The Season of the Individual
- Karabo S'loane
- Oct 14, 2016
- 2 min read
Fashion has gone through a variety of stages that in humans would be classified as puberty which is generally characterised by the afflicted human being becoming really hot overnight, case and point. Recently, however, fashion has been going in the complete opposite direction. The clothes seem to be getting uglier and weirder, but they are the best they've looked in years.
For the past 3 years and steadily increasing, I haven’t been able to put my finger on a specific direction during fashion week, there is no definite uniformity and no clear standard. I am completely comfortable with that and a strong example of ugly fashion being actually cool can be seen when major fashion houses change designers. These new hands help usher in a totally different aesthetic.
These changes were best noted when Ghesquiére took the reins at Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga changed Ghesquiére for Wang for Demna Gvasalia, where all their key fashion moments were had in full and with the ugliest looking beautiful clothes (for some, a good game of musical chairs). So at the risk of sounding like a fan-boy for Alessandro Michele’s vision for Gucci I am going to mention how much he’s added to the true value of personal style which could be defined as looking like a million dollar version of yourself.
Sure, the hoodie was pretty cool in 2009 or whatever, but in 2016 you can rock a hoodie to a highbrow fashion ‘thing’ with no shame and a very airy “It’s Gucci darling.” Ugly is cool again. I mean finally!! In a trend that has steadily escalated over the past four seasons, Alessandro Michele has given us an insight into personal style, one that has long been forgotten. Go on, wear your best ball gown out for lunch, your paid for it didn’t you? Then wear it daarling.
We’ve reached a time where personal style is more doing the best with what everyone else is doing than making what’s yours, truly yours.
As the 2010s wear on and self-expression is becoming backbone of fashion (as it should), "style" changes so rapidly you are literally obsessively coveting/buying something new every other week – every day in some cases. I am gladly relieving myself of the silly notion that I have to keep up with what the kids are wearing... that is not a park iI want to be playing at right now or ever actualy. Personal Style people! And as that happens I am starting to notice that my overall style in the eyes of those who 'know' is on a steady decline. I have become less about current trends and geared myself to a more comfortable, and style that is scientifically (by me) worked to suit me and not so much the world.
I’ll be waiting for the couture hoodie from Gucci or Balenciaga to go on sale, but until then, my boyfriend has a slick collection of hoodies for me to wear to a 'thing'…
All images courtesy of the internet
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