9/19/2016
9/13/2016
The demise of high couture???
I have been watching some of the best
DVDs including ‘Dior and I’ and ‘The September Issue’, which give a glimpse of
the world of fashion which I otherwise know nothing about. It seems to be a glamorous
job every single creative fashionista is dying for and who doesn’t envy the
life of Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil wears Prada’? I do admire and appreciate
the craftsmanship of high couture especially what Chanel does in its own revered
couture atelier but only recently does haute couture and the notion of seasonal
change are threatened by the rise of ready-to-wear and the commercial impact of
fast fashion, which might bring about the imminent demise of the fashion
system. Is digital technology the culprit to blame?
Not convinced? Think for a second of
what has happened in the past few years, with fashion blighted by designer
dismissals, breakdowns and suicide. McQueen’s suicide, Galliano’s departure
from Christian Dior, upheavals at various fashion houses and the changes of
creative director at major designer label houses; all of which are symptoms of
a faulty fashion industry which need to be addressed. The speed of the current
turnover is alarming when Elbaz and Raf Simmons left the vast machine of Lanvin
and Christian Dior respectively. How about Grace Coddington stepping down from
her role as the US Vogue Creative Director? I highly recommend watching the
Vogue documentary ‘The September Issue’ (if you haven’t already) in which Grace
came across as the guardian of artistry in the face of Wintour’s pragmatic
commercialism. What haute couture was i.e. the beauty, dreams, poetry, high
craftsmanship and luxury that transcend the passing of time, is no longer
cherished in this brutal new reality. Instead of being artisanal with a sense
of grandeur, fashion feels more industrial and banal. Fast fashion is not a
niche but an attitude affecting the industry at every level conceivable. Why is
it that everyone is obsessed with speed? We have fast food, fast cars, fast decisions,
fast fashion, but does making things available faster make them better or more
desirable? All these so called conveniences which drive the economy to a frantic
dizzying vortex in acquiring more at a quicker rate is simply wrong, when you
really think about the quality of the products, the affects they have on the
society and the environment, and the unspeakable suffering of both the
consumers and those involved in fabricating the products.
Have you read or watched the DVD of the
legend Coco Chanel? Have you researched the intricacy of the finished Hermes
masterpieces? They are what they are for a reason: being timeless and superb craftsmanship
which can’t possibly be imitated or overridden by mass production of fast
fashion. It must be confusing and difficult for established luxury brands to distance
themselves from the vagaries of ‘fashion’ and trying to create something
eternal but ever-changing at the same time. The culture of couture is vanishing
before our eyes, both on the supply and demand sides when they are no longer
appreciated for the expertise and knowledge, the qualities and exquisite beauty
which haute couture values. Gosh, it is exhausting just to keep up with the fleeting
trends unless you are a fashionista with a Swiss bank account of unlimited
funds. No wonder the designers are struggling when they are no longer admired
by customers as an expert in the field but machines to be turned on and off at
the customers’ disposal. If I could afford it, I would always choose a
well-crafted hand-made Chanel handbag over any replicate which you can find in
chain stores. Don’t you think there is a reason for the expensive price tag?
Isn’t it obvious that we have a
saturated market which doesn’t require any more clothes any faster. I am
getting tired just reading the fashion magazines, displays in retail stores
which keep changing on a weekly basis, images on Instagram, to name a few. I
have a wardrobe full of clothes with price tags still attached and I have no
intention to make further purchases in a very long time. And you? Do you need
some breathing space too before you are overwhelmed and submerged under the sea
of cheap fast production which falls apart at the seams after a couple of wash?
Share your thoughts with me.
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