TODAY’S RUNWAYS ARE TEEMING WITH ABSTRACT, AVANT-GARDE PIECES THAT, WHILE SEEMINGLY ABSURD ON THE SURFACE, SERVE AS POWERFUL ARTISTIC MEDIUMS FOR EXPRESSION. MOVE OVER PAINTING AND SCULPTURE– FASHION IS HERE TO CLAIM ITS RIGHTFUL SEAT IN THE WORLD OF ART. More often than not many of the pieces on the runway are “too avant-garde” for the average consumer to wear. Alexander McQueen, Iris Van Herpen, Maison Margiela, Rei Kawakubo (just to name a few) are often criticized by the public for these reasons. In a consumer-driven world, what is the appeal of putting these ornamental pieces on the runway, you may ask? The answer lies in the designers’ desire to create art–not a commercial product. Functionality is not fashion’s sole purpose: storytelling, emotion, curiosity, and expressionism all go into inspiring a designer’s work.
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