Fashion as communication is the book I have chosen to reflect upon for this task. In the chapter ‘Etymologies and Definitions of Fashion and Clothing’ Malcom Bernard looks in depth at the meaning of fashion and the way fashion has been used in society. In the opening Bernard explains that fashion was once something which someone done, unlike now, where fashion is something that someone wears. Throughout the chapter he expands on this thought as well as how fashion changes social status and peoples opinions towards fashion as a craft.

The passage of the chapter which I found most interesting, Bernard talks about how Fashion design ‘enjoys a lower status than any of the so-called fine arts’ (1996, Bernard, p.23) he backs up this quote with one similar from Willson ‘fashion is the degraded or unacceptable face of art’ (1990, p.209). After reading this chapter I was faced with the question ‘what is my perception of fashion?’. My initial thought was fashion is a form of wearable art. I noticed that this thought disagrees with Bernard’s and Willson’s feeling towards fashion. The oxford dictionaries definition of art states that art is ‘The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power’. Art is appreciated for their beauty or power in the same way fashion can make people feel beautiful or powerful. Fashion gives people different feelings as they wear it. The same way that art gives people different feelings as they study it. Dance, literature and music are also considered one of the arts. This is because they convey emotions. You either like or dislike certain genres of the arts the very same way that people like or dislike styles of fashion.

A debate by the Tate questions ‘is art changing the face of fashion?’ stating ‘the Piet Mondrian paintings that inspired Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian Collection of now iconic cocktail dresses in 1965’ (Tate, Holtham, 2013). The way art has such a big impact on fashion shows the close relation between art and fashion. Artists and designers are both very creative people therefor designers grasp the deeper meaning of art and translate it into their own. I came across a quote by Hugo Pratt ‘The fact is that even art is subject to fashion’. This made me think about how fashion is also changing the face of art. The styles of artist have changed throughout history to fit in with the fashion of today’s society. Even in the form of tattoos, the artwork that people choose to put on their bodies, change with the fashion of today’s world.

I feel that this chapter has opened my eyes to what fashion is and made me think about how it is perceived in today’s society. Although I disagree with some of the points in the writing, I found it incredibly interesting to see how others see fashion.

http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/tate-debate-art-changing-face-fashion, Susan Holtham, Feb 2013