Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion
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A “Court Gown” from the 1700’s
As a former style blogger, my love for fashion runs DEEP. I have long stopped blogging about my personal style but I still love consuming fashion. Whenever I’m traveling and looking for things to add to my loose itinerary, I always look for museums with a fashion exhibit that I can enjoy. In December, I traveled to Phoeniz, AZ for my birthday and felt lucky that I found this one at the Phoenix Art Museum. While it was small compared to others I’ve seen in the past, it was a stark reminder that the archiving of fashion is as important as any other form of history. It tells a story of where we have been, where we are currently, and where we might be in the future.
I know that there are people that think fashion is superficial and unimportant. I have never been one of those people. Much like Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada, I believe that fashion is woven into almost every part of our lives and that its significance is deep and varied. As someone who has become more interested in art with age, I can admit that I don’t always understand the art that I’m viewing. What I have come to realize is, for me, its less about understanding and more about feeling. Fashion is no different.
Opera Coat by French designer, Madame Judith
That said, although we might not understand it all, there are some things that are obvious. Fashion has always served multiple purposes. Safety, aethestics, distinguishing between classes or conveying a certain status, identifying organizations and their employees are just a few of the many functions that come to mind. This exhibit had a little bit of everything.
The black corset above is a garment that has been around for ages. Cinching women’s waists and helping them achieve a highly coveted aesthetic. The orange, leather Chanel set was inspired by the protective gear seen in the Motorcross sport. Last year, I read Diane Von Furstenberg’s book, “The Woman I Wanted to Be”. In the book, she details the history of her infamous “wrap dress”. She was inspired by wrap tops worn by ballerinas so she originally designed a wrap top and a matching skirt that was sold separately. After seeing her customers wear the pieces together, she created the wrap dress. It remains a staple in every woman’s wardrobe to this day. Above, she took it a step further with a wrap jumpsuit in a classic leopard print.
In my life, fashion serves a major purpose of making me FEEL. Pretty, sexy, sophisticated…. SOMETHING!!! When I saw the Versace dress with the safety pin details, I thought “wow, that’s a sexy dress”. When I saw the Yves Saint Laurent suit, the words “sophisticated and androgynous” came to mind. I didn’t know what to think when I saw the spiked coat by Viktor & Rolf. But when I read the description, it made sense.
I know that many of you may not consider yourself to be a “fashionista” but I’m curious about how fashion fits into your life. Are the clothes you buy inspired by others things? Are you trying to convey a certain message about yourself when you get dressed? Do you think it’s “that deep”? I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments.
As always, thank you for reading. Ciao!