BoF speaks to leading fashion educators, who supply creative talent to the likes of Tom Ford, J.W.Anderson and Louis Vuitton, to uncover why the study of
history remains imperative for a successful career in fashion.
LONDON, United Kingdom — As the internet becomes the world’s primary resource, fashion references are becoming distorted — sourced from a widely
distributed yet shallow pool of information, cherry-picked out of context, and
often misunderstood.
Now, students are in danger of forgetting fashion’s rich history, say some top educators, as the most important junctures in its history get whittled down
to single snapshots fit for Instagram.
The momentous impact of individuals like Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent punctuate an international cultural lexicon of London Mods, Tokyo
Lolitas and the punk movement of 1970s New York. A deep understanding of fashion
references has never been more important to survive the shifting employment
landscape of the fashion industry.
Today, as designers face consumers who are more informed than ever, educators says that creating genuine ‘newness’ has never been more difficult. With more
choice and far greater accessibility to fashion, consumers can afford to be
critical, rejecting superficial and derivative designs. “To be creative and new,
you need to know what has happened before, and react against it,” says Hywel
Davies, course leader for Central Saint Martin’s BA Fashion Communication
course. “You have to be aware of what has happened in fashion to be truly
innovative.”
If graduates don’t know their fashion history then they will be forever producing dull, uninspiring research.
Additionally, due to the readily available nature of information online, employers are looking for talent with sophisticated and highly developed
research skills, capable of unearthing unique and novel cultural references.
“Understanding the shifts in dress and silhouettes across the centuries and the
societal context of identity is critical,” says Fiona Dieffenbacher, programme
director of Fashion Design at Parsons in New York. “In doing so, designers are
able to predict cycles and assess gaps in the market.”
BoF speaks to eight leading educators from some of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world to understand why an extensive knowledge of
fashion’s past is critical to finding success in its future."
Hywel Davies, Central Saint Martins
“It’s all about personal interpretation of research, whether that’s research into fashion history, politics, music, architecture or textiles. Employers want
a graduate that is well-informed. If you want to go work at Vetements, you need
to know the designer at Vetements, and then by extension, the history of
Balenciaga. This is part of understanding the cultural map of the fashion
industry.”
“Research is about speaking to experts. Primary research is so valuable because it’s exclusive to you. Go to libraries, get out and speak to people. Go
to exhibitions, go to talks — it’s important to be rich in cultural
capital.”
Fiona Dieffenbacher, Parsons School of Design
“As an educator I believe that in order to be able to speak to the future needs of the industry, you must first be informed by the achievements, key
issues, advancements and actions that impacted critical shifts in philosophy and
the historical context of your discipline.”
Emilie Hammen, IFM Paris
“Whether you’re having an interview at Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent, you need to be able to understand the DNA of that brand. Not just the last few campaigns
or the last few art directors — you must be able to understand who Yves Saint
Laurent was and what he did, and not just think of Hedi Slimane."
“Something I see with the younger students is that they think Phoebe Philo and Céline invented everything. But you should look at the 1980s and the 1990s
and see what Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela did, that’s a way to understand
what is happening today.”
Andrew Groves, University of Westminster
“The one thing that companies as diverse as Tom Ford, J.W.Anderson and Louis Vuitton want more than anything from graduates is unique research and references
that they have not seen before. They do not want to see Frida Kahlo
reinterpreted for the umpteenth time. If graduates don’t know their fashion
history and understand the references that have inspired current collections,
then they will be forever producing dull, uninspiring research.”
“The people that will ultimately judge if a collection is successful or not are the journalists, buyers, and consumers. They are far more diverse,
knowledgeable and critical than ever before. Therefore, designers need to be
able to work within the restriction of brand codes, but do so without becoming
boring, staid or predictable.”
Read more at:
queeniebridesmaid.co.uk |
queenie bridesmaid
