Is Fashion Art?
Is fashion art?
I have always been fascinated with fashion and specifically
haute couture. For everyone that doesn’t know, haute couture is a line of
clothing produced by leading fashion houses that reflects the designers
artistic image for the year. This clothing is one of a kind and is made from
hand using only the most expensive materials. These pieces are generally not
even wearable outside the context of a runway fashion show. So, then what is
the point of all the work that goes into these pieces of clothing? Well, I would
argue that they are made in the name of artistic expression and therefore
should be considered art.
The question of whether fashion can be considered art is a
long-held debate in the art community. Many art critics as well as museums do
not consider fashion as a form of art and there for will not exhibit clothing
or other fashion accessories in their museums. However, this notion is
changing, most notably with the foundation of the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City. The Costume Institute is a collection of more
than 35,000 costumes and accessories that represents various countries, regions
and time periods. In my opinion fashion is a reflection of the time period, so
it should be considered a piece of history and there for art.
I recently watched a documentary on Netflix called, The First Monday in May which was about
the production that goes into The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual “Met Ball”
which aims to raise money for the Costume Institute. Anna Wintour, the editor
in chief of Vogue Magazine organizes the party every year with a specific theme
in mind to celebrate. The year in which the documentary was made focused on the
theme “China: Through the Looking Glass.” Everyone who attended the event was
asked to wear an outfit inspired by the theme or created by Chinese designers. Attendees show their creative side and wear clothing
that they would not normally wear and I always look forward to seeing who will
wear what and how creative they can be. I view the red carpet of The Met Ball the
same way that I would view an new art exhibit – with awe and admiration. So
what do you think? Is fashion art?
I think fashion is definitely a form of art. Reading how art critics do not consider fashion as a form of art is appalling to me! Everything from the process of creating clothing to the artistic expression of the costume designs make fashion incredibly artistic and creative. Of course, not all clothing can be considered "art", just like not all paintings can be deemed as high culture and artistic.
ReplyDeleteHi Genevieve,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate this post because I, too, see fashion as a form of art. I would say it is definitely underrated in most aspects in a form of art, but it's a form of art that everyone can participate in! Your sense of fashion is basically an artful description of yourself, and I think that's really cool. Anyway, I'm obsessed with the Met Gala and I always look forward to the fashion choices every year. I love dressing to themes and I love seeing the creativity at work. I'm glad you gave a bit of a history and background on it!
Hi Genevieve,
ReplyDeleteI personally see fashion as a form of art. I am not a fan of haute couture because I think that fashion is something that should not be closed to the runaway. If you like this type of movies, you should watch "dior and I" the history of dior's first collection by raf simons. It's a voyage inside what's behind an art show and makes you realize how hard it is to realize one of those dresses.
Hey Genevieve! Great post. I really do think that fashion is a form of art. Art, by definition, is an expression of emotion that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Clothing is possibly one of the most personal forms of this expression of emotion. On an everyday basis, fashion can express the subtleties of one's mood. In events like these, fashion can express a feeling in the same way a painter would - with color, movement, texture, etc.
ReplyDelete