar (or euro, RMB, or
yen). Though intangible artistic merit is difficult to justify on a
balance sheet, its value exists nonetheless…even if it’s only in the
hearts and minds of style philes like us.
Posted by Trisha on November 25th, 2005 in News, Off Topic |
While sparkly knits have always been a popular option for the holidays, this year sequined sweaters have really been at the forefront. Besides being glitzy enough for a night on the town, they also happen to be a perfect alternative to the ubiquitous LBT at holiday parties.
Shine Sequin Stripe Sweater in Heather Grey | $132 at Nordstrom
ECI Sparkle Sweater Blazer in Silver | $148 at Nordstrom
Sequin Cardigan in Heather Pewter | $158 at J.Crew
Walter Pointelle Scoop Back Sweater in Gold | $231 at
Nordstrom Posted by Susannah on November 23rd, 2005 in Trend, Trendscape, Trendscape, Women |
In our own biased opinion, we
consider fashion to be the ultimate visual expression of one’s self.
Consciously or unconsciously, your fashion (or anti-fashion) choices
determine how you present yourself to the world…and therefore
contributes to how the world sees you.
We believe that your individuality comes through in three ways:
- What garments you choose,
- How you choose to combine these garments, and
- How you wear that garment combination.
The
first of the three is the most obvious and shouldn’t require much
explanation. If you favor glamour, you might consciously pick a
dramatic top or a slinky skirt. Or if you favor conservatism, on the
other hand, you might choose a high-necked top and/or neutral colors.
How
you choose to combine garments gets a little more interesting. You
might, for example, make a statement by combining a flirty, feminine
skirt with a masculine, military-inspired jacket. Or combining flip
flops with a jet black suit. How you combine garments sheds more
insight into who you are, but at a less conscious level.
But
how you wear that garment combination is perhaps the most telling of
all. You might wear the flip flops + black suit combination with a side
of confidence. Or you might wear it with a sense of indifference. We
believe your attitude is your most important accessory, and it beats a
status handbag, a bewitching pair of pumps, and a sparkly diamond
necklace any day of the week. But to our point, because it is the most
unconscious of your fashion choices, the attitude with which you wear
your outfit offers the most genuine view into who you are.
Posted by Trisha on November 23rd, 2005 in News, Off Topic |
On a superficial level (pun intended), dressing chic might appear entirely self-serving. However, I believe fashion has made a greater impact on us as well.
I believe that dressing well indirectly makes me a better person. Clothes make me feel beautiful, while my sense of style allows me to feel unique. When fashionably dressed, I am reassured, more confident, and overall more likely to put forth my best that day. Even when I feel my worst, I can show self-respect by dressing myself well.
While I would like to say that I dress solely for myself, I also know I am judged and categorized by what I wear, and I use this to my advantage. I love that in the same week I can play vixen, bookworm, elegant sophisticate or trendsetter. I love the fact that my quirky selections may keep me from being stereotyped into one category. I love that my outfits reveal other facets of my personality that would otherwise go unnoticed. The exciting transformations that I get to make are what living for fashion is all about.
Susannah
Posted by Susannah on November 22nd, 2005 in News, Off Topic |
On the most basic level, fashion is important to me because it makes me happy.
Among
my interests are design and aesthetics, and fashion feeds both of
these. I love line, silhouette, color, fabric, and construction. I love
the look of a well-fitted garment. And I love combining garments to
make a statement.
Fashion
is my way of expressing to the world that I am me. I love that one day,
I can "be" preppy, the next day sophisticated, the next day plain, and
the next day glamourous. It’s the easiest thing to change about your
appearance. Plus it’s non-invasive…a double plus on my list.
I find it intrinsically pleasing to dress up–and I dress for myself, first and foremost.
An added benefit, however, is the visual first impression that you give
to others. It’s been said that first impressions are mainly
visual–that is, they depend less on what you say and more on how you
visually present yourself. While I don’t like this, my experience has
shown this to be all too accurate.
Even when I’m shopping, for
instance, I get radically different treatment from salespeople. If I’m
dressed in flip flops, jeans, and a t-shirt, I often have to hunt
salespeople down in order to make a purchase. If, on the other hand,
I’m dressed in heels, a slim pencil skirt, and a nice top, I often
can’t shop in peace, receiving multiple offers for help.
Your thoughts? How does fashion make an impression on your life?
Trisha
Posted by Trisha on November 21st, 2005 in News, Off Topic |
We hunted through our archives for relevant articles on fashion,
consumption, individuality, and the importance of fashion in our
lives. For your reading pleasure, we present:
Enjoy!
Posted by Trisha on November 20th, 2005 in News, Off Topic |
Julie of Almost Girl invited us to join a "Black Friday" Blogging event. We’re pleased to participate.
Check
back this week for our thoughts on why fashion is important to us,
fashion as art and commerce, and fashion and individuality.
Posted by Trisha on November 20th, 2005 in News |
Names: Megan and Tyson
Found: Patiently waiting outside H&M Powell, well within the first hundred people in line.
Arrived at H&M: "6am, but our friends got here at 4am."
At H&M for:
Stella McCartney, of course. Megan: "The jumper and the jeans." Tyson:
"The men’s dress shirt that was transformed into a dress."
Personal style: Megan: "I just throw on whatever’s clean, whatever’s comfortable." Adds Tyson: "I’m all about comfortable."
Last Words: Tyson: "No Uggs, no pajamas, no LV pochettes, no knit Uggs, no Jessica Simpson, no Ashlee Simpson, no ruffled miniskirts."
Thanks, Tyson. Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Posted by Trisha on November 19th, 2005 in Profiles in Style, Trend |
Arrived
at H&M Powell at 9am this morning to scope out the scene. Pure
craziness. The line, as expected, snaked around the block, even
zigzagging back and forth over on Geary.
We’re
not line people, so we just ended up hitting up H&M Post later that
day once the line had died down to a mere half-block. Saw some
interesting items (mostly left only in Large sizes), but we saw a good
amount of the merchandise a couple of months ago on our NYC/Boston
"working vacations."
What will Trisha be wearing to the office next week? A particularly cute grayed jersey blazer with clipped seams ($29.90).
Our good friend Goldie
made a comment about the expectant crowd: "The people waiting fall
under one of three categories: (1) The Uber-trendy people who decked
themselves out for the grand opening, (2) The Blah people who dressed
very plainly, and (3) The Frighteningly dressed people whose outfits
didn’t quite make it."
To see a particularly uniquely dressed example from Category 1, check back in a bit for another episode of "Profiles in Style!"
Posted by Trisha on November 19th, 2005 in News |
In case you hadn’t already heard, H&M San Francisco is giving 20% off to the first 200 customers at either store along with a free limited edition T-shirt.
However, to be in that lucky 400, we figure that we’d either (1) have to drag ourselves out of bed pre-dawn to line up, or (2) sell our souls to the fashion devil (A.Wintour?).
We’ll be there…but closer to 10am. We enjoy our beauty sleep.
Posted by Trisha on November 18th, 2005 in News |
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