1. About past
designers;
MY FASHION HOMAGE The Great,
The Legend,
and The
Eccentric
This article pays homage to the Fashion Designers of past and present
century, and the contribution of The Great Coco Chanel, The Legendary
Gianni Versace and The Eccentric mind of Alexander McQueen works of
arts.
2. My Fashion Homage
Monday, 26 December 2011, 8:42:52 PM
Attention;to all readers.
Fashion, what can I say about Fashion? Well, Fashion is a phenomenon that occurs and
reoccurs in epoch, living remnants in history only to birth into a new century. Like the
conventionalMademoiselle Coco Chanel, to the aesthetic rock star of Fashion Gianni Versace,
and the Eccentric mind of his Majesty, Alexander McQueen. These designers gave voice to
an industry that on the surface may seem vein, however, Fashion is much more that; it is an
identity, class, and it can be powerful. From the living memories of what was, forward into
the future. New designers look at each principle of their designs to build new
concepts.Because Fashion provides a platform for designers to relishing their ideas, in order
to bring life into the imagination. So, firstly I begin myadulation of the grandiose designer
Madam Coco Chanel.
The ever so elegant, Mademoiselle Coco Chanel said “Elegance is
not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from
adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of
their future”.
The youth of today is driven to the edge of her wisdom, only to be inspired by the bravura
of what was and now perpetuate the future. Each piece is simplistic but the artistry is
beyond magnificent, with combination of empowerment, classiness, and honest resistant.
“Coco” used Fashion to speak for women. No other designers in history like Mademoiselle
Coco Chanel mastered the conventional expressionism, by tailoring her garments base on
what women need. She knew ahead of time that even the rich and fashionable women
wanted to dress in unpretentious manner, yet still classy. The cut was so simple but
captivating, because the principles of her designs was vivacity. Mademoiselle Coco Chanel
took the skirt length into new heights without losing the classiness. And how could we
possibly forget the three-quarter length sleeve tailored, preen and proper tweed suit. Its
instant classic and became the signature look for many women, even today. This is why
Fashion evolves in repetitions, each time it repeats the codes are the same however the
design is new again, and again.While the paradigm played out for the rest to follow. Without
the greatness of Mademoiselle Coco Chanel, where would Fashion be today? It would be like
trying to breathe without air, therefore the life of many would be none
existence.Mademoiselle Coco Chanel change women. With her powerful view of how women
should look, in order to be respected… this is why she, is the Legendary Mademoiselle,
Coco Chanel.We all believe that a woman wants to be remembered not by how she looked
rather by how she presents herself.
3. Just like when Mademoiselle Coco Chanel said “Dress shabbily
and they will remember the dress; dress impeccably and they
remember the woman”.
The Grande Dame of Fashion “Coco” Chanel was one of the 100most influential women in
the 20th century; by Times Magazine. And still today holds such formidable stature. The
inventor of the “new Look”, the tweed handbag, the tweed suit, “little black dress” and last
but not least the renowned Chanel Logo. She awed everyone in the public, while influence
her peers. Every precision stitch with such accuracy, that each garments fitted perfectly.
She designed for the women that did not exist yet, and that is why Mademoiselle Coco
Chanel will continue to live in the future. Her real name Gabrielle however, known as “Coco”
grow up in an orphanage graduated in life as an icon…
Mademoiselle Coco Chanel once said,“Fashion is not something
that exists in dresses only. Fashion has to do with ideas, the way
we live, what is happening”.
Forward to the 70‟s and 80‟s, where a new legend burst into life. He is the rock star of
Fashion,the man who piercedsex in sexuality, and then immerse with ecstasy. Gianni
Versace was not afraid of vulgarity, instead experimented bycontrasting fabrics and
symbols. He developed metal mesh fabric, but can be worked like the softest and
smoothest textile. Gianni was a postmodernist used the commercialism of Fashion into
creative advertising. You see virtue may come easy for some, while others flourished in the
dying conventionality of our society. Gianni use Fashion as a weapon to express his
philosophies, and created his own design principles. This is why Fashion can be powerful,
because Fashion provides freedom to speak ourminds and say “hell with all the negative
things,cuddle the countless possibilities”. This allows us to express everything that
otherwise is not acceptable. The Legendary Gianni Versace walked in his own shoes, living
his life that nature intended. And used the yen and yang of life and made it fashionable.
His appreciation for arts was impeccable, which played large role for inspiration. Gianni
looked at arts; pop and classic, broke boundaries and build new designs. Just like the 1991
summer collection worn by Naomi Campbell. There is a sense of familiarity base on Andy
Warhol, using snap shots of Marilyn Monroe; the pop art inventor met the rock star of
Fashion. The result of the collaboration is mind blowing.Fashion often or as many times
possible dabbles in the Arts by his hands. Why? Because Fashion is much more, than what
wewear;it is part of our everyday life. Each piece worn says something about the person.
And with this, Gianni wanted to accentuate women and their beauty as equal to men, and
succeeded.
The Legendary Gianni Versace once said “fashion has to be free to
express personality and individuality. I always looked for people
who are out of the crowd, who are individual, who are free, who
have real sense of style, which means their own sense of style”.
4. Arm with his own idealism, he fought for people who are flamboyant and their individuality
to be respected, Gianni Versace rave in surrealism ended in harsh condemnation of reality,
but won. Gianni marched thousands of miles without compromising his ideas. He rolled
every stones and painted them in his own interpretation of colours and luxurious textile,
like Italian silks with animal prints, floral andgeometric shapes, as well as lace on denim,
beading and embroidery. Simply because life can bemelancholy, thereforethe Legendary
Gianni Versace wanted everything to be beautiful…
You see, to understand Fashion we need to examine the minds that induce change, change
that let us experience new things. And to embrace the fact that being equal can only be
achieve by those who approaches life with an open mind. To understand what is really
happening in our life, that personality and individuality is like electricity; it cannot function
without the existence of the positive and negative energy. Perhaps everything in life is
paradoxical, just like how Alexander McQueen evokes in his collection.
Finally, this homage comes to an endwith the grace of his Majesty, Alexander McQueen.
There are no other prolific, provocateur, and a mind that is more eccentric than him. Birth in
a country full of Royals; in London and insurgent against conventional orthodoxy,nickname
„Alexander the Great‟ followed his own intuition. And build dreams into reality.
The Fashion God, Alexander McQueen. Said, “I‟m a big anarchist.
I don‟t believe in religion, or in another human being wanting to
govern over someone else… I do believe fashion is a voice.”
And so Alexander spook loud and clear, every words uttered was to the extreme, fought
against what is consider normal. And articulate his voice with bold colours, strong
silhouette, and the dramatization of his archetypes without using words. The protagonist
who induce power not to control, rather to elevate his opinion isequal.The year was
1996,age 27 appointed as head designer of Paris Couture House of Givenchy.From there
propagates his brilliance using semiotics messages in his creation, to historical references
of modern aristocracies; like the autumn 2010 collection. Received the tittle Commander of
the British Empire from theQueen Elizabeth II, the accolade of his recital continue to inspire
many.And devour the future as if still alive. Alexander interpreted his version of the truth;
thatthe purist power of the truth cannot be wielded with a fist, rather with intelligent, vision
and artistry.
Just like when Alexander featured models wearing two piece garments, an ankle lengthskirt
covered with light feathers,a V neck sleeveless blousethat softly drapes from the shoulder.
The models wrapped tightly with vile around their head and neck. The hair is messy and
subdue, the expression on their faces looks surprise but ostentatious, because of the hawks
attach from the shoulder. Seemingly flying around with the claws out like the models is
being attack. Perhaps the message of this collection is symbolic, in a sense that is
paradoxical. How the rapid emergent of commercialism in Fashion has cause affects to the
environment. Furthermore,Alexander was contraryto the normalisation of nature, rather he
embrace the fact that nature is limitless. Once we let our minds accept that the concept of
normis not one but many.
5. His Majesty, Alexander McQueen had an eccentric mind,his ideas was like pieces of puzzles
waiting to be refined; once prose accomplishesunderstand that beauty may not always exist
in perfection. Rather, it is within the imperfection where beauty lay. In 1999 he made this
apparent by using Aimee Mullins a Paralympic sprinter as a model on the catwalk. Because
of this Fashion God, Alexander McQueen made us stop and think. He lunge at vanity,
fought vigorously like a warrior, and massacred his critics. Only to demonstrate how
different people are, however, we all have something in common; its feelings. He taught us
to accept the differences, andthe lessons gain from the experience was valuable;
because“sometimes whenman anguish and not heard until departed” this is a harsh reality.
His Majesty, Alexander McQueen expressed everything; loud and bold as he could, loved life
heard, and past dramatically as he havelived.
Which brings me to a conclusion; to live we must wonder into the world, where being
different should be accepted rather than repulse, because even the conventional idealism
can be reinvented, as accomplish by Mademoiselle Coco Chanel, to how the Legendary
Gianni Versace changethe perception of women and their sexuality. By conveying self-
provocation of sex because it is essential part topersonality and equal to men. Finally the
repertoire of his eccentricity is allegoric by his Majesty, Alexander McQueen. These
designers demonstrated that Fashion is certainly a voice worth listening, because there is an
Art to Fashion, the sort of Art that emulates our lives. That mainly uses colours rather than
words, textile instead of weapons, and artistry as the alternative to violence.
Writer; Willy Bagatcholon