Reflective Journal on Contemporary Influences in Fashion - Essay Example

Reflective Journal on Contemporary Influences in Fashion Fashion has the capa to influence contemporary society as seen through sporting events, film premiers and theatre performances. Likewise, culture also influences fashion choices. One only has to examine fashion trends in London or New York fashion week to see where designers draw their inspiration. Eventually, different subjects that seem independent tend to depend on each other as players in fashion or other areas of society do not live in silos. Architecture has a profound influence on clothing trends. In January 2014, internationally renowned fashion designer Louis Vuitton released his Spring Summer collection. It was an architecture-inspired collection that brought together the two elements of design from seemingly divergent industries; fashion and architecture. Vuitton asserted that his main inspiration was from Charlotte Perriand, who is a modern architect. The pieces in his collection were sometimes angular and sharp to mimic interior wall designs that are both clean and sharp. Even the colours chosen for the assortment were similar to what architects would use to decorate their homes. Nude colours like beige and light brown were not uncommon. However, this does not imply that there was a shortage of vivid ones. Some outfits were bright red and yellow. Vuitton wanted to imitate the colours and patterns that are synonymous to interior architectural designs such as table cloths. Therefore, checked garments would be paired with each other. For instance, a small, short-sleeved top with red and white checked colours would be matched with similar coloured pants with larger patterns (Hannah, 2014). Likewise, the accessories in these designs also carried forward the architectural pattern. Most of them were checked and matched their respective outfits. For instance, the above-mentioned outfit had matching red and white checked shoes. To break the monotony of these patterns, the designer added spurts of colour such as a yellow clutch bag for a black and white checked sundress. Essentially, when one discusses contemporary influences on fashion, one cannot go without mentioning the fusion of music and fashion. Perhaps the biggest music event of the year is the Grammy Awards, which took place in January 2014. Celebrities who graced this occasion illustrated how fashion has such a profound influence on them. They adorned garments from famous fashion houses like Gucci. Dress choice in this glamorous event is almost as important as the performances and awards won in the show. Singers selected garments that reflected recent fashion trends. Most of them selected white and shiny outfits, which happen to be the in thing this year. Paris Hilton wore a white, turtle neck dress covered in lace from the Haus of Milan. Taylor Swift shone in a silver gown from Gucci while Katy Perry also wore a floor-sweeping white lace outfit (Garibaldi, 2014). It was almost as if all celebrities met prior to the event and agreed to wear similar colours. These choices indicate that music players are conscious of fashion trends and will strive to play by its rules during such significant events. Some cities manage to change perceptions of fashion in different parts of the world. One such case was the Viviana G collection that drew inspiration from the city of Berlin. This collection was also released a few weeks ago in Miami. Berlin culture has inspired fashion stakeholders like Viviana owing to its edgy and clean state. However, because the city has been in existence for a long time, it comes as no surprise that designers would merge elements of the past with the present today. Since the people of Berlin have managed to live together, it is also not alarming that some of the pieces in this collection fused different cultures. One can thus find a myriad of designs such as leather or prints inspired from the arts. These preferences are not strange in fashion runways in 2014, and it is likely that they may continue to pervade different aspects of time (Rondon, 2014). Sports also affect how people perceive fashion, which is especially true for men’s wear. The athletic influence is prominent in their shoes as well as their pants. The New York Fashion week already took place this year. It featured a series of athletic influences for men. Boxing shorts as well as jogger pants were prevalent in these runway shows. Statement sneakers were still embraced by most of the designers. However, some designers introduced their own versions of these influences. For instance, Nicholas K. felt that his tennis whites would look better with a bohemian twist. Organisations like the Shades of Grey had their own take on the baseball jersey. Even soccer influences for men were evident in Carlos Campos’ clothes (Bravo, 2013). Some individuals had updated jogger pants using modern elements like leather but they still have a sportiness to it. The New York Fashion is a pace-setting event for fashion enthusiasts and the dominance of sports influences in men’s fashion testifies to the interdependence between these two fields. Oriental culture has also permeated western fashion in many ways. The London Fashion week took place late in 2013. It had designers from China such as Ping He even though other non-Asian designers also illustrated the profound influence of oriental culture. Dresses made by L Anderson were symptomatic of this trend. They were highly structured and pleated. Most oriental garments tend to be technical in nature, and that fashion week was not an exception (Fearon, 2014). Kimono outfits seen mostly on jackets are one sign of this endearment towards the east. Bamboo embroideries also made for impressive visual displays as did the use of obi belts on pencil skirts. It is likely that these designers have an affinity for Oriental fashion themes owing to their striking and mostly profound ways. Bold prints have not just been limited to London Runways. Vogue recently held its spring/ summer fashion week in 2014. Their designs illustrated the confluence of African culture and fashion design. Several of the pieces consisted of tribal prints which original come from Africa. Some of the colours simply popped in the runway, and were indicative of a particular preference for these types of garments (Vogue, 2014). Tribal influences have been ongoing since 2012 but still continue to be a fashion must among individuals in mainstream cultures. Designers are often creating their own versions of the same prints using different western influences. Essentially, these events have shown that fashion is an amalgamation of different cultures, hobbies and preferences. Stakeholders in these industries also rely on fashion designers to dress them. Therefore, a singer or performing artist can become a fashion icon that promotes upcoming and leading fashion houses. Conversely, goings on in these different areas of life may also influence fashion outcomes even in seemingly unrelated fields like architecture. References Bravo, T., 2013. Spring 2014: Men’s fashion in relaxation mode. [online] Available at http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Spring-2014-Men-s-fashion-in-relaxation-mode-4849514.php [Accessed 17 February 2014] Garibaldi, C., 2014. Grammy 2014 Fashion: Who wore it best? [online] Available at: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1721198/best-grammy-2014-fashion.jhtml [Accessed 17 February 2014] Fearon, F., 2014. Expressly oriental: Eastern influences dominate London Fashion week. [online] Available at http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-watches/article/1313065/expressly-oriental-eastern-influences-dominate-london [Accessed 17 February 2014] Hannah, B., 2014. Fashion influenced by architecture: Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2014 Collection. [online] Available at: http://www.fubiz.net/en/usersstuff/fashion-influenced-by-architecture-louis-vuitton-spring-summer-2014-collection-2/ [Accessed 17 February 2014] Rondon, L., 2014. Trends 2014: The fashion revolution of Viviana G. [online] Available at http://www.examiner.com/article/trends-2014-the-fashion-revolution-of-viviana-g [Accessed 17 February 2014] Vogue, 2014. Spring/ Summer fashion week 2014. [online] Available at http://en.vogue.fr/fashion/fashion-inspiration/diaporama/spring-summer-fashion-week-2014-fashion-trends/15607 [Accessed 17 February 2014] Read More