“Good humor may be said to be one of the very best articles of dress one can wear in society.”, said the British writer William Makepeace Thackeray once in the 19thcentury. This quote can easily be transferred into the present age, because fashion and humor kind of belong together. The ones who prove to be humorous will be accepted by society, the ones who are able to make fun of themselves seem likeable. It’s the same thing with fashion. The ones who wear noble clothes will be noticed by others, the ones who take care of their looks will be accepted.
In the last years, more and more designers discovered that fashion and humor have a lot of similarities. To achieve that certain something, they season their designs with a tiny pinch of humor. For example, there’s Gucci, teasing itself by just changing one letter. Suddenly a “Guccy” logo is decorating handbags and pullovers. However, the French label Vetements dedicated a whole collection to the parcel service DHL. The ones buying the red-yellow-black shirts could easily impersonate a postman. You can’t deny that the designers’ creative ideas make us grin now and then. Nevertheless, such fashion outbursts come across critical voices frequently. With the current social changes, the laughter sticks in our throats very often. And shouldn’t fashion reflect society?
Opinions Matter
Political movements, crises and social differences are important for the designers. Yes, even fashion is setting clear examples. Maria Grazia Chiuri became a pioneer with her statement T-shirts for Dior. So more and more high street labels were embellishing their shirts with quotes like “The Future Is Female”. The Italian designer shows her clearly feministic attitude in almost every collection. In his fall/winter 2018 show for Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia sent some of his models down the runway wearing merchandise of the “World Food Programme”. While Gvasalia donated a high sum to the United Nations charity, ten percent of the proceeds of the sold merchandise go to the World Food organization itself. When it comes to politics, Diesel started the “Make Love Not Walls” campaign in 2017. The reference to president Trumps plans to build a wall between the USA and Mexico is quite distinct.
Balenciaga FW18 @ Vogue Runway
Have Some Fun
Fashion is shaping society since day one. And vice versa. Not everyone understands the same humor and not everyone understands the same trends. Fashion is a form of art and should be enjoyed – as a costumer or designer. With all the bad issues concerning us right now, it’s nice that fashion is able to conjure a smile on our faces. It’s the balance of sobriety and wit, which makes life interesting anyway. The legendary “Cover Girl” video of actress Lena Dunham, preparing for her first Cover Shoot for Vogue with the help of Vogue editor-at-large Hamish Bowles, showed that it is actually allowed to make fun of the fashion industry. And even Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour proved that she isn’t taking herself too serious in several talk shows. Let’s do it like her and be happy about this development in fashion!
Picture for featured Image via Flickr & Vogue Runway
Text by Aline
Layout by Angela
