Hi all!
This week I am going to discuss how pop culture (mainly focusing on musical artists) have a strong influence on fashion, and the bottoms-up theory.
Life imitates art, and art imitates life. Years and years ago, when fashion originally became dubbed as a marketable art, most trends were birthed by new designers and high-end fashion houses. But as creativity took hold of the everyday population, and music started booming past the crooners of the 1940s and 50s, creative icons started to influence fashion trends more than expensive designers. (I.e. Twiggy, Andy Warhol’s pop art movement, and the influence of disco and punk through multiple artists).
Skip ahead to modern times, and fashion trends come and go so quickly, and they are often created by online influencers and oddball musicians. (I.e. Lady Gaga, goth subculture and music).
Vivienne Westwood is a fashion designer that brought the punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream with her designs. Working with creative musical acts of the underground, she made those fashions come into vogue. Vivienne Westwood is the reason of the genesis of the term “bottoms-up theory” in relation to the fashion industry. She popularized trends from everyday creatives and made them fashionable for the masses.
I like to compare my designs to Westwood, and aspire to bring pop-cultural inspirations into my own work. By grabbing inspiration from other avenues of creativity in the world, fashion can be more accessible and understandable to more people wanting to express themselves.
I hope this quick little history tidbit has enlightened y’all. Fashion is not just a business, but a form of expression, as seen in many alternative subcultures. I encourage everyone I know to express yourselves through your appearance and what you decide to wear.
Thanks,
Lorraine