The Fashionista
Art is a form of expression. It is a means of escape. It is the action of creating something beautiful. Art- and artists- come in different forms. There is the painter, the sculptor, the dancer. The singer, the writer, the musician. All of these people are the typical stereotypes of a so-called artist. They create masterpieces, beautiful things made from passion. There are no practical calculations involved. It’s pure talent- the ability to produce something seen as incredible, amazing, out of this world. Each song, picture- whatever, has its own story. What most people do not realize is that there is art everywhere in the world, being created by people who are also artists. These people do not fall into the usual category of an artist. Is the surgeon not an artist, when he cuts people open, fixes them, and sew them back together? Is the teacher, not an artist? They train young minds to become brilliant ones- truly the masterminds of the next generation’s society. Furthermore, does fashion not fall into the same category? Fashion is a misconception. When people read magazines and watch TV, many do not understand that fashion is not only a form of expression, but it’s also a form of art. Each article of clothing is a sculpture; it tells its own story. Many people do not see it as that. Their thoughts turn primitive towards fashion. It is not fashion to them; it is clothing. It is a means of survival and far from anything artistic to them. They do not understand that a common artist of today’s society is: the fashionista.
Just like the painter uses the canvas and color to tell a story, the fashionista uses the fabrics of life, (also known as clothing) to tell their own story. A true fashionista does two things to obtain the title. The word fashionista, is slang to describe someone who loves fashion and is, (obviously)… fashionable. To be fashionable one must do a lot of research. They use their free time to read their bibles (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle etc.) consistently shopping, and spending hours promoting their personal style on their blogs and Instagram. They know what’s up to date, they know what the new trends of each season are, and they know when it’s time to get rid of clothes that are seen as “over” or “unfashionable”. These certain people are seen as an inspiration and greatly impact the fashion industry today. Many fashionistas have reached international fame because of their knack of creating the perfect outfit and are rewarded for this. Chiara Ferragni, Susie Bubble, and Aimee Song are seated front row at the best fashion shows and get paid to travel the world, promote designers and team up with companies to create shoes or bags of their very own. Van Gogh and Picasso are both seen as the greatest artists of their time. Sienna Miller, Jackie O., and Coco Chanel are seen in the same light by fashionistas. These people are legendary; they have had such a great impact on the fashion industry; just like Van Gogh and Picasso have had on drawing and painting.
The other trait that the fashionista has is simply: being an individual. The fashionista contradicts herself/himself by going against the crowd by having personal style. This style is unique, and although it commonly consists of the seasonal trends and articles from the magazines, it also has pieces that are different. Fashionistas typically excel in discovering the best vintage pieces and mixing them with current trends to create looks that set them apart from the rest of the world. That’s another thing that people do not understand, clothes are sacred to fashionistas. Those old, beat up combat boots may be well on their way to the dump, but the artist sees them as a puppy, an old friend, someone in their lives of high importance. And who wants to send their beloved dog to the pound? Dogs are man’s best friend. Clothes are the fashionista’s.
A large issue between fashionistas and the people who do not understand fashion (we’ll call them…the others) is couture and avant-garde. Haute couture: the exclusive creation of custom-fitted clothes. Designers that make couture will design clothing on the request of a specific person. These clothes are one of a kind; you won’t be able to find the same piece anywhere else. Avant-garde: clothing that is untraditional and goes against the crowd. These two types of clothing receive a lot of hype, (good from the fashionistas, critical from the others). In the Chanel spring-summer, ready-to-wear show in 2006, Karl Lagerfeld spent months designing a white dress, with ostrich feathers hand sewn along the skirt of the dress. When the model descended the staircase that served as a runway, the crowd “oohed” and “aahed”, pleased with the highlight of the collection. Now would most people buy this piece, let alone wear it? Of course not! During the 2009, MTV Music Awards, Lady Gaga made several wardrobe changes. In addition to her epic performance, of Paparazzi, her outfits were pretty wild. Her style defines the term, avant-garde. A couple of her pieces that night included: a red lace dress, complete with material that covered her face and a red crown; a Victorian-style high necked dress with black feathers, golden half-mask, and a gold neck brace. Her style is definitely what the others would call strange, and most people wouldn’t dare wear these things. But, she receives a lot of attention because of her clothing choices. This shows that the others are drawn to these avant-garde pieces, but simply do not understand the reason behind wearing them.
The others argue: why would anyone waste all their time designing something like this? Why waste all that money on something that cannot be used? There are few in the world that can pull off avant-garde- and some couture- without looking absolutely ridiculous. The fashionistas understand that these types of fashion are often not to be worn, but to be looked at. These pieces are truly sculptures, forms of art whose purpose is to be looked at, not touched, not worn. The others are misguided. When people buy pictures, do they walk down the street carrying it on their backs? No! The same goes for couture. There are just some items in the fashion world that people do not wear or use. It is an unwritten rule, one that fashionistas accept easily and one that the others cannot.
Fashion is a way to express oneself. It is an art and it is beautiful. The untrained eye does not know fashion. These people are not artists and most will never understand why it is a passion of other people. But to the fashionistas- the worshipers of "material" objects- fashion is a way of life. Fashionistas live for the times they get to walk the streests, flaunting their artwork to the outside world. Fashion is lovely to them and they cannot imagine life without it. So, the next time you see a girl walking down the street in something that is different from the norm, realize that this is what she lives for. She is an artist. She is an influence on the material world. She is a fashionista.
