Well, there is always art in fashion. It is the art of creation and imagination that brings you the latest fashion trends.
Deconstruction and avant-garde are subjective terms to describe designers that often overlap. While both make art-like fashion, avant-garde designers are more theatrical and flamboyant.
Avant-garde fashion is a concept that expounds the innovative and extravagant flow in fashion trends, not fitting the generally accepted standards. Nowadays, pure fashion trends have become uncommon, with trendy clothes presenting a blend of different fashion styles. This offers space for creativity to breathe and for the drama to sneak in. Apart from fabric, this progressive style makes use of unconventional materials like mesh, paper and even cardboard. Basically, a style for art-loving people who love creating “out of the box” statements.
Let’s go through a few avant-garde fashion designers and their work over the years:
Alexander McQueen:
Spring Summer, 1997
The man was best known for his over-the-top runway presentations that were filled with drama, and a narrative that suggested an affinity towards avant-garde installations and art. His shows were an outlet of his emotions. Indeed, McQueen’s creativity and startling originality were expressed through complex concepts. The technical artistry of his runway presentations always went on to create fashion news.
Yohji Yamamoto:
Paris Fashion Week, 2016
Born in Tokyo, Yamamoto acquired a degree in law before he stepped into the shoes of a fashion designer. With a vision to change the idea of what could constitute women’s fashion, Yamamoto set out to make gender fluid fashion, and had his first collection out in Paris, 1981. With his over-sized silhouettes and deconstructed looks, he created a revolution in designing. He has worked with fashion labels like Adidas and Hermes, but still remains distinctive when it comes to presenting his thoughts and fashion styles.
Viktor and Rolf:
Paris Fashion Week Spring 2006
The Dutch designer duo – Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren – are renowned for their avant-garde fashion styles. They initially worked at Maison Margiela, going on to present their fashion clothes in art galleries and unauthorized shows during fashion weeks. They usually make use of form as means of communicating a message. The duo was much talked about for their conceptualism. While the two have moved on to designing ready-to-wear in recent years, their perplexing designs and antithetical take to fashion have made them what they are today.
Thierry Mugler:
Thierry Mugler Haute Couture Fall Winter 1998
Mugler began as a designer with his first collection way back in the 70’s. He emphasized on spring trends like wide padded shoulders, solid colors, PVC, and synthetics. Apart from producing outrageous haute couture fashion styles, he has also created costumes for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. His work goes on to show that the challenge of avant-garde is not in the unrealized future of the designs or the limitation of their wear-ability, but their claim to be fashion rather than art or theater.
Paco Rabanne:
Paco Rabanne Spring 2012 Show
After studying to be an architect, Paco Rabanne migrated from Spain to France and worked at making jewelry for design houses. He was recognized for the space age costume he designed for the 1968 sci-fi movie Barbarella. His emphasis on synthetics, hard plastics, paper and metal for dresses, and the then new forms of goggles made fashion news. The designer was quite ahead of his time, giving us the now infamous Space Age Look.
Picture courtesy – vam.ac.uk, telegraph.co.uk, livingly.com, whicdn.com, fabelish.com
