- On the flip side we have so called ‘Designers’ who are masters not of cut and creation, but of “copy and paste” where they simply regurgitate the ideas of other designers openly and blatantly
- We also get many a designer presenting their fashion creations in every nook and cranny in every village and hamlet, in any and every hall or auditorium that can fit a ramp and calling it a ‘Couture Collection.’
Creativity, in its very meaning is the creation, the birth, the propagating of the unique, and the specialized, the rare and the unusual, through one’s own ideations with a healthy dose of imagination. This could be in varied areas and fields of work, including but not limited to Music, the arts, literary works, fashion etc. Even in the somewhat new and ‘step lightly’ areas of technology and the sciences creative individuals are highly sought after for their innovation, and ‘thinking ahead of the times’ processes. The creativity we have come to so admire and applaud though is going the way of the Sabre-Toothed Cat, thought of and spoken of in rarefied circles, but sadly extinct.
This ‘creative spirit’ is on a slippery slope and is cascading downwards before our very eyes. I mentioned a few professional realms above that are being ruined by the ‘non-creative’ spirit, the essence of which is in the creator’s lack of ability, and in many cases downright laziness. The idea now that “why do the work when I can take someone else’s’’ is not only a reflection of the persons idiocy, but also a mirror held to how society in general lets ‘inefficiency’ just slide. This desperately needs to come to an end.
In this article I speak on an area that I am familiar with and is what those in it refer to as the ‘rag trade’ better known as the “fashion industry”. Let us begin by looking back to the first ‘Designer’ of repute Madame Marie-Jeanne “Rose” Bertain who rose to immense fame creating awe inspiring custom gowns for the much maligned, and misinterpreted Queen Marie Antoinette in pre-revolutionary France. Madame Bertain’s influence was so widely felt that she was deemed the unofficial ‘Minister of Fashion’ by the courtiers at Versailles. Credited with founding what was to become the art of “haute couture”, She was a pioneer and ‘Creator’ in the truest sense of the word. Fast forward to the times of Monsieur Paul Poiret crowned the Father of modern-day fashion who looked east bringing ‘Orientalism’ to the fore adding exoticism that was rarely seen at the time, along with Mademoiselle Madeleine Vionnet, credited with inventing ‘bias-cut draping’ to dresses, these designers are just two of the ‘star creators’ whose mark in fashion is simply timeless. Mix in the likes of Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Mariano Fortuny, and one has a veritable pinnacle of the creative pyramid, professionals who set the pace for the decades to come. Where oh where did this standard, this level of innovation, this creative spirit go?
Now we do have amazing fashion designers in our midst, true ‘creatives’ who do not attempt to re-invent the wheel, understanding the phrase ‘been there done that’ also means that one can be innovative and directional in the uses of fabric (or as is much admired “re-uses” of fabrics), and skills. It could also be that one is able to inject new life into existing brands, take from legacy and make ‘must-haves’ relevant to the lives and times of the targeted demographic. Highly recognizable examples of these are Karl Lagerfeld at house of Chanel, Tom Ford at Gucci & Saint Laurent, Nicholas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga and the dynamic British duo the late Alexander McQueen at Givenchy, and John Galliano at Dior, and now at Maison Margiela. These geniuses of fashion made us all wait with baited-breath, anticipating their next collection, and they never failed to amaze. Regionally and locally too we have fantastic creators who are true to their core design ideas, and make sure that trends do not simply dictate their collections but also enhance their processes. Kudos to them!
On the flip side we have so called ‘Designers’ who are masters not of cut and creation, but of “copy and paste” where they simply regurgitate the ideas of other designers openly and blatantly. Without even having the self-respect to add variation they take the same silhouette, color, fabrication etc. and have the audacity to try and pass it off as their own. Have they heard of the internet? Do they know that anything and everything can be searched and re-searched? Of course not. These parasites of creativity simply are too, shall we say, “not very smart”, and/or arrogant in their idiocy that they think they can get away with it. Many a time have I seen collections which were disgustingly copied from the highest name brand designers and then shamelessly paraded in fashion editorial spreads and runway shows. Preposterous is the only way to describe this Pirating!
We also get many a designer presenting their fashion creations in every nook and cranny in every village and hamlet, in any and every hall or auditorium that can fit a ramp and calling it a ‘Couture Collection.’ As I mentioned recently on a talk show, the words “couture” and “haute couture” are like the word “Doctor”, one does not simply add it on because one has added on some frightening sparkles from a pavement vendor. Perhaps a lack of proper education is to blame? Even so, with the web one has so much information that ‘knowledge’ should be a hindrance to making such massive mistakes. The Chambre Syndicale known officially as the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode is the governing body of fashion and certain pre-requisites need to be met, such as having a showroom in Paris, showing at Paris couture week, all finishing and fittings being done in Paris etc. etc. which are the basics of using the word “couture”. One can be ‘couture inspired’ but cannot be a couturier unless the right processes set by the French governing body are met. Now how many who claim to show couture are registered in Paris? I rest my case.
As I have said so many times before on many a topic I have written about, keeping it real, is always a sensible, and sane way forward. Pretending to have invented the post-it-notes’ like in the comedic romp “Romy and Michelle’s high school reunion” does not ‘stick’ (pun intended!). Now as creative aspirants and Fashion Designers, having great education at one’s fingertips with institutions offering the best in global knowledge and know-how, one has no reason and certainly no excuse to make heinous blunders in the name of fashion. ‘Authenticity’ a word I adore, is or should be the core of our existence. Take a moment to be true to oneself, and be creative pushing one’s own boundaries, while keeping true to one’s design DNA. That I humbly believe is the best fashion way forward.
