Trickle Down Fashion
Hello, and welcome to my brain. It is a swirling mix of creativity, failure, and growth. My favorite thing to explore and improve is my sense of style. Fashion is a game. The more you play, the better you get. It is a game of inventing the newest trends, and setting up the rest of the world to follow. Couture brands such as Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and Dior release their latest creations, and from there the cycle begins. So what does all of this have to do with me? Well, you and I are also part of this continuous pattern, and will be until either we die, or society collapses. Neither sound great. Either way, it is inescapable, so buckle up.
Have you ever bought a dress from Urban Outfitters or H&M? You best believe the item you bought is a later adaptation to a piece that a high-fashion brand launched. As an example, the red dresses in the image below look very similar. The difference is the year and maker, and therefore who will be wearing it. In the first image, the model is walking for the luxury brand “Saint Laurent.” The second and third models are from clothing websites over 2 years later: Zara and Primark, both stores visited by the general public. The trickle-down effect is born in Haute couture, then adopted by designer brands, and eventually hits mass-marketing.
As media has become a more important role in society, fast fashion companies have become faster at picking up trends. Because of cheap dupes, brands are easily replicated, furthering the effects of trickle down fashion. In an attempt to separate more from fast fashion, designer brands have raised prices and become more dramatic in their high fashion designs.
With the recent Balenciaga runway featuring the new summer 2023 line, many people were shocked at the drastic theme and eccentric clothing. Below is a model pictured walking the mud-covered runway. So, how can we keep up in this industry when new and more creative fashion designs are continually dropping? Well, my advice to you would be to stay adventurous with your closet. If you think there is something you might not pull off, wear it. Anything artistic worn with confidence is fashion.
Strike Out,
Written by: Rebecca Morgan
Edited by: Sarah Singleton
Graphic by: Rook Tilley
