As a completely uneducated engineer who only just started learning anything about fashion (from your videos! Thanks!) these past few weeks, I can say the disconnect I always had was a question of goals. I always thought fashion was about "a beautiful outfit I could wear to work or to a restaurant". Instead I'm starting to understand that fashion is about "a [beautiful] human form" and fashion is communicating a vision. It's not about practicality necessarily. When models come down a runway with something wild and fantastical, no one there is even considering the question of practicality because that's not the goal at all. It can absolutely be a part of things, but that's not what people come to shows for. Just my two cents of how I'm starting to change my conception of things as a new viewer and outsider.
Thinking back to my childhood, what you wore or didn’t wear was weaponized and I believe those feelings of humiliation -whether a person experienced, perpetuated or observed it - stays with us until we deal with it. I’m glad that I came across your channel because it has changed the lens that I view fashion. Still, I absolutely understand why people may embrace or reject it. There may be scars as it pertains to what we wear
Two things: I'm not a fashion guy at all; I resent having to wear clothes. If I could just get the government to issue me a jumpsuit and a set of gym shorts, I would be set. That said I enjoyed watching your videos pick it up perspective on the art aspect of fashion, so good job. Regarding the subject of the video: The thing that it took me a while to get over, is that fashion is the only form of art that I am forcefully compelled to participate in. I have to buy clothes that cost a certain amount and look a certain way and our uncomfortable and that I just kind of resent owning in order to get the job I want, to it'd be looked upon in a way I need to be looked upon in society to survive. The fact that I can lose my job for wearing the wrong clothes, and not in the sense of lewdness or rudeness, but crudeness is kind of f***** up, it makes me dislike the whole enterprise. Your videos have convinced me to separate the artistic part of fashion from the enforced homogeneous culture part of fashion though, so good job!
It’s 5:30 AM and I’m listening/ watching this while getting dressed for work. I am a 53 yr old licensed plumber. This world is clearly not for me. But I consume all media. Stereotypes be damned. The one point I would make as an layman to the fashion world, is the built in classism. Fashion is criticized as being “impractical” or “silly” by plumbers and other underclass. But that criticism is mild compared to the baked in disdain that the fashion world has for the working class. High fashion is inherently classist. And grossly, that’s the draw for many people. The same with art, wine, cars. They become signifiers for dumb rich people. And pretty soon it’s hard for anyone to know what came first. As per usual, wealth corrupts everything and turns it to shit.
As a womenswear designer whenever I tell people wat I do they always seem so impressed and think it must be so glamorous 😂it’s the furthest from glamorous behind the scenes and extremely high pressure and hard work
People definitely do this with studio art and music but I think fashion gets the brunt of the "anti-elitest" jokes because it's more accessible. Like it's more talked about in magazines and newspapers than other forms of art (at least to me). Not everyone plays an instrument or sculpts or paints but everyone wears clothes and that makes the more comfortable and confident calling it stupid.
I worked in the NY fashion industry in the 80's and have since moved up state and experience those who feel the fashion industry don't touch the at all. So thank you for this
I wanted to be a fashion designer but found out it wasn't entirely for me so decided to be a jeweller instead. It's the creating of beauty, especially from hard work that I love. Being a jeweller is messy and hard and not glamorous but the pieces I finish are and fill me with pride and joy. I like being part of the industry of beauty.
"We don't buy clothes all the time. And we're so grossed by fast fashion that most of our clothes are falling apart, because we buy just a handful of clothes per year and we keep them until they literally don't function anymore" this is so true, haha, couldn't phrase it better.
Your videos are what changed my perspective on fashion completely, after transitioning im now slowly getting new clothes and I’m doing it intentionally and and I’m so much happier for it
What truly got me into fashion and sewing was the manga "paradise kiss". While, yes, it's fashion aspect is secundary to the story, it also was my awakening to actually start searching about fashion.
Thank you Bliss Foster for loving Fashion and how it makes us feel just cause! I guess there is that part of the human condition that needs to bully always going to the thought of "them and us".Love the way Bill Cunningham a Fashion PhotoJournalist once expressed what Fashion is "Fashion is the Armor to survive the reality of everyday life".
Being someone who went to fashion school, I still struggle not viewing high fashion/high fashion people as a bit much. I'm an artist and have been through it all but I just don't really "get" all the high art, avant gaurde, super intellectual stuff and I kinda hate that I don't 😅
i think fashion is such an unapproachable art form for a lot of people because function >>>> form for clothing. While the function for other art forms is just “does it make me feel”
I never really knew anything about high fashion besides the pop culture crossover of Tyra & Naomi, but discovering your channel this year has made me respect it more as art. I still don’t think of myself as a fashion expert, but the video you did of that runway show being put on in the French ghetto and another one you showed of the Ukrainian fashion show where the models’ outfits are modified mid-way through their walk really impressed me.
There’s a lot of comments about how the fashion industry is *perceived* by folks who are not part of it or who don’t understand it. But part of this conversation should be how the fashion industry *chooses to portray* itself. Being exclusive, being avant-garde (meaning ahead of the culture), is something fashion aspires to especially high fashion and couture and it’s rewarded and reinforced within the industry. And people gain notoriety, fame, and a level of influence from their work being inaccessible (to the general public) physically, economically, and concept wise. This disconnect with the average person is actually often desired and promoted in the industry. They talk to each other, make things for themselves and each other, and then are surprised that “average Joe” doesn’t understand it when in reality they didn’t make it with him in mind as the audience in the first place. Folks in the fashion industry hold the power over so much of what they choose to portray and how they choose to portray it. Sometimes if something can’t be understood or appreciated without lots of specific knowledge, that’s fine, but then don’t act surprised when a lot of people don’t understand or appreciate it. That’s just the nature of the beast you put out. I think the person making and designing has the power to craft their message, and if they choose an exclusive language, well that’s an explicit choice and a lot of folks aren’t gonna get it. I much prefer this attitude as it empowers each person to investigate their choices about the art and fashion they make and how they put it out into the world, and take responsibility for that choice rather than simply blame all the fashion ignorant folks as too shallow or dumb or assume they’re just too lazy to be as knowledgeable as we are… like you have to actually respect the people you’re saying you want respect and acknowledgment from or what is even the point?
I think the thing for me is that there is a fundamental disconnect in fashion that doesn't exist in any other medium. You don't think of how a Picasso will look in your living room or how useful a song will be. However, the vast majority of people who look at fashion have an expectation that the clothing can be worn. So they look at these clothes that were never designed to actually be worn more than once and judge them for being ridiculous to wear more than once. ETA: The human backpack for example. No-one is ever going to wear or use that outside of a fashion show and that's ok. But it means that someone who thinks of backpacks as backpacks will hate it because they expect their backpack to be functional.
Definitely. The fact that the art goes on a body makes it somewhat inextricably about identity. Add in astronomical prices for something that sets the mood for a life you do not have in other respects, and you are left trying to buy half a mood, your life, your body, or your energy, rarely match. It's always a different story when the match is seamless between these things and people. That is one reason why I think the idea of making clothes for individual clients is so magical. Having the brain space, time, energy, resources, and expertise, is another matter. But I can really understand why something like mantua making became the dominant form of acquiring women's clothes, once upon a time. I don't look at a runway look, and think 'I could save up for that. I could wear that.' I generally think that I will never be in the same space as anything on a runway, but if I was, it was never built for the likes of me. What does make me feel closer to specialty clothes, is the craftsman, narrative approach, or someone talking me through the vision, letting me imagine what goes into it as mine in a million different combinations, stretching out into the future, some already before me, but not exclusive to what I'm already seeing. On the other end of things lies a runway show, or an immersive experience of a world built out, ready to be inhabited as is. That's delicious, even addictive, but you have to convince me I could come to play, or I'm going to treat it like the lovely snowglobe, or diorama, I will never get the chance to buy, and I would have nowhere to put.
I think a lot of people who are over fashion don't realise that designers and real fashion people hate the same thing they do: shallowness, consumerism, absence of meaning. Where the same starting point gets lost in translation is for two things: the first is the fashion industry (which I don't think anyone hates more than fashion designers themselves --though they have to love it too), who is just so relentless, obsessed with ridiculous things, cruel and unforgiving, and most importantly, watering down the message of the designers. The second one, which is weirdly a counterpoint to what I just said, is that the general public doesn't have the codes to decipher fashion, just like it doesn't for contemporary art. There's this weird thing, when non fashion or art people see outrageous fashion or art, they see it as brainless, where it's actually the most thought provoking in many cases. So thanks for your education work
So fashion is my first love, but my second is psychology. People often don't understand the importance of beauty. It helps with our mental health. Our surroundings and the way we dress ourselves have a huge impact on not only our self esteem, but also our mood. Humans crave beauty. It's devine like, and we crave the devine. I'm starting a fashion line, myself, and part of my marketing will be teaching people why beauty actually really is important. It's not frivolous at all. I also want to teach people how to bring beauty into their lives. I mean, of course I want them to buy my clothes, but my style isn't for everyone. If I can teach them how to create beauty for themselves, that is just as valuable as them buying my beautiful creations.
That was a brilliant montage. What's beautiful about fashion is the creative Insanity, over the top visions, and the level of expertise to turn those visions into reality. We need Beauty. It soothes our souls. Shame on those designers that try to trick people in finding beauty in their lazy efforts. What is beautiful is still in the eye of the beholder. What's ugly to me, may be beautiful to you. The dollar votes on what survives in the fashion industry. It is time that defines what is truly beautiful.
Someone on Film UA-cam made a very interesting comment that lends itself to the Anti Fashion segment of the population... fashion is closely tied to the Intellectual Movement of art, which on a whole, has been in decline due to the anti-intellectual movement thats present in the culture rn: "I found it curious that she only mentioned anti-intellectualism once, a major factor in the decline of film criticism. Largely coming from the political right, anti-intellectualism has for the better part of fifty-years consistently promoted the idea that film criticism is something only done by the elites and is in direct opposition to what YOU the people want. It promotes film as entertainment only and results in "it's just a movie" and "get politics out of my movies""
Even when you take one of the most fashion-hating group in the world (gamers), you will still see them spending thousands of hours on WoW to get a cool shiny armor that they like. Everyone loves self expression and looking cool, but there are so many cultural barriers. The biggest problem i think is the the elitism, for someone who don’t know anything about fashion it’s genuinely so complicated to get into, and you’re reminded everyday that this specific group of people get it and you don’t. It’s also a weird thing that such a niche and quirky hobby with tons of niche references happens to look like the biggest hobby in the world for rich people and celebrities.And you associate the elitism and out of touchness of these people with the fashion world itself. Add to that the barrier of money, luxury stores that do make you feel like you don’t belong, the hobby of dressing peculiar being « gay » for men, the shock value marketing that is often time the only moment where « normal » people hear about fashion, the predatorial modelling industry and the climatic situation; and yeah you get something that is culturally extremely hard to get into, even when most people would love it. Again that’s why your channel is so important, there is no other fashion channel that explains you in a welcoming way this world without needing previous knowledge
I think that the reason a lot of people don’t want to understand fashion in a hypothetical way is the same reason that people don’t like modern art. To understand it you have to spend the time to learn about it and that creates gate keeping. You can look at a painting by Monet and see it’s beauty but to see the beauty or meaning in Cy Twombly takes a little more work. So people just say it’s stupid
I think I'll need to rewatch this video at least one more time (I love how your videos give you something new every replay). It touched upon a lot of different subject. But what I get out of it is that once you understand that the industry has real people in it who really care about making good clothes (designers as well as manufacturers), you realise that fashion is not about all the superfluous bs (corporate marketing, influencers, scams...). A clear separation can be made between fashion for the sake of putting emotion and passion into your craft, and fashion as a way to sell people an unrealistic lifestyle by taking advantage of their insecurities while delivering poorer and poorer quality clothing. Things can be more or less nuanced but if we as customers were more conscious of this distinction, it would clear some confusion on what fashion is and is Not. thank you for this video.
Thats interesting, because i feel like the biggest "critics" of high fashion are mostly women? perhaps its an internalized misogyny, or maybe its because most of the time the target audience are women?
100% agree that this is a big part of it, for the same reasons why I don't like pink as a result of it being pushed on me from an early age (and why 'cool guys' in high school wore pink polos as a subversion)
Fashion is silly because it’s incredibly elitist and pretentious. Fashion is one of the most stupid forms of art but it has us all in a chockehold because its one of the few forms of art that is so easy to own and wear so you can show people you ”know fashion”. It’s so deeply connected to our personality nowdays we can’t escape it. Anti-fashion even ended up being just another trend. There even is no anti-fashion anymore which is so damn meta idk what to say.
Like imagine if fashion was just artisans creating beautiful clothing and making a story. That’s now maybe 1% of ”fashion” and 99% is just elitist status symbols and trends for the elite/upper middle class to consume and for fast fashion to copy while the backbone of THE WHOLE INDUSTRY is these poor exploited workers from non-european non-white non-imperialist countries.
@@karigrandiianti fashion has always been a fashion statement in itself. I work in fashion and if you look into history, clothing has always been a way for humans to identify and tell the world who we are, and in what status rang you sit. When people wear “anti-fashion” it has also been a conscious choice to communicate to the world that you are just that. Except it is the opposite, you are also making a statement with that choice, automatically making you also using fashion to explain. It is ridiculous that we produce so much, that we have so many “trends” but anti fashion has always been a fashion statement in itself and trying to show the “fashionistas” that you are better than them. Just a reflection.
Always worth noting that Les Wexner, owner of Victoria’s Secret, was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s top financiers, bought him his house (one of the biggest townhouses in Manhattan), and allowed him to present himself as a booker for the fashion show to corner women. So that’s the culture behind those particular 'dreamy' 'glamorous' 'aspirational' fashion shows.
I use to perceive fashion the way you’re describing people on the outside do. Now it’s what I enjoy the most and what I spend my time learning everything I can about it. I thought you advocated on the behalf of fashion beautifully. It really just boils down to approaching it with an open mind. That’s what I did and now I’m an aspiring fashion designer. Even being this dedicated to the craft that is fashion, there are certain things I still can’t take seriously, corporate/celebrity stuff aside; but I still appreciate it because it serves its purpose in its own lane. Excellent video Bliss!
For me my interest in fashion started when I saw Lolita fashion. I was getting to the peak of 'I'm not like other girls' phase but it was fighting that I still loved disney princesses and pink. What I perceived as little girl stuff. To see an adult woman wearing such a whimsical dress made me so happy. Edit: if a consumer brand can pretend to be luxury by using a runway the company will do it. It's not the effort to create beauty. It's capitalism using fashion as a mask. And fashion has always been part of class.
I love your channel and wanted to talk more about make-up brands doing "runway"...having dancers, models etc walk the runway gives the customer a sense of real life experience. "How would I look like dancing on stage for my professional gigs". Does the make-up work, or do I need to do it up more....in fact, fashion and make-up work together. Most fashion runways actually use make-up. So much so, make-up can influence the way an outfit is put together on the runway - ah i can go on - yes, its corporate, but allows the potential clients to see and be inspired insitu...
As someone with friends that were involved in Vancouver’s (Canada) Fashion Week…. can confirm it was a total flop and cash grab. Vancouver definitely has the potential to run a fashion week successfully but it just doesn’t have the right people with the right passions behind it
seeing it as that faux lifestyle is so crazy because when someone (me) expresses their interest in the industry and when i describe it to anyone as my dream it’s impossible for people to understand. i’m putting my whole heart and soul into that dream and that whole notion is so discouraging and damaging, im fully aware of the amount of work i have to put in, and i’m closer after every video so thank you bliss :)
If it’s at all possible, get into the position that is close to your dream as quickly as possible. There’s a huge difference between the way a job looks from the outside and the way that it is when it’s your job every day. If you want to be a creative Director, become an intern on the design team as fast as humanly possible. This way, you can watch the person who has your dream job and determine if they are actually doing what you think they are doing. Sorry, I’m running around right now, does this make sense?
From my perspective as an artist - I see that a lot of people these days do not recognise contemporary art from 21 century, sometimes even the modern art from 20 century. Many of them recognise art only when it's applicable, shows craftmanship and is recognised as universally beautiful. They do not see value of art when it's about provoking a thought, a feeling, a concept. Perhaps because they do not see the value in affecting and nurturing their mind. That's when they would see Schiaparelli would say WOW why would you even create that, you would never wear that in the streets. Or if they would see Joseph Kosuth works they would say they do not belong in the museum because the artist didn't even "create" anything in the craftsmanship sense. It's sad sometimes that most of people do not see or especially if they do not wan't to see that a lot of contemporary art is about the creativity, the concept and they just want to see pretty, functional objects.
As I often enjoy your videos and your points of view. May I suggest you have overlooked one thing. Fashion is a creature. It is ravenous and shall not be satiated ,eternal, and seductive it shall always feed off any person it can devour. ( side note... Great work)
One thing that this video made me think about is: can we actually separate what is fashion industry and what is pop culture? Of course the fashion industry and the entertainment industry have their differences. But in the world that we live now, it seems that pop culture it's a giant concept composed of fashion, entertainment, internet, celebrity culture and more. Maybe the ways that pop culture portrays the fashion industry is somewhat the way that the fashion industry wants to be seen?
I really agree. Just enjoying the beauty. Enjoying the craftsmanship, but I also think sometimes social media overhypes the fame and the trendiness of certain items or certain trends. Lots of people forgot to look at the details and all they can see are just them gimmicks and the marketing and the potential attention or the potential fame they can get through obtaining certain items or trend. It's sad.
This is one of my favourite of your videos. I particularly loved your hot mimicry. Just about everything you say about the fashion industry is true of all art. If art is what we do with obsolete technology in order to extend ourselves in all sorts of fascinating ways (cue MarshallMcLuhan, of course.), the fashion is much more than just keeping us warm and dry, just as, oh, say, Mark Rothko went beyond illustration. I have know quite a few rich but stupid people who bought expensive art and fashion because they thought it was what they should do, but at least they paid the bills for the folks who did the work. Although I don't have the money or energy to do fashion once I did and just do little bits of private art, fashion can be the absolutely most person form of art and art collection. Now I gotta look up the Copenhagen Fashion Week.
So my gripe with high, conceptual fashion is that it's simultaneously so out there and innovative AND still 100% tied to the end goal of putting all this art on a human body. I see conceptual fashion as this process of constantly moving the goalpost on WHY clothes have to be a specific way, why can't they be different, what else is there to say. If you really go out there, at some point it would be a natural conclusion to ask "why does this have to go on a body at all?" Like maybe it's a silly example but what does a human backpack say about humans, backpacks or about how we do or do not wear clothes in real life? Or maybe a better example would be, if your main goal is to make something architectural and engineered out of fabric, why does the model's body have to be a medium here? But that is where the conceptual fashion designers stop, like however far they go, in the end they will put their work on a model and send them to the runway, or else it's not fashion, right? So you have this hard rule that is just so... arbitrary. From an artistic standpoint it doesn't make sense to me at all. It only does from a financial standpoint. And this I don't like. Don't know if I explained it well. That's the best I can do today lol
Runway Fashion to me is one of those things that like helps conceptualize what practical fashion becomes. Like that chandelier dress might end up becoming more iridescent fabrics, and a silhouette that's much more puffed out. idk I'm into goth fashion, and stylings so that's what I try to go for, and what I pay attention to.
The L’Oréal thing is so goofy, I couldn’t stop myself from giggling 🤣🤣🤣 the literalism lol! I’ve been binging all your videos and I’ll join the patreon when I can! Thanks for making UA-cam a more thoughtful place
As cliche as it sounds I always end up bringing up that scene in the devil wears Prada where they discuss the blue belt. Everyone wears clothes and follows trends even if they don’t know it. It’s just a matter of time
It’s great that you have highlighted how hard it is to make beauty. I am fascinated by the journey and thank you for bringing more of it than we would have seen without your videos. Oh and the drama in this video… bravo! ;P Loving the accents.
Love the channel. Love art. Don’t love the industry becoming too big to fail and too responsible for poor self esteem and unfathomable tons of garbage. Also, the marketing is completely bonkers. No, Timothee Chalamet in grainy black and white chiaroscuro lighting is not going to get me to buy cologne. Didn’t fall for it with Marky Mark and those underwear either. 😂
i feel like i try to explain the first 2 minutes to adults everyday n im like how r u twice my age n u cant seem to grasp the concept of subjective personal interests?
I appreciate the accessibility you give to the fashion industry. You provide value. I think fashion is cool, but never knew where to start. So I've really enjoyed watching your videos since I discovered your channel. Um on "practical things". I think a real mix of high fashion and quality work wear would be cool. Like quality affordable fabrics and like features and accessories that would be super useful to like the construction industry. (I'm a carpenter) Like I go through clothes so fast, I don't have a single pair of pants over a year old. Like challenge Carhartt that'd be cool. Like durability wise, but make it look cool and fashionable. That'd be dope. And since this might already exist, I'd love any recommendations from anyone reading this comment. Thank you for your labor! I love that you pointed out slave labor so much, specifically with Victoria secret. Workers solidarity!
Everyone has tried to draw, and at some level understands how hard it is, it gives them a small amount of appreciation for it as an art form. Fashion doesn't get that grace...
It's also worth noting that these criticisms generally come from "Real" sectors of the economy like engineering, business, or blue collar laborers who's work, while perhaps more concrete in some ways, has still resulted in the current world we find ourselves in: with an economic system that doesn't effectively feed, clothe or house everyone, even though there are surpluses of all these things; with an environment degraded by climate change and biodiversity loss; and with wealth inequality so vast that there's no hope of everyone seeing eye to eye. Basically, I'm saying that it's not like the "real" economy has it figured out either. Fashion might seem like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic to some people. But it's worth remembering that many of those people were involved in building the boat this way, and then piloting it into the iceberg. Maybe their opinions about what is "useful" or "meaningful" or "valuable" shouldn't matter that much.
L'Oreal still owns the Mugler fashion label, right? If so, beyond just sponsoring Fashion Week, the company has an actual and legitimate vested l interest in the fashion industry. I loved your analysis here. It is interesting because I was watching an old Todd Oldham fashion show earlier today on UA-cam and was thinking many of the things you expressed. Oldham was known for having a whimsical /playful style, so my knock wasn't against him. The way that some of the models were being such divas /hams taking themselves so seriously going down the runway was so pretentious and goofy. I was like, girl get over yourself...stop trying so HARD. Cue the Right Said Fred music, 'I'm Too Sexy....for Milan...New York...and Japan...'
Remember when VS tried to convince us that these hideous outfits were so creative and difficult to make when the concepts couldn’t be any more repetitive and obvious?😂
the barrier to enjoyment to most literally is the deployment and promotion i think, like no one resents a screenshot of a shirt but as soon as you stick it on a hot person you are asking the viewer to replace the hot person with themselves, to perform some kind of aesthetic judo and that's going to make people feel like shit most of the time and reject the whole exercise as spiritually threatening! clothing is really really really intimate
I still haven’t found a designer bra as good as or even close to as good as Victoria Secret, I hate that. I tried to switch to wolford but they always fit funny. I have gotten everything from DandG bras to Armani and Mochino, Gucci tons of Gucci and they all fit funny none fit comfortably enough for daily use they are all relegated for special occasions. They never make the cups big enough or the band big enough there is always a problem. I tried to get rid of anything I owned that wasn’t designer just because I had so much crap but my biggest mistake was getting rid of all my Victoria secret crap.
As someone from the inner city aspiring to create my own brand, I use a lot of the high fashion I see as inspiration! I'm not saying fashion doesn't get a lot of air time in St. Louis, MO but I believe I have an opportunity to bring a new lens to it.
the first thing that comes to my mind concerning why general public doesn't like or understand fashion is that it it way more marketed compared to art. for exemple on instagram I can see random painting that I like, and it will be only paintings that will be shown to me. if I follow fashion as an art form I will still be harassed by commercial/trendy fashion, and celebrities and all the superficial bullshit. and what appears the most in the media is the trendy commercial or "weird fashion" wich is very hard to understand from a newcomer point of view. because what comes out is mostly superficial, elitist, weird etc images. In fashion I feel like you have to dig under that first layer to appreciate the true beauty. the art world is maybe as much fake, but from the outside perspective you can just apreciate art and not deal with its world, which is harder to do with fashion.
@@BlissFoster the part where you're talking about all the beautiful things you can find in fashion. Searching for beauty in everything that surrounds us, not in a vain/glamorous way but in a moving and more layered manner. About the other two videos: Review of Every Jacquemus Runway Show, this was how I discovered your channel and kept me coming back ;) and the other one is your first Paris Fashion Week video. Thanks for all the work and love you put in these videos.
Oh my god !! My fave fashion clothes really are falling apart and some blacks are nearly grey coz I have been wearing them for ages! So I am not alone! So glad you mentioned this!!
I don't reside in either extreme myself. What I would say is I'm unsure how I would contribute to the fashion industry, given that my experience is more the other side of design and art unrelated to models: I recently started making what I call "pixel plaid" which works sort of like screentone, and also figuring out what colors complement each other, and different types of monochromatic and selective color. Or seeing how things we don't normally associate with high fashion, can look good in the right context. Thus it seems like fashion shows are a completely different artistic skill from character design and web comic creation. Although I admittingly have floated the idea of using fashion as an extension of the universe I've already created. And would like to try costume design. I am warming up to it, knowing that apparently "theatre style" fashion shows, that aren't on traditional runways, is apparently a thing.
I do like Project Runway a lot because i love watching people in their design process and i like seeing something resembling art criticism on TV. I love the artistic aspect of fashion, but the economic and ecological implications are truly horrifying. And the artistic aspect is VASTLY undersized compared to those material aspects.
I love fashion but my latest grip with fashion is the used of AI model! 😡 working for a writers guild and fighting for artists to still make a decent living wage in our day and age i was shock to hear that it’s no longer enough to seriously retouch a picture of a model now we can just not used a real person to show the clothing.
I also think an aspect to the attitude you describe towards fashion is because it has primarily been seen as a feminine aspiration, it puts you center stage & shows thoughtfulness, you spent time on the vanity of curating your appearance “which is sus” instead of spending money to watch half naked guys wrestle through the years society puts down the feminine & champions the masculine even when they can both be ridiculous & also great
I’m no fan of slave labor (that should go without saying but you have to be explicit about these things on the internet), but it’s contextually dishonest to use that against VS in comparison with Rick Owens in a conversation about aspiration. You can’t point out VS’s promotion of an unattainable body type while ignoring the same thing being promoted at Rick as a part of the brand’s aspiration. Rick models are extremely physically fit with *very low* body fat percentages, especially the male models. Part of the Rick Owens ethos is this very regimented physical fitness aspiration. In context of the brand, VS’s aspiration was being an attainable, (local) “luxury” that could make you feel incredibly confident and sexy (hence the angel imagery and general glamour of the shows) in your own skin. This is largely the aspiration of every single lingerie or shape wear brand. I’m not saying VS didn’t contribute to a skewed view of fashion and the fashion industry, but this particular criticism in this video feels flimsy. When’s the last time you saw a dad bod on a Rick runway? Both brands in your comparison suffer from exclusivity in the aspirations of body types they present and therefore represent. It feels like you used the slave-labor criticism (completely fair in a general sense) in this particular comparison to tap into people’s aversion to that as opposed to making a genuine comparison.
I love comments like this. You disagreed, you were respectful (I especially appreciate that), and you outlined a great argument. I can’t disagree with you, I should have either qualified that section better or left it out. Thanks for the thoughtful comment, I love being corrected like this. 💫💫
People make fun of fashion more than any other medium of art and self-expression solely because clothes are used by everyone and only see it for its utilitarian nature. They mock fashion shows because they are so over the top and fashion people are such snobs. Maybe we are snobs because we had to just learn to ignore the negativity and create our own selfish world where we can freely think about clothes, enjoy fashion and the outlandish fashion shows. Henceforth the cooler it became the more some people became reclusive, even towards other fashion people. Creating this ultimate uptight fashion elite group of people. This is all just some random thoughts, speculation, but it would make sense. After a while, we stop trying for people to understand the meaning and vision behind fashion. They see Rick’s 69 harnesses and make fun of it. But what if it makes fun of not fashion people, but the opposite?
I know zero reasonable adults who thinks a whole industry doesn't include a ton people doing a ton of work, it's literally the definition of an industry.
5:25 =Nahh... Fashion is history's tactile literature... Its there people project their hopes and dreams, the limits of what they wish to achieve, the wonders they wish to remember, the landmarks of mudane realities, the culture they wish to retain on their hearts... It tells the story of what's prioritized on people's minds as they reflect it on their bodies through their sleeves skirts, shoes and hoods... Its what our culture is frozen in time through fashion... That's what makes fashion fascinating... Fashion History even more, as you gleam what the story and what's going on in that time period through the apparel...
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts in such a thorough way 🦾 I respectfully disagree with you, or at least I don’t think fashion can do this with any real specificity. I made a whole video about this, actually! If you want to check it out, it’s called “When Personal Style Isn’t Personal”. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you end up checking it out 💫💫
1:57 =Nope... Fashion is expression. Meant to be a symbol of you... It was traditionally that way... Sadly it was standardized and commercialize, gatekeep-ed to the point of ridiculousness... I wish to enjoy the spectrum, from the explosion of Harajuku culture, to the surrealism of Schiaperilli, to the edgy angulation of Mugler, to the punk rock of Westwood, to the elegance of Dior... I want to be all of it but not box myself to just it... That's the reason I jumped into Fashion despite my detachment to self beautification... I want expression and fashion can give me that. Expression I get to shout anywhere without saying sh*t. Something that screams even when I know I have to hold it in. Something that reflects the storm inside me while showing what I wish to be... Admittedly I am amazed by Iris Van Herpen, but frankly I don't think it's just fashion anymore😅 That's more Museum Art than anything... Its not that wearable, but sadly majority of fashion is that now. Either unwearable works of art or a complete mess that screams, "La Vie Bohème" when you are supposed to blend and bend at that point. Nahh, you get turned into a walking Christmas tree when it ain't Christmas yet... Hell if you are in a film and you wore something like that when you have the worst day of your life... You are now a visual paradox...
4:27 =Yeah... Its like engineering without calc, if I were to be honest😅😅... Creating something might have the same feeling of creating a thesis paper that can help with the development of a country... Its one of the draws I get from fashion despite being raised in an environment that values scientific analysis and Faith in God over anything else...
As a completely uneducated engineer who only just started learning anything about fashion (from your videos! Thanks!) these past few weeks, I can say the disconnect I always had was a question of goals. I always thought fashion was about "a beautiful outfit I could wear to work or to a restaurant". Instead I'm starting to understand that fashion is about "a [beautiful] human form" and fashion is communicating a vision. It's not about practicality necessarily. When models come down a runway with something wild and fantastical, no one there is even considering the question of practicality because that's not the goal at all. It can absolutely be a part of things, but that's not what people come to shows for. Just my two cents of how I'm starting to change my conception of things as a new viewer and outsider.
Thinking back to my childhood, what you wore or didn’t wear was weaponized and I believe those feelings of humiliation -whether a person experienced, perpetuated or observed it - stays with us until we deal with it. I’m glad that I came across your channel because it has changed the lens that I view fashion. Still, I absolutely understand why people may embrace or reject it. There may be scars as it pertains to what we wear
Two things: I'm not a fashion guy at all; I resent having to wear clothes. If I could just get the government to issue me a jumpsuit and a set of gym shorts, I would be set.
That said I enjoyed watching your videos pick it up perspective on the art aspect of fashion, so good job.
Regarding the subject of the video: The thing that it took me a while to get over, is that fashion is the only form of art that I am forcefully compelled to participate in. I have to buy clothes that cost a certain amount and look a certain way and our uncomfortable and that I just kind of resent owning in order to get the job I want, to it'd be looked upon in a way I need to be looked upon in society to survive.
The fact that I can lose my job for wearing the wrong clothes, and not in the sense of lewdness or rudeness, but crudeness is kind of f***** up, it makes me dislike the whole enterprise.
Your videos have convinced me to separate the artistic part of fashion from the enforced homogeneous culture part of fashion though, so good job!
Damn thanks homie! I’m glad you gave it a shot 💫💫
It’s 5:30 AM and I’m listening/ watching this while getting dressed for work. I am a 53 yr old licensed plumber. This world is clearly not for me. But I consume all media. Stereotypes be damned. The one point I would make as an layman to the fashion world, is the built in classism. Fashion is criticized as being “impractical” or “silly” by plumbers and other underclass. But that criticism is mild compared to the baked in disdain that the fashion world has for the working class. High fashion is inherently classist. And grossly, that’s the draw for many people. The same with art, wine, cars. They become signifiers for dumb rich people. And pretty soon it’s hard for anyone to know what came first. As per usual, wealth corrupts everything and turns it to shit.
As a womenswear designer whenever I tell people wat I do they always seem so impressed and think it must be so glamorous 😂it’s the furthest from glamorous behind the scenes and extremely high pressure and hard work
Big true!
I second this hahaa
*ITS NOT SILLY FUN THOUGH IS IT...?* its amazingly hard work. I think thats what most people miss...
Why would u work hard at stupidity
People definitely do this with studio art and music but I think fashion gets the brunt of the "anti-elitest" jokes because it's more accessible. Like it's more talked about in magazines and newspapers than other forms of art (at least to me). Not everyone plays an instrument or sculpts or paints but everyone wears clothes and that makes the more comfortable and confident calling it stupid.
I worked in the NY fashion industry in the 80's and have since moved up state and experience those who feel the fashion industry don't touch the at all. So thank you for this
I wanted to be a fashion designer but found out it wasn't entirely for me so decided to be a jeweller instead. It's the creating of beauty, especially from hard work that I love. Being a jeweller is messy and hard and not glamorous but the pieces I finish are and fill me with pride and joy. I like being part of the industry of beauty.
"We don't buy clothes all the time. And we're so grossed by fast fashion that most of our clothes are falling apart, because we buy just a handful of clothes per year and we keep them until they literally don't function anymore" this is so true, haha, couldn't phrase it better.
Your videos are what changed my perspective on fashion completely, after transitioning im now slowly getting new clothes and I’m doing it intentionally and and I’m so much happier for it
I’m really honored to hear that. Stay picky! 💫💫
That character in your pfp looks neat, who is that? :)
What truly got me into fashion and sewing was the manga "paradise kiss". While, yes, it's fashion aspect is secundary to the story, it also was my awakening to actually start searching about fashion.
This is true for a lot of folks! Thanks for sharing, homie 💫
Thank you Bliss Foster for loving Fashion and how it makes us feel just cause! I guess there is that part of the human condition that needs to bully always going to the thought of "them and us".Love the way Bill Cunningham a Fashion PhotoJournalist once expressed what Fashion is "Fashion is the Armor to survive the reality of everyday life".
Being someone who went to fashion school, I still struggle not viewing high fashion/high fashion people as a bit much. I'm an artist and have been through it all but I just don't really "get" all the high art, avant gaurde, super intellectual stuff and I kinda hate that I don't 😅
i think fashion is such an unapproachable art form for a lot of people because function >>>> form for clothing. While the function for other art forms is just “does it make me feel”
And then theres MFs who spend hundreds in video game skins but renounce IRL fashion
I never really knew anything about high fashion besides the pop culture crossover of Tyra & Naomi, but discovering your channel this year has made me respect it more as art. I still don’t think of myself as a fashion expert, but the video you did of that runway show being put on in the French ghetto and another one you showed of the Ukrainian fashion show where the models’ outfits are modified mid-way through their walk really impressed me.
Zoolander and Ugly Betty are my favorite fashion movie and show 😂
There’s a lot of comments about how the fashion industry is *perceived* by folks who are not part of it or who don’t understand it. But part of this conversation should be how the fashion industry *chooses to portray* itself. Being exclusive, being avant-garde (meaning ahead of the culture), is something fashion aspires to especially high fashion and couture and it’s rewarded and reinforced within the industry. And people gain notoriety, fame, and a level of influence from their work being inaccessible (to the general public) physically, economically, and concept wise. This disconnect with the average person is actually often desired and promoted in the industry.
They talk to each other, make things for themselves and each other, and then are surprised that “average Joe” doesn’t understand it when in reality they didn’t make it with him in mind as the audience in the first place. Folks in the fashion industry hold the power over so much of what they choose to portray and how they choose to portray it. Sometimes if something can’t be understood or appreciated without lots of specific knowledge, that’s fine, but then don’t act surprised when a lot of people don’t understand or appreciate it. That’s just the nature of the beast you put out. I think the person making and designing has the power to craft their message, and if they choose an exclusive language, well that’s an explicit choice and a lot of folks aren’t gonna get it. I much prefer this attitude as it empowers each person to investigate their choices about the art and fashion they make and how they put it out into the world, and take responsibility for that choice rather than simply blame all the fashion ignorant folks as too shallow or dumb or assume they’re just too lazy to be as knowledgeable as we are… like you have to actually respect the people you’re saying you want respect and acknowledgment from or what is even the point?
I think the thing for me is that there is a fundamental disconnect in fashion that doesn't exist in any other medium.
You don't think of how a Picasso will look in your living room or how useful a song will be. However, the vast majority of people who look at fashion have an expectation that the clothing can be worn. So they look at these clothes that were never designed to actually be worn more than once and judge them for being ridiculous to wear more than once.
ETA: The human backpack for example. No-one is ever going to wear or use that outside of a fashion show and that's ok. But it means that someone who thinks of backpacks as backpacks will hate it because they expect their backpack to be functional.
Definitely. The fact that the art goes on a body makes it somewhat inextricably about identity. Add in astronomical prices for something that sets the mood for a life you do not have in other respects, and you are left trying to buy half a mood, your life, your body, or your energy, rarely match. It's always a different story when the match is seamless between these things and people. That is one reason why I think the idea of making clothes for individual clients is so magical. Having the brain space, time, energy, resources, and expertise, is another matter. But I can really understand why something like mantua making became the dominant form of acquiring women's clothes, once upon a time. I don't look at a runway look, and think 'I could save up for that. I could wear that.' I generally think that I will never be in the same space as anything on a runway, but if I was, it was never built for the likes of me.
What does make me feel closer to specialty clothes, is the craftsman, narrative approach, or someone talking me through the vision, letting me imagine what goes into it as mine in a million different combinations, stretching out into the future, some already before me, but not exclusive to what I'm already seeing. On the other end of things lies a runway show, or an immersive experience of a world built out, ready to be inhabited as is. That's delicious, even addictive, but you have to convince me I could come to play, or I'm going to treat it like the lovely snowglobe, or diorama, I will never get the chance to buy, and I would have nowhere to put.
I think a lot of people who are over fashion don't realise that designers and real fashion people hate the same thing they do: shallowness, consumerism, absence of meaning. Where the same starting point gets lost in translation is for two things: the first is the fashion industry (which I don't think anyone hates more than fashion designers themselves --though they have to love it too), who is just so relentless, obsessed with ridiculous things, cruel and unforgiving, and most importantly, watering down the message of the designers. The second one, which is weirdly a counterpoint to what I just said, is that the general public doesn't have the codes to decipher fashion, just like it doesn't for contemporary art. There's this weird thing, when non fashion or art people see outrageous fashion or art, they see it as brainless, where it's actually the most thought provoking in many cases. So thanks for your education work
Man, you hit the nail on the head right there…it’s not even love that we want…it’s acceptance
So fashion is my first love, but my second is psychology. People often don't understand the importance of beauty. It helps with our mental health. Our surroundings and the way we dress ourselves have a huge impact on not only our self esteem, but also our mood. Humans crave beauty. It's devine like, and we crave the devine. I'm starting a fashion line, myself, and part of my marketing will be teaching people why beauty actually really is important. It's not frivolous at all. I also want to teach people how to bring beauty into their lives. I mean, of course I want them to buy my clothes, but my style isn't for everyone. If I can teach them how to create beauty for themselves, that is just as valuable as them buying my beautiful creations.
That was a brilliant montage. What's beautiful about fashion is the creative Insanity, over the top visions, and the level of expertise to turn those visions into reality. We need Beauty. It soothes our souls. Shame on those designers that try to trick people in finding beauty in their lazy efforts. What is beautiful is still in the eye of the beholder. What's ugly to me, may be beautiful to you. The dollar votes on what survives in the fashion industry. It is time that defines what is truly beautiful.
Someone on Film UA-cam made a very interesting comment that lends itself to the Anti Fashion segment of the population... fashion is closely tied to the Intellectual Movement of art, which on a whole, has been in decline due to the anti-intellectual movement thats present in the culture rn:
"I found it curious that she only mentioned
anti-intellectualism once, a major factor in the
decline of film criticism. Largely coming from
the political right, anti-intellectualism has
for the better part of fifty-years consistently
promoted the idea that film criticism is
something only done by the elites and is in
direct opposition to what YOU the people
want. It promotes film as entertainment
only and results in "it's just a movie" and "get
politics out of my movies""
Even when you take one of the most fashion-hating group in the world (gamers), you will still see them spending thousands of hours on WoW to get a cool shiny armor that they like.
Everyone loves self expression and looking cool, but there are so many cultural barriers.
The biggest problem i think is the the elitism, for someone who don’t know anything about fashion it’s genuinely so complicated to get into, and you’re reminded everyday that this specific group of people get it and you don’t.
It’s also a weird thing that such a niche and quirky hobby with tons of niche references happens to look like the biggest hobby in the world for rich people and celebrities.And you associate the elitism and out of touchness of these people with the fashion world itself.
Add to that the barrier of money, luxury stores that do make you feel like you don’t belong, the hobby of dressing peculiar being « gay » for men, the shock value marketing that is often time the only moment where « normal » people hear about fashion, the predatorial modelling industry and the climatic situation; and yeah you get something that is culturally extremely hard to get into, even when most people would love it.
Again that’s why your channel is so important, there is no other fashion channel that explains you in a welcoming way this world without needing previous knowledge
I think that the reason a lot of people don’t want to understand fashion in a hypothetical way is the same reason that people don’t like modern art. To understand it you have to spend the time to learn about it and that creates gate keeping. You can look at a painting by Monet and see it’s beauty but to see the beauty or meaning in Cy Twombly takes a little more work. So people just say it’s stupid
Well said 💫💫
YESSS!!!!!!!! As a Fashion Business major, it really gets under my skin when I tell people (mostly family) and they react like Im going to art school.
I think I'll need to rewatch this video at least one more time (I love how your videos give you something new every replay).
It touched upon a lot of different subject. But what I get out of it is that once you understand that the industry has real people in it who really care about making good clothes (designers as well as manufacturers), you realise that fashion is not about all the superfluous bs (corporate marketing, influencers, scams...).
A clear separation can be made between fashion for the sake of putting emotion and passion into your craft, and fashion as a way to sell people an unrealistic lifestyle by taking advantage of their insecurities while delivering poorer and poorer quality clothing.
Things can be more or less nuanced but if we as customers were more conscious of this distinction, it would clear some confusion on what fashion is and is Not.
thank you for this video.
Tbh a lot of "fashion is silly" probably has to do with the idea that "fashion is for girls"
Thats interesting, because i feel like the biggest "critics" of high fashion are mostly women? perhaps its an internalized misogyny, or maybe its because most of the time the target audience are women?
100% agree that this is a big part of it, for the same reasons why I don't like pink as a result of it being pushed on me from an early age (and why 'cool guys' in high school wore pink polos as a subversion)
Fashion is silly because it’s incredibly elitist and pretentious. Fashion is one of the most stupid forms of art but it has us all in a chockehold because its one of the few forms of art that is so easy to own and wear so you can show people you ”know fashion”. It’s so deeply connected to our personality nowdays we can’t escape it. Anti-fashion even ended up being just another trend. There even is no anti-fashion anymore which is so damn meta idk what to say.
Like imagine if fashion was just artisans creating beautiful clothing and making a story. That’s now maybe 1% of ”fashion” and 99% is just elitist status symbols and trends for the elite/upper middle class to consume and for fast fashion to copy while the backbone of THE WHOLE INDUSTRY is these poor exploited workers from non-european non-white non-imperialist countries.
@@karigrandiianti fashion has always been a fashion statement in itself. I work in fashion and if you look into history, clothing has always been a way for humans to identify and tell the world who we are, and in what status rang you sit. When people wear “anti-fashion” it has also been a conscious choice to communicate to the world that you are just that. Except it is the opposite, you are also making a statement with that choice, automatically making you also using fashion to explain. It is ridiculous that we produce so much, that we have so many “trends” but anti fashion has always been a fashion statement in itself and trying to show the “fashionistas” that you are better than them. Just a reflection.
Always worth noting that Les Wexner, owner of Victoria’s Secret, was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s top financiers, bought him his house (one of the biggest townhouses in Manhattan), and allowed him to present himself as a booker for the fashion show to corner women. So that’s the culture behind those particular 'dreamy' 'glamorous' 'aspirational' fashion shows.
I use to perceive fashion the way you’re describing people on the outside do. Now it’s what I enjoy the most and what I spend my time learning everything I can about it. I thought you advocated on the behalf of fashion beautifully. It really just boils down to approaching it with an open mind. That’s what I did and now I’m an aspiring fashion designer. Even being this dedicated to the craft that is fashion, there are certain things I still can’t take seriously, corporate/celebrity stuff aside; but I still appreciate it because it serves its purpose in its own lane. Excellent video Bliss!
For me my interest in fashion started when I saw Lolita fashion. I was getting to the peak of 'I'm not like other girls' phase but it was fighting that I still loved disney princesses and pink. What I perceived as little girl stuff. To see an adult woman wearing such a whimsical dress made me so happy.
Edit: if a consumer brand can pretend to be luxury by using a runway the company will do it. It's not the effort to create beauty. It's capitalism using fashion as a mask. And fashion has always been part of class.
I love your channel and wanted to talk more about make-up brands doing "runway"...having dancers, models etc walk the runway gives the customer a sense of real life experience. "How would I look like dancing on stage for my professional gigs". Does the make-up work, or do I need to do it up more....in fact, fashion and make-up work together. Most fashion runways actually use make-up. So much so, make-up can influence the way an outfit is put together on the runway - ah i can go on - yes, its corporate, but allows the potential clients to see and be inspired insitu...
L’Oreal achieved their marketing goal. They got you talking about it 😂
This documentary gave me so much clarity. great work
As someone with friends that were involved in Vancouver’s (Canada) Fashion Week…. can confirm it was a total flop and cash grab. Vancouver definitely has the potential to run a fashion week successfully but it just doesn’t have the right people with the right passions behind it
seeing it as that faux lifestyle is so crazy because when someone (me) expresses their interest in the industry and when i describe it to anyone as my dream it’s impossible for people to understand.
i’m putting my whole heart and soul into that dream and that whole notion is so discouraging and damaging, im fully aware of the amount of work i have to put in, and i’m closer after every video so thank you bliss :)
If it’s at all possible, get into the position that is close to your dream as quickly as possible. There’s a huge difference between the way a job looks from the outside and the way that it is when it’s your job every day. If you want to be a creative Director, become an intern on the design team as fast as humanly possible. This way, you can watch the person who has your dream job and determine if they are actually doing what you think they are doing.
Sorry, I’m running around right now, does this make sense?
@@BlissFoster it makes perfect sense, you're the best bliss!! so grateful for everything you do.
Dont forget many dont watch any movies besides action and only go to a historic museum once a year on vacation
From my perspective as an artist - I see that a lot of people these days do not recognise contemporary art from 21 century, sometimes even the modern art from 20 century. Many of them recognise art only when it's applicable, shows craftmanship and is recognised as universally beautiful. They do not see value of art when it's about provoking a thought, a feeling, a concept. Perhaps because they do not see the value in affecting and nurturing their mind. That's when they would see Schiaparelli would say WOW why would you even create that, you would never wear that in the streets. Or if they would see Joseph Kosuth works they would say they do not belong in the museum because the artist didn't even "create" anything in the craftsmanship sense. It's sad sometimes that most of people do not see or especially if they do not wan't to see that a lot of contemporary art is about the creativity, the concept and they just want to see pretty, functional objects.
As I often enjoy your videos and your points of view. May I suggest you have overlooked one thing.
Fashion is a creature. It is ravenous and shall not be satiated ,eternal, and seductive it shall always feed off any person it can devour.
( side note... Great work)
Lol loved the comment in the end about hating fast fashion to the point that most of your own clothes are falling apart. Can relate 💯
Love your wide ranging insights - thank you, Bliss.
such an interesting video, thanks!
One thing that this video made me think about is: can we actually separate what is fashion industry and what is pop culture? Of course the fashion industry and the entertainment industry have their differences. But in the world that we live now, it seems that pop culture it's a giant concept composed of fashion, entertainment, internet, celebrity culture and more.
Maybe the ways that pop culture portrays the fashion industry is somewhat the way that the fashion industry wants to be seen?
Laughed so hard watching this video!!! 🤣 Thank you. Nicely put. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Yeah. I’d be happy to find clothes in my size.
I really agree. Just enjoying the beauty. Enjoying the craftsmanship, but I also think sometimes social media overhypes the fame and the trendiness of certain items or certain trends. Lots of people forgot to look at the details and all they can see are just them gimmicks and the marketing and the potential attention or the potential fame they can get through obtaining certain items or trend. It's sad.
This is one of my favourite of your videos. I particularly loved your hot mimicry. Just about everything you say about the fashion industry is true of all art. If art is what we do with obsolete technology in order to extend ourselves in all sorts of fascinating ways (cue MarshallMcLuhan, of course.), the fashion is much more than just keeping us warm and dry, just as, oh, say, Mark Rothko went beyond illustration. I have know quite a few rich but stupid people who bought expensive art and fashion because they thought it was what they should do, but at least they paid the bills for the folks who did the work. Although I don't have the money or energy to do fashion once I did and just do little bits of private art, fashion can be the absolutely most person form of art and art collection. Now I gotta look up the Copenhagen Fashion Week.
So my gripe with high, conceptual fashion is that it's simultaneously so out there and innovative AND still 100% tied to the end goal of putting all this art on a human body. I see conceptual fashion as this process of constantly moving the goalpost on WHY clothes have to be a specific way, why can't they be different, what else is there to say. If you really go out there, at some point it would be a natural conclusion to ask "why does this have to go on a body at all?" Like maybe it's a silly example but what does a human backpack say about humans, backpacks or about how we do or do not wear clothes in real life? Or maybe a better example would be, if your main goal is to make something architectural and engineered out of fabric, why does the model's body have to be a medium here? But that is where the conceptual fashion designers stop, like however far they go, in the end they will put their work on a model and send them to the runway, or else it's not fashion, right? So you have this hard rule that is just so... arbitrary. From an artistic standpoint it doesn't make sense to me at all. It only does from a financial standpoint. And this I don't like.
Don't know if I explained it well. That's the best I can do today lol
Runway Fashion to me is one of those things that like helps conceptualize what practical fashion becomes. Like that chandelier dress might end up becoming more iridescent fabrics, and a silhouette that's much more puffed out. idk I'm into goth fashion, and stylings so that's what I try to go for, and what I pay attention to.
Shout out to Craig Green. That jacket is sick!
The L’Oréal thing is so goofy, I couldn’t stop myself from giggling 🤣🤣🤣 the literalism lol! I’ve been binging all your videos and I’ll join the patreon when I can! Thanks for making UA-cam a more thoughtful place
You should visit Atelier Jolie. Now, THAT is something that really makes sense in fashion world, at least to me.
As cliche as it sounds I always end up bringing up that scene in the devil wears Prada where they discuss the blue belt. Everyone wears clothes and follows trends even if they don’t know it. It’s just a matter of time
I that there is a psychological, mental health analysis to this video, as well as a discussion about the industry.
It’s great that you have highlighted how hard it is to make beauty. I am fascinated by the journey and thank you for bringing more of it than we would have seen without your videos.
Oh and the drama in this video… bravo! ;P Loving the accents.
Love the channel. Love art. Don’t love the industry becoming too big to fail and too responsible for poor self esteem and unfathomable tons of garbage. Also, the marketing is completely bonkers. No, Timothee Chalamet in grainy black and white chiaroscuro lighting is not going to get me to buy cologne. Didn’t fall for it with Marky Mark and those underwear either. 😂
i feel like i try to explain the first 2 minutes to adults everyday
n im like
how r u twice my age n u cant seem to grasp the concept of subjective personal interests?
I appreciate the accessibility you give to the fashion industry. You provide value. I think fashion is cool, but never knew where to start. So I've really enjoyed watching your videos since I discovered your channel.
Um on "practical things". I think a real mix of high fashion and quality work wear would be cool. Like quality affordable fabrics and like features and accessories that would be super useful to like the construction industry.
(I'm a carpenter)
Like I go through clothes so fast, I don't have a single pair of pants over a year old. Like challenge Carhartt that'd be cool. Like durability wise, but make it look cool and fashionable.
That'd be dope. And since this might already exist, I'd love any recommendations from anyone reading this comment.
Thank you for your labor! I love that you pointed out slave labor so much, specifically with Victoria secret. Workers solidarity!
Everyone has tried to draw, and at some level understands how hard it is, it gives them a small amount of appreciation for it as an art form. Fashion doesn't get that grace...
The cookie monster voice "are rich people okay??" killed me lmao
Milwaukee fashion week is actually cool
It's also worth noting that these criticisms generally come from "Real" sectors of the economy like engineering, business, or blue collar laborers who's work, while perhaps more concrete in some ways, has still resulted in the current world we find ourselves in: with an economic system that doesn't effectively feed, clothe or house everyone, even though there are surpluses of all these things; with an environment degraded by climate change and biodiversity loss; and with wealth inequality so vast that there's no hope of everyone seeing eye to eye.
Basically, I'm saying that it's not like the "real" economy has it figured out either. Fashion might seem like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic to some people. But it's worth remembering that many of those people were involved in building the boat this way, and then piloting it into the iceberg. Maybe their opinions about what is "useful" or "meaningful" or "valuable" shouldn't matter that much.
L'Oreal still owns the Mugler fashion label, right? If so, beyond just sponsoring Fashion Week, the company has an actual and legitimate vested l interest in the fashion industry. I loved your analysis here. It is interesting because I was watching an old Todd Oldham fashion show earlier today on UA-cam and was thinking many of the things you expressed. Oldham was known for having a whimsical /playful style, so my knock wasn't against him. The way that some of the models were being such divas /hams taking themselves so seriously going down the runway was so pretentious and goofy. I was like, girl get over yourself...stop trying so HARD. Cue the Right Said Fred music, 'I'm Too Sexy....for Milan...New York...and Japan...'
Remember when VS tried to convince us that these hideous outfits were so creative and difficult to make when the concepts couldn’t be any more repetitive and obvious?😂
Longing for the Dyson show,
famous models and celebs in purple hard plastic heels vacuuming and blow drying down the runway!
the barrier to enjoyment to most literally is the deployment and promotion i think, like no one resents a screenshot of a shirt but as soon as you stick it on a hot person you are asking the viewer to replace the hot person with themselves, to perform some kind of aesthetic judo and that's going to make people feel like shit most of the time and reject the whole exercise as spiritually threatening! clothing is really really really intimate
THIS!!!
I still haven’t found a designer bra as good as or even close to as good as Victoria Secret, I hate that. I tried to switch to wolford but they always fit funny. I have gotten everything from DandG bras to Armani and Mochino, Gucci tons of Gucci and they all fit funny none fit comfortably enough for daily use they are all relegated for special occasions. They never make the cups big enough or the band big enough there is always a problem. I tried to get rid of anything I owned that wasn’t designer just because I had so much crap but my biggest mistake was getting rid of all my Victoria secret crap.
I like my style more than their fashion
As someone from the inner city aspiring to create my own brand, I use a lot of the high fashion I see as inspiration! I'm not saying fashion doesn't get a lot of air time in St. Louis, MO but I believe I have an opportunity to bring a new lens to it.
i’m gonna spend a long time in airports and on airplanes today so this video was perfectly timed
the first thing that comes to my mind concerning why general public doesn't like or understand fashion is that it it way more marketed compared to art. for exemple on instagram I can see random painting that I like, and it will be only paintings that will be shown to me. if I follow fashion as an art form I will still be harassed by commercial/trendy fashion, and celebrities and all the superficial bullshit. and what appears the most in the media is the trendy commercial or "weird fashion" wich is very hard to understand from a newcomer point of view. because what comes out is mostly superficial, elitist, weird etc images. In fashion I feel like you have to dig under that first layer to appreciate the true beauty. the art world is maybe as much fake, but from the outside perspective you can just apreciate art and not deal with its world, which is harder to do with fashion.
Thank you professor Foster!🤍🤍🤍
Bliss should branch out into lectures - do university circuit and fashion college circuit (worldwide)… now there’s a new career path
Thank you for this!
happiness demands its objects be slightly out of reach. Once you get the thing you want, you’ll want something else.
Thank you for adding the wkuk clip
Dani was about halfway thru the edit and I screamed “omg wait” and pulled up that clip haha 😂
This has been one of my top three favorite videos in this channel ❤
I’m so glad! What made this one resonate so much? And what are the other two??
@@BlissFoster the part where you're talking about all the beautiful things you can find in fashion. Searching for beauty in everything that surrounds us, not in a vain/glamorous way but in a moving and more layered manner.
About the other two videos: Review of Every Jacquemus Runway Show, this was how I discovered your channel and kept me coming back ;) and the other one is your first Paris Fashion Week video. Thanks for all the work and love you put in these videos.
@@klaudiamenendez1004 awesome! Thanks for the reply and all the kind words :)
Oh my god !! My fave fashion clothes really are falling apart and some blacks are nearly grey coz I have been wearing them for ages! So I am not alone! So glad you mentioned this!!
yup, still in it just for the beauty but also want the shift to eco to have happened already... thankyou! peace❤
I don't reside in either extreme myself. What I would say is I'm unsure how I would contribute to the fashion industry, given that my experience is more the other side of design and art unrelated to models: I recently started making what I call "pixel plaid" which works sort of like screentone, and also figuring out what colors complement each other, and different types of monochromatic and selective color. Or seeing how things we don't normally associate with high fashion, can look good in the right context.
Thus it seems like fashion shows are a completely different artistic skill from character design and web comic creation. Although I admittingly have floated the idea of using fashion as an extension of the universe I've already created. And would like to try costume design.
I am warming up to it, knowing that apparently "theatre style" fashion shows, that aren't on traditional runways, is apparently a thing.
Brilliant as usual!
The editing on the "straight to jail" reference made me do a big HA!
I do like Project Runway a lot because i love watching people in their design process and i like seeing something resembling art criticism on TV. I love the artistic aspect of fashion, but the economic and ecological implications are truly horrifying. And the artistic aspect is VASTLY undersized compared to those material aspects.
Thank you
The back and forth at 15:00 felt so WKUK movie pitching guy
For better or for worse, that show influenced my high-school friend group and it’s now a permenant part of how I talk and think 😔
@@BlissFosterfor better!!
i enjoyed. Thank you.
I love fashion but my latest grip with fashion is the used of AI model! 😡 working for a writers guild and fighting for artists to still make a decent living wage in our day and age i was shock to hear that it’s no longer enough to seriously retouch a picture of a model now we can just not used a real person to show the clothing.
I also think an aspect to the attitude you describe towards fashion is because it has primarily been seen as a feminine aspiration, it puts you center stage & shows thoughtfulness, you spent time on the vanity of curating your appearance “which is sus” instead of spending money to watch half naked guys wrestle
through the years society puts down the feminine & champions the masculine even when they can both be ridiculous & also great
We would love to have this kind of videos more plzzz
I’m no fan of slave labor (that should go without saying but you have to be explicit about these things on the internet), but it’s contextually dishonest to use that against VS in comparison with Rick Owens in a conversation about aspiration. You can’t point out VS’s promotion of an unattainable body type while ignoring the same thing being promoted at Rick as a part of the brand’s aspiration. Rick models are extremely physically fit with *very low* body fat percentages, especially the male models. Part of the Rick Owens ethos is this very regimented physical fitness aspiration. In context of the brand, VS’s aspiration was being an attainable, (local) “luxury” that could make you feel incredibly confident and sexy (hence the angel imagery and general glamour of the shows) in your own skin. This is largely the aspiration of every single lingerie or shape wear brand. I’m not saying VS didn’t contribute to a skewed view of fashion and the fashion industry, but this particular criticism in this video feels flimsy. When’s the last time you saw a dad bod on a Rick runway? Both brands in your comparison suffer from exclusivity in the aspirations of body types they present and therefore represent. It feels like you used the slave-labor criticism (completely fair in a general sense) in this particular comparison to tap into people’s aversion to that as opposed to making a genuine comparison.
I love comments like this. You disagreed, you were respectful (I especially appreciate that), and you outlined a great argument.
I can’t disagree with you, I should have either qualified that section better or left it out. Thanks for the thoughtful comment, I love being corrected like this. 💫💫
3:45 🙋🏽♀️🙋🏽♀️🙋🏽♀️ I'm in the industry purely for the craft of making clothes 🥰
it's publicity so mid western people see it and buy L'Oreal at Walgreens because they think it's high fashion.
People make fun of fashion more than any other medium of art and self-expression solely because clothes are used by everyone and only see it for its utilitarian nature. They mock fashion shows because they are so over the top and fashion people are such snobs. Maybe we are snobs because we had to just learn to ignore the negativity and create our own selfish world where we can freely think about clothes, enjoy fashion and the outlandish fashion shows. Henceforth the cooler it became the more some people became reclusive, even towards other fashion people. Creating this ultimate uptight fashion elite group of people.
This is all just some random thoughts, speculation, but it would make sense.
After a while, we stop trying for people to understand the meaning and vision behind fashion. They see Rick’s 69 harnesses and make fun of it. But what if it makes fun of not fashion people, but the opposite?
I know zero reasonable adults who thinks a whole industry doesn't include a ton people doing a ton of work, it's literally the definition of an industry.
High fashion is delulu
Didn't see the L'Oreal fashion show but oh gawd! That's just ridiculous 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️ you know where this fits PERFECTLY??? On ANTM 😂😂😂
19:35 woah 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I'm freaking rolling dude
Love your jacket!
5:25 =Nahh... Fashion is history's tactile literature... Its there people project their hopes and dreams, the limits of what they wish to achieve, the wonders they wish to remember, the landmarks of mudane realities, the culture they wish to retain on their hearts... It tells the story of what's prioritized on people's minds as they reflect it on their bodies through their sleeves skirts, shoes and hoods... Its what our culture is frozen in time through fashion... That's what makes fashion fascinating... Fashion History even more, as you gleam what the story and what's going on in that time period through the apparel...
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts in such a thorough way 🦾 I respectfully disagree with you, or at least I don’t think fashion can do this with any real specificity.
I made a whole video about this, actually! If you want to check it out, it’s called “When Personal Style Isn’t Personal”.
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you end up checking it out 💫💫
1:57 =Nope... Fashion is expression. Meant to be a symbol of you... It was traditionally that way... Sadly it was standardized and commercialize, gatekeep-ed to the point of ridiculousness... I wish to enjoy the spectrum, from the explosion of Harajuku culture, to the surrealism of Schiaperilli, to the edgy angulation of Mugler, to the punk rock of Westwood, to the elegance of Dior... I want to be all of it but not box myself to just it... That's the reason I jumped into Fashion despite my detachment to self beautification... I want expression and fashion can give me that. Expression I get to shout anywhere without saying sh*t. Something that screams even when I know I have to hold it in. Something that reflects the storm inside me while showing what I wish to be...
Admittedly I am amazed by Iris Van Herpen, but frankly I don't think it's just fashion anymore😅 That's more Museum Art than anything... Its not that wearable, but sadly majority of fashion is that now. Either unwearable works of art or a complete mess that screams, "La Vie Bohème" when you are supposed to blend and bend at that point. Nahh, you get turned into a walking Christmas tree when it ain't Christmas yet... Hell if you are in a film and you wore something like that when you have the worst day of your life... You are now a visual paradox...
4:27 =Yeah... Its like engineering without calc, if I were to be honest😅😅... Creating something might have the same feeling of creating a thesis paper that can help with the development of a country... Its one of the draws I get from fashion despite being raised in an environment that values scientific analysis and Faith in God over anything else...
5:38 wearing shoes with no socks is the real atrocity here