Fashion: What’s in and What’s Out

Throughout the ages, the presiding fashion has always been decided by people who had a sense of taste; a discerning eye for the aesthetic. Whether we’d easily agree with them now or not is beside the point. The fact is somebody daubed their body in blue ‘woad paint’ for the first time and then more and more followed, and so it became the custom. In today’s modern age, you don’t have to be the Chief of some tribe, or the King or Queen of some kingdom; today, just about anyone can devise a fashion. Whether anyone else will follow it is another matter, but you’d be surprised, the world is now a much smaller place, communication and information-wise, but with a lot more diversity in it, both in materials and types of people. Fashion, for some people, is just a matter of knowing what currently is considered “right and proper,” this though, is a somewhat staid and stagnant viewpoint to adopt; almost purely utilitarian in outlook. For others, fashion is more a vibrant and creative art form full of colour and surprise, originality and fun! Also, of course there is the common and more practical use, where fashion is a means of using clothing and accessories – with style, to either hide or disguise something about yourself you don’t like or to show off and enhance some features that you do! Whichever use you are making of fashion though, it doesn’t mean you have to be boring and utilitarian. If either of those two words are pre-eminent in your use of “fashion,” then I’m very sorry but you’ve lost the plot!There are Fashion Designers who do influence the market, and so in time, the man and woman in the street. These Designers, by their experience and track records of creativity and originality, influence what direction the future of fashion will go in. A basic list of 12 of those Fashion Designers and Fashion Houses who could be considered the current “movers and shakers” of the fashion world is as follows: (Not in any order of importance and by no means a completely exhaustive list). Marc Jacobs; Gucci; Georgio Armani; Donna Karen; Versace; Chanel; Anna Sui; Ralph Lauren; Christian Dior; Louis Vuitton; Miuccia Prada; Vivienne Westwood. Never forget though, that you as an individual always have a voice. You can use fashion to express yourself as you please. You can use fashion as a creative extension and demonstration of your own personality, whatever that may be: Vamp, elegant, sporty, or professional! Whatever the Fashion – You Decide!