Prada Love

I dont want to appear to be obsessed with any one designer, but I almost always love Prada. I may not fall in love with each collection, but I always feel her designs are thoughtful and boundary-pushing. This article in T Magazine shows exactly that. She's interested in the ugly side of fashion, is never concerned with being too pretty, questions the legitimacy of fashion as art, and is honest that she also actually has to sell these clothes she dreams up.  I love that she requests no input.  I'm not an expert on what is acceptable in terms of fashion and labels, but I'm always slightly disappointed in how many major brands with a major designer that seem to offload the actual design to anonymous assistants.  I guess the designer is the big picture, direction provider, the one that oks or tweaks each design.  This bursts my bubble, though, on the fantasy I'm buying into. I dont want a dress designed by committee, I want the idea that fell out of the sky, onto paper, and eventually into fabric.  I dont want to know that the sleeve was chosen because 3/4 sleeves are big sellers from March through August.  Mrs Prada is honest with that business side, but I feel that she pushes the envelope so much that this cannot be her only thought as she creates.

We arent all lucky enough to earn a living following our passion, but this is a good reminder that we can hopefully find some merit in the work that we do.  

“Yes. If people take money out of their pockets, it means that what you are doing is relevant to them. I hope they don’t just buy because there is a logo but because the object is relevant to them. To sell is to prove that what you are doing makes sense. I’m completely against the idea that we do fashion for an elite — that would be too easy, in a way.” 

It's also a good reminder that what you spend your money on impacts the kind of world we live in - what types of products are for sale, what type of art is supported. You vote with your dollars, whether it's your local coffeshop (to stay in business) or in Macy's (what styles and brands are sold in stores). You get to vote if you would prefer cheap, disposable fashion or investment pieces. (Oh, now that's a whole other discussion. Of course, no one wants to support sweatshops, but we all cannot afford luxury, hand-crafted goods. Ok, another day!)