With the launch of Maison Martin Margiela for H&M today the Business of Fashion featured an article detailing an opposite view to excitement surrounding the popular designer collaborations.
The article criticises the supposed 'democratisation of fashion' by high street brands taking on designer labels, suggesting that we shouldn't buy them with the belief that we are getting a unique and 'designer' piece of clothing at a high street price, which we all know is almost a contradiction in terms. How can anything on the high street be 'designer'? How can the everyman purchase 'Fashion'?
While I do reserve judgement on most designer and high street collaborations, (which I often believe to be overly hyped and and over priced) I can't help but balk at the thought of industry veterans getting sniffy at seeing an average person enjoy of piece of design at a cut price. We're all well aware that some people enjoy fashion for it's exclusivity and individuality, but what about those of us who can't afford the normal designer expense or even dream of following up with a 'price on request' tag. Isn't personal taste also about making decisions about what you like from what is available to you and is also influenced by what you see and can afford. No the average person can not afford to spend their months rent on a new bag and some designers though small and 'cool' couldn't function or operate without an injection of commercial revenue.
Admittedly the quality of these diffusions may not be the same as their own mainline collections but I do resent the idea that the Business of Fashion assumes these are items we will 'discard next year'. I've personally only ventured into a collaboration like this twice. I bought a Stella McCartney for H&M Trench coat around 5 years ago which I love and still wear and a Versace for H&M printed skirt which I certainly can't see myself throwing away any time soon. As Margiela may be proverbially turning in his grave at the sight if his legacy and with mainstream artist like Kanye West and Jay-Z name checking the brand in their songs this may not have been his initial vision. But isn't that the nature of fashion? A style or a brand begins it's life with cult status before slowly being picked up and nurtured by the mainstream where it reaches saturation and no one wants to know. We all remember how Burberry went from being a symbol of British luxury to the symbol of the working class 'chav'. Daniella Westbrook in THAT outfit being the final nail in the coffin before Christopher Bailey transformed it.
Though I may not be queuing with the die hards this morning, if I can get my hands on a piece of Margiela. I'm gonna take it, particularly the Candy wrapper clutch. Because some of us can have our designer collaboration cake and eat it too.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
MMM for HM and the Democratisation of Fashion
With the launch of Maison Martin Margiela for H&M today the Business of Fashion featured an article detailing an opposite view to excitement surrounding the popular designer collaborations.
The article criticises the supposed 'democratisation of fashion' by high street brands taking on designer labels, suggesting that we shouldn't buy them with the belief that we are getting a unique and 'designer' piece of clothing at a high street price, which we all know is almost a contradiction in terms. How can anything on the high street be 'designer'? How can the everyman purchase 'Fashion'?
While I do reserve judgement on most designer and high street collaborations, (which I often believe to be overly hyped and and over priced) I can't help but balk at the thought of industry veterans getting sniffy at seeing an average person enjoy of piece of design at a cut price. We're all well aware that some people enjoy fashion for it's exclusivity and individuality, but what about those of us who can't afford the normal designer expense or even dream of following up with a 'price on request' tag. Isn't personal taste also about making decisions about what you like from what is available to you and is also influenced by what you see and can afford. No the average person can not afford to spend their months rent on a new bag and some designers though small and 'cool' couldn't function or operate without an injection of commercial revenue.
Admittedly the quality of these diffusions may not be the same as their own mainline collections but I do resent the idea that the Business of Fashion assumes these are items we will 'discard next year'. I've personally only ventured into a collaboration like this twice. I bought a Stella McCartney for H&M Trench coat around 5 years ago which I love and still wear and a Versace for H&M printed skirt which I certainly can't see myself throwing away any time soon. As Margiela may be proverbially turning in his grave at the sight if his legacy and with mainstream artist like Kanye West and Jay-Z name checking the brand in their songs this may not have been his initial vision. But isn't that the nature of fashion? A style or a brand begins it's life with cult status before slowly being picked up and nurtured by the mainstream where it reaches saturation and no one wants to know. We all remember how Burberry went from being a symbol of British luxury to the symbol of the working class 'chav'. Daniella Westbrook in THAT outfit being the final nail in the coffin before Christopher Bailey transformed it.
Though I may not be queuing with the die hards this morning, if I can get my hands on a piece of Margiela. I'm gonna take it, particularly the Candy wrapper clutch. Because some of us can have our designer collaboration cake and eat it too.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Savage Beauty
After watching the Watch the Throne video for 'No Church in the Wild' directed by Roman Gavras. It obviously evoked images of the London riots that happened last year but also the beautiful way the video has been shot and the slow motion replay appeals to our human fascination with violence and the grotesque. How we see some beauty in wildness and passion of outbursts.
How many of us watched in horrified fascination as the London riots escalated? How we can't look away when we see a car crash. The hysteria and excitement some of us get from watching a fight on the street.
See below the 'No Church in the Wild' video and a collection of images I've gathered inspired by the video.
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