Passions

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
― Confucius

It’s the passions and talents we have that keep us motivated as industry professionals to become successful. What fuels me is anchored in the creative pursuits of individuals in the fashion industry, from designers to writers to trendsetters.

As cliché as this will sound, fashion IS my passion. I find it infinitely interesting to delve into the creative process of designing wearable works of art. This is mostly seen in the haute couture runways of Paris but even in the pret-a-porter of American designers, it is astounding to see how an idea gets translated into fashion. Reading about what passions and ideas fuels designers in their creative process in turn feeds my desire to know all I can about the industry. "A good designer will not mimic a trend, but use it to create something new. The best designers start trends" ( Page 122). However, this is just a segment of the industry in which is much more vast than the average person tends to think about. The average person cannot afford designer clothing so we turn to mass market labels to provide us with the latest trends at the fraction of the price of runway designs. It can be just as rewarding to discover the process of designing for mass market labels such as Zara or H&M, from sourcing to manufacturing.

The idea that most inspires me is the melding of the two worlds in fashion, designer labels collaborating with mass market labels. This idea has been coined “the Democratization of Fashion”. There used to be a time where only the wealthy could afford high designer labels and it was inaccessible to the middle class person (unless you explored the black market of counterfeits, of course). Since the downturn of the economy, the business of fashion has changed. In my eyes, for the better. Designers are flocking to retailers like Target and H&M to collaborate on one-off collections available to the masses who admire their designs but could previously never afford to purchase anything. Everyone from Marc Jacobs to Mr. Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld himself, are joining hands with retailers to expose their brand to a new market. “Brands that provide enjoyment will stand out in the future. It is a differentiator and a way to get noticed” (Page 136). This makes the consumer excited to shop and becomes a win win for everyone involved.

Last but certainly not least, I enjoy writing. It becomes a release for me, a catharsis of sorts, when I am not able to express myself so eloquently in speech. I have quite the imagination so I love creative writing and when I can couple that with my “passion for fashion”, it is when I truly shine. I enjoy writing about my experiences in the fashion industry, what it is like working for a fashion start up, and where I see the industry going. “The ‘human factor’ talks about how brands and individuals are now seeking to connect at a different level with more audience participation and truthful engagement” (Page 214). I like to infuse my writing with wit and poignant observations which I believe connects with readers on a basic human level, as author Melissa Davis points out. I encourage my readers to explore further for themselves what they deem to be the truth and in turn inspire someone else with their findings. It becomes a collaboration of sorts further allowing people of different backgrounds and social status to dialogue about issues that affect us. Indeed, the democratization of fashion is upon us.