The fashion industry has unlocked multiple career opportunities for aspiring fashion designers nowadays. Earlier, it was difficult to avail career and professional opportunities with the subject. Now, the demand has increased and opportunities are endless for aspiring fashion designers.
Fashion has always been a method of self-expression and autonomy in a given time, location, and environment. Clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, cosmetics, haircut, and body posture can all be included in Fashion and all of its meaning. It has a significant impact on our society and its social aspects.
Many people believe that fashion, in general, is a method for us to express ourselves. It also represents a person's sentiments and mood, as well as who they are and why they chose to wear clothes depending on their particular preference.
The good qualities of fashion as a kind of art are that it demonstrates a person's originality while also benefiting society. Fashion reflects a person's qualities and demonstrates that their distinctive style is unique in every way conceivable.
It is walking art that motivates you to express not only yourself but also your culture and ethnicity.
Let’s take a look at what Fashion has looked like over the years!
Fashion Throughout the Decades
Fashion design has progressed much beyond the simple style of garments. Today, fashion design has matured into a full-fledged business. Fashion has evolved from prim-and-proper gowns to dad shoes and suit sets over the previous century or so.
Here are some of the most influential fashion trends over the last decades:
Pearl Jewelry of the ’50s: As a result of the post-WWII baby boom generation, the 1950s saw a period of domestic refinement for women in Western society. Women were supposed to stay at home and appear flawless while performing housework. With the popularity of pearl jewellery, this June Cleaver-type lifestyle mirrored the TV character's manner. Pearl necklaces, in particular, are connected with women's elegance throughout this era.
Babydoll Dress of the 60’s: During the 1960s, the babydoll dress was prominent. During the Second Wave of Feminism, women wanted to visibly represent their newfound liberty, thus they sought out less restrictive dress trends. The babydoll dress's high empire waistline mixed with the ultra-short hem length was the ultimate expression of the modern feminist message women were striving to make. Twiggy, among others, was a regular wearer of this dress design.
Leather Jackets in the ’80s: Another significant stylistic transition happened in the realm of fashion as disco faded and metal rose to prominence. The '80s were a dramatic contrast to the open designs and vibrant flowers of previous decades, ushering in the advent of black leather jackets, which were typically put over a band T-shirt. When Madonna launched her music video for "Papa Don't Preach" in 1986, she popularised punk style and leather jackets.
Plaid Sets of the ’90s: If Cher Horowitz taught us anything in Clueless, it's that plaid ensembles can be stylish. Following the release of the legendary film in 1995, it was evident that the all-plaid style in the shape of a matching blazer-and-skirt pair was here to stay. Nonetheless, the outfit was influenced by high fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood, who debuted a plaid skirt on the runway just a year before for her Fall/Winter 1994 collection, which was worn by none other than the '90s supermodel Kate Moss herself.
The Tracksuit of the ’00s: Juicy Couture's terry cloth and velour sweatsuits, beloved by the likes of J.Lo, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears throughout the early to mid-aughts, are already a sentimental item that some celebs—not to mention the company itself—are attempting to bring back. Graphic T-shirts, exposed midriffs, and logo-heavy It bags were also popular during that decade.
Similarly, fashion designers have also evolved over the years.
Influential Fashion Designers and Their Trendsetting Designs
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson was drawn to the arts as a kid, particularly sketching and dancing. Her passion for drawing showy, complex outfits for dance recitals sparked her profession as a fashion designer. Johnson is noted for her eccentric, out-of-the-box style and is regarded as a pioneer of New York City street fashion in the late 1970s.
Christian Dior
Few designers dominated the fashion sector after WWII like Christian Dior. Dior's designs included a lower hemline on dresses, petite shoulders, and wider skirts, as opposed to the bulky shoulders and shorter skirts appearance of previous seasons. Dior is credited with returning French clothiers to their pre-war aristocratic position.
Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel ruled Haute fashion for six decades. Chanel's designs were composed of casual clothing that was nicely designed. She debuted the collarless cardigan jacket and bell-bottom slacks in 1954. Chanel was well-known for her quilted handbags, the "little black dress," and her perfume, Chanel No. 5, which is arguably the most well-known scent of all time.
Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce
The Italian couple made a name for themselves during Milan Fashion Week in 1985 with their "Sicilian widow" style, which incorporated black lace. They then branched out into knitwear and accessories. They also got a lot of attention when Madonna wore their bejewelled corset to the Cannes Film Festival. Later, Dolce & Gabbana would be noted for rethinking intimate clothing for outerwear as well as their use of animal prints.
Gianni Versace and Donatella Versace
Gianni will go down in history as the person who introduced the fashion business to current street culture. He created outfits for famous public figures, celebrities, and even royalty, most famously Princess Diana. Donatella started working with her brother in the 1970s and is now in charge of the programme. Donatella Versace is currently worth $200 million as the Versace Group's main designer and vice president.
These designers came from humble beginnings and shocked the world with their creativity. It was their drive and attitude that made the biggest impact in the fashion industry. That is what makes fashion such a unique field.
Fashion in the Current Climate and Everything to Lookout For!
Consumer behaviour has changed over the last year, as individuals sought refuge from the virus in their homes, travel was restricted, and businesses throughout the world were shuttered. However, as digital consumption maintains its dominance and growth in 2021, designers must create more engaging and sociable experiences.
Fashion businesses of all sizes and specialisations are utilising technology to better understand their clients than ever before. Artificial intelligence will transform firms' approach to product design and development as data collecting efforts get more advanced, with an emphasis on forecasting what customers will want to wear next.
The future phase of fashion is all about customization and forecasting. With more data, algorithms will become trend hunters, anticipating (and constructing) what's next in never-before-seen ways.
The emerging trend of technological advancement will pave the way for future fashion designers. This is the decade where the digital meets the creative.
So, for students who are still on the verge of deciding their career path, there can be no better time to choose fashion. Choose a good institute like INIFD Kothrud that will teach you the ins and outs of fashion and start on the road to your future now!
