Fashion Is Life

How would we see life if everything was black and white without color? Black and white are known to be traditional colors that are dull. Living in black and white means the same old, daily routine and it's important to accept change and be open to endless possibilities. The article titled "The Impact of The Fashion Industry: You Can't Have Fashion Without Victims" takes a sociological point of view, fashion is about the "collective ways of making connections with others and, at the same time, marking differences" (Tronetti, 2009). Fashion does require change which is not readily accepted. The author believes that "fashion was and still is a matter of popularity and taste and is constantly changing and evolving" (Tronetti, 2009). When it comes to the fashion industry and many other industries, only the best will survive through a modern type of natural selection. It is the creativity behind the designs that flourish in the industry. Fashion trends tend to repeat themselves throughout a period. What was popular back then, may come back today in a more modernized form. That is why I have realized that 'fashion is life'. As a former student who majored in fashion design, I have learned that fashion impacts everyone whether they like it or not. This implies that the fashion industry is black and white where people either take a positive or negative view. There is no happy medium. From my standpoint, the following article will take a sociological point of view.

Cross boundaries by coloring outside the lines. This comes from my philosophical approach. Color heightens the senses to brighten things and see things in a more positive light. Color is reflective of light and could include the spectrum of a rainbow. As one motivational leader Martin Luther King once said, "Darkness cannot lead out darkness, only light can do that". This is what leads to happiness finding what you love and expressing it. I have a love for fashion and art. Creativity is key to success, even though it is often turned down. People are afraid to be different due to criticism, but we are born with a unique set of qualities. Fashion allows you to set a unique identity of who you are. There is an art to express ourselves through clothing, accessories, and jewelry. Fashion is a way to make a statement and it is also defined as "a way to overshadow or enhance an individual's personality" (ekunji.com 2013). One quote of inspiration comes from Facebook; "Just be Yourself Let people see the real, Imperfect, Flawed, Quirky, Weird, Beautiful, and Magical person that you are" (Mandy Hale). It is important to be different to stand out from others in society and distinguish yourself from competition through creativity. I believe everyone is born with natural, God-given talents, but not all have access. Some people are "born superstars". Natural talent is admired, but working hard to achieve a certain skill is more appreciated. As songwriter Lady Gaga indicates, each individual is "born a certain way with a purpose in life". "There's nothing wrong with loving who are because God made you perfect" (Born This Way, 2011). This brings me to another concept. Imperfections are acceptable. Not everyone is perfect and you don't necessarily have to look like someone off the cover of a magazine…even though that is seen as an ideal. We all come in all shapes and sizes.

People are so quick to judge us when all that matters is personality along with that special connection. "Beauty is no longer a nice smile and personality". Often, a few of us develop eating disorders in an attempt to achieve the impossible. However, although someone may not be interested in fashion trends, "the clothing they wear" establishes "their social identity because" we judge people by their looks (Tronetti, 2009). Accordingly, fashion affects our image and how we see others. In art, I learned that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. However, the fashion industry defines beauty with ultra-thin models that look anorexic or with models that are extremely, physically fit with flawless skin. Although many do not or cannot wear the fashion for these body types, it has a negative impact. As indicated in the article "The Impact of the Fashion Industry: You Can't Have Fashion Without Victims" The bombardment of advertisements showing what the fashion industry portrays as beauty "results in low self-esteem and body image issues"(Sheehan 108). Unfortunately; the models in magazines represent an image that cannot be realistically achieved by most. Color does matter in art to create a beautiful painted landscape and to imitate what we see, and what we see does not even have to be real. An abstraction from reality could be good. Sometimes people think 'outside the box'. It is all a matter of perspective; what if you were in someone else's shoes? For my article, I will discuss the brief biography of Mandy Aroon Duncanson. She is a contemporary artist born in 1972 in Alaska who "lived an original, simple life with her parents" and had been "artistically inclined since nine years old"(Artinasia, 2013). She was a woman inspired by fashion which was expressed in her artwork in painting dresses.

The idea of putting on a red dress and "feeling alive" as the songwriter Lana Del Rey would express it. I could just envision it now as a dark, womanly figure "dancing in the dark with her heels off and her hair done in a really big beauty queen style" (Summertime Sadness, 2013). However I should advise you; to beware of a woman in a red dress, especially with wine in hand because it paints a specific image of someone lonely and in desperate need of attention. Mandy Aroon Duncanson's artwork was mainly inspired by fabric designs. This is related to my field of fashion design even though it is the complete opposite approach from hers because I have been told through networking with different people that, 'I could incorporate my artwork as actual fabric designs'. I have learned throughout my coursework that "artists, models, stylists, fashion critics and fashion designers do play a role in the fashion industry"(Tronetti 2009). Due to our similar background, being close to our parents and discovering art as a child. I hope to be inspired by her for my future artwork and fashion designs, especially when we have a common abstract style. "In her work there is some existence of cubism, a slight shadow of the old master Pablo Picasso, along with some beautiful brush mark making, adding to the formerly colorful creation"(Artinasia, 2013). "Her paintings affect each individual and for each to have their own very unique experience and feeling, and at the same time, to provide an aggrandized meaning for the definition of life"(Artinasia, 2013). This is part of the idea of dreaming in color by developing a vivid imagination along with having long-term aspirations towards the future.

I have a passion for fashion. Ever since I was younger, I would dress up in different costumes and experiment with my mother's make-up. My mother was always the one to take me shopping. I have always believed in the motto 'dress to impress' for only one reason: You update your look for the part (especially when you are looking for the right job) where the way you dress leads to success. It is of the utmost importance to create a professional look for the status that they crave. My learning experience further flourished as I matured and gained related skills in my fashion design field. Related coursework in college. Along with this is basic sketching based on the article "What is Fashion Designing (Duties and Responsibilities), which "aids an individual in the form of visualization of thoughts, ideas and designs' (Unknown, 2013). "Sketching is the step in fashion designing which helps a designer convert his or her ideas into reality" (ekunji.com 2013). Sketching becomes fostered more to translate a final product. Nowadays, the computer plays a big role in working while designing software such as Adobe Suite 2013(Illustrator, and Photoshop). The following programs were taught in my textile design class as I learned how to develop "patterns with various colors, shapes, and adjustments" (Unknown, 2013). A pattern needs to be cohesive and have some form of unity through various techniques with alteration, repetition such as using mirror images, etc. As far as accomplishments, I was one of the few students selected by a panel of judges in my category (painting) for the annual student art show.

This leads to the realization that there is a living art: how you go about each day, the way you think about the world, that you paint a picture for others in everything you do down to the way you dress. Why is it that we tend to adjust to a materialistic view? The dress of society is dictated more by fashion than necessity. Some believe fashion is decadent and a waste of money. "The fashion world as I like to call it is being affected by the economy. Most people shop all the time, so they can wear what is 'in'(Ask. com)." But, many believe that their image is determined by fashion. The parts of society seem out of step with the rest of the world. Brand names are the most recognized throughout the world. They create a high market value. Some individuals would only wear designer brands, instead of settling for the traditional Walmart clothes where they would not 'fit in'. It is impossible to ignore the name brands that have intertwined with our everyday lives that include but not limited to designers such as Ralph Lauren, Donna Karen, Perry Ellis, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, and Calvin Klein. Fashion could be high-end which creates a sophisticated sense of style however; fashion is not just always about the glamour. Through magazine ads and television commercials, the public has been brainwashed to believe that brand names request excellence and the need for fashion is a necessity despite higher prices. The author of The Impact of the Fashion Industry: "You Can't Have Fashion Without Victims" provides an example that there may be a $400 "hot" designer bag made by Dolce and Gabbana. Soon, there are knockoffs sold at the local Walmart for $20. In reality, fashion design is a billion-dollar industry.