Fashion is Art Art. A medium of expression used transversely around the globe, and one of the first forms of visual expression. The serenity in being given the freedom to reign one’s imagination and articulate what an artist feels, is what keeps this God-given gift alive today. Art just doesn’t transfer emotion, it tells a story – these were Google’s definitions. Coming to a conclusion built off of several encounters through my own mini-studies, outside the world of other creatives, our fellow earthlings are still under the impression that “Art” ONLY just consists of ‘Fine Art’. Just Fine Art? After how many years since the Renaissance? In this day and age? How preposterous.
Vlisco
written by Amo Modise
T
he art of fashion
What people don’t know is that art has a very broad spectrum, INDISPUTABLY BROAD. Think of it as a bizarrely abnormal umbrella: the ‘pointy’ thing at the top labelled as ‘Art’ and the rib assembly as the various categories such as music, sculptures, poetry and fashion of course. Fashion follows into the category of ‘applied arts’. Unlike fine arts, applied arts is the application of design together with aesthetics to produce objects of use. Factually, fashion has rarely been seen to be on the same stature as other genres have, nonetheless fashion is one of the purest expressions of art because it is art lived on a daily basis. Now I know what you’re thinking,
alas the theme is mentioned. Yes, I’m getting to the point. I mean could go on and on about it however I’m on a restricted word limit so you’re welcome.
W
earing our heARTS on our sleeve (literally)
If my undeniably notorious example with the umbrella went off the tangent a bit, (as I tend to do), the message I’m trying to convey here is: Fashion is Art. It is deeply rooted in self expressionism, similar to art, designers profess their sensations through bodies of garments. In art, the colours the artist uses accentuate the mood the artwork brings out, and the same elements tap into the artist’s personality. In the same context, dark makeup and ripped jeans can be connoted to self-expressionism in
fashion. Having read the article, In Defense of Fashion as a True Art Form by Georges Berges, “the legendary Alexander McQueen’s 2011 Savage Beauty show is a prime example of how fashion as legitimate art can be instigated and showcased. His way of thinking of melding soul and energy in each piece was established on the reason that the individuals who wore his manifestations were living articulations of workmanship.”
“It is deeply rooted in self expressionism, similar to art, designers profess their sensations through bodies of garments”.