no. 1

fashion: does it matter? do people care?

As a fashion student, dare I say a creative, I think yes. However, to the normal person, is it of any importance?

To me, fashion is art. Fashion is how you present yourself to the world. The combination of colours, textures, silhouettes, and elements are a harmony of what we choose to wear. This can be loud, aggressive, and maximalist, but at the same time simplistic and subtle. The skill of putting together an outfit is unmatched for me. The look in the mirror. The selfie to get the ‘fit pic that is just right. The ego boost. It’s a skill. I love the feeling.

It is difficult to comprehend that feeling if you have not experienced it. I can spend hours on end watching fashion shows, seeing how the trends have changed, doing a deep dive on a specific designer – that’s why I chose it. But it is more than that. To select the right pair of jeans. The ones that fit just like the ones that models wore in that one fashion show twenty years ago. Fashion can even transcend art in some cases. It is wearable. It has a context. The influence of celebrities and social media on fashion trends and how we see that artist. It can express such a variety of emotions and qualities: from innocence to immense sexuality or activism to hiding away. For the few who truly understand it, who see the vision, can see how it affects so many aspects of our life: the psychology and beauty behind it.

For some people, fashion is a waste of money. Why buy things you do not need? Why work in an industry that pushes people to buy clothes, accessories, and jewellery that they just do not need? Of course, fashion is not as “important” as medicine, politics, and economics, as is seen with creativity in general. But it has meaning. The outlet we as people get from it, cannot be replicated with anything else.

A demonstration of identity in terms of sexuality and culture has now become the norm for many people. As a South Asian living in the West, I find myself reaching for cultural pieces more often than not. Whether it’s getting older, living away from my parents, or just a preference change, it is a connection to my identity. This feeling is common for most second-generation immigrants, or at least I hope it is, and for me, it is a way to exhibit them. Maybe to not be embarrassed of it anymore. And maybe show-off a little.

Although we may not like to admit it to ourselves, clothes make a difference. Fashion makes a difference. It is your chance to make a good first impression, to show your interests, or to just have a bit of fun. Whether or not fashion is as important as so many other things in life, you cannot deny its impact on us.

 By Natasha Joshi