How Pop Culture Affects Fashion

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

Designing in the Entertainment Industry

I just want to explain a little bit of the “how” and “why” of what I do, and give a big thank you to all of my creative friends who have helped me along the way with building my business. 

I am extremely thankful for the creative community I am a part of in the valley; we all lift each other up and help each other reach our career goals. As a fashion designer, there are specific routes you can take to build one’s business, and I got lucky enough to be surrounded by other wonderful creatives in the local music scene to help bolster my career path.

Many fashion designers start out in the music industry, and that is exactly what I aim to do as well. Jeremy Scott, who is now creative director of Moschino and his own namesake label, started out designing in Paris and then moving into the entertainment industry, and to this day still designs Katy Perry’s costumes for performance and videos. An extremely inspiring story, it has motivated me to support my local scene by offering fashion advice, styling services, and by selling my own creations that are tailor-made for musicians. 

Being a young designer in the music industry is quite informative and rewarding and I am extremely thankful for the opportunities that have come my way because of it. 

My tip to any creative of any media and avenue is to branch out and support other creatives of different mediums, it will pay off in the end and give you an outlook on other creative industries to inspire your own approach. 

Thank you, again, for everyone who has supported me in my journey as a young fashion designer. My dreams of clothing musicians are coming true and it is quite overwhelming.

Lorraine