Confessions of a Fashion Obsessed Art Student


Fashion is one of the most effective forms of instant communication and self expression 
but it doesn't compensate for having something interesting to say.
-Unknown source from i-D magazine




To me fine art and fashion can be accepted into the same medium if we begin to discuss them  in the same way. I like to think of them in the same way because this is my life. I love clothing, I love that feeling of creating a fucking awesome outfit and I think that just because I express myself through a materialistic medium doesn't mean I'm materialistic per se. I think there is more to fashion than the fabrics used to make it. 
There is something much deeper going on.



Last week I had a meeting with one of my art school mentors and after I left I had a great feeling of reassurance and comfort in being able to discuss my work in such depth; not just on it's visual level but it's deeper intentions psychologically and socially. After having this meeting I watched Vogue: In the Editor's Eye and although was left with great amounts of inspiration I felt immensely disappointed in the amount of depth some of the editors were willing to discuss what they were trying to say with their photos over the years. There were many things that weren't discussed surely because they were working within a 60 minute limit and 100 year time frame but as I think more and more about where I want to see myself within this industry fashion editor keeps seeming to be calling my name and of course I want to be inspired by the people that have held this title I put on such a pedistool. 



As I was watching this documentary I admired how badly some of these editor's wanted to bring something new to the pages of their many subscriber's but the way some of them discussed it reminded me of the people in the fashion industry that give it a bad name. My new years resolution was to stop being so negative and I've been pretty successful  in the first month but this is something I simply can not tolerate any longer. It is well known in sociology that people who can express themselves clearer in front of groups of people are usually more successful (see Outliers) and this is for a reason. We as the viewer or listener can only relate to where they are coming from based on how they explain it to us. If they sound completely idiotic explaining it then we probably won't give it much attention or take it very seriously. 

dU2vVz on Make A Gif, Animated Gifs


This is where my art school life comes in. In the fine art department in order to graduate we must write an artist statement and coinciding thesis paper. For me this is not to stressful as I greatly enjoy writing and feel like I can often best explain myself through words and visuals. However there a many number of art students that despise having to write their thesis paper and say something along the lines of "I don't see why I should have to explain my work, you should be able to see it." This is very true, if your work can not express itself without having to be explained it is usually not successful, but on the other hand if you can explain your work you have a much better chance of being understood holistically and you yourself will understand your work and self even more. 



Fashion like any industry has a history. It is one of social, political, and individual reflection. It is one that is long and affluent and deserves the respect of anyone entering into it. When someone creates an iconic photo or a ground breaking collection and all they have to say is "Oh, it's fabulous! Just fabulous!" I feel bullshitted. I wonder if that is all they really have to say, if that was all that went through their head when creating it. Fabulous. Of course if that is all the thought they put into it it certainly doesn't demean whatever I have taken from it and just makes me realize what I want to do differently in my own life's work. 



I think that fashion/clothing projected through photography, video, performance, or daily wear is something that not only has a visual layer but a multi-tude of layers that should be paid recognition to because 20 years down the line don't we want to look back onto something that actually meant something and wasn't just pretty? I hate when people think that people working in the fashion industry are just bimbos when some of the most creative and amazing minds can be found within it. I know there is nothing I can do about how other people think or what they do but I hope that through this blog I can bring an intellectual perspective on these things I want to spend my life surrounded by.