Humans
are like computer programs. We are raised up to perceive the world around us in
binary – things are either a 1 or a 0, male or female, black or white. Anything
in between is almost seen as a virus, a threat – an abnormality. Our obsession
goes that far to perceive dogs & cats as two separate sides of the same
coin, when in fact they are completely separate species. Somewhere along the
way of evolution, we decided that everything needed a category, or a box,
otherwise it wouldn’t fit. In reality, life isn’t black and white, it’s not
even 5000 shades of grey – it’s blue, orange, pink, green, yellow, purple and
every other color you can imagine.
Even in fashion, people and designers are expected to stick
to a certain aesthetic, a certain sense of style that becomes their brand. If
you’re a minimalist, god forbid you go out in a tie-dyed fringe top and floral
shorts, or if you’re into grunge you’re positively forbidden to wear something too upscale. From a business point of
view, it makes sense, you want people to come into your store and get what they
expect. This has lead to many designers being doomed to producing repetitive
collections baring the design influences of people they didn’t even know. When
designers change around brands, unless they stick to their true heritage, they’re
basically doomed to be slated for the first few years. For instance, take Hedi
Slimane and YSL (or should I say Saint Laurent) – the man took an old and
basically dying brand and renewed it with an innovative direction that retailed
better than anything else had in years. However, his redesign was met with
criticism from 90% of the fashion world, with comments ranging from comparisons
with forever 21 to flat-out statements he was ruining the brand’s name. Even
now, once most of the fashion world has accepted him, Hedi can’t just pick up
and change direction; he’s expected to consistently turn out young
rock-influenced clothing.
Unless it’s a complete overhaul in image, with a new
distinct & clear direction, change is seen as a bad thing. Change goes with
indecisiveness, and the inability to commit. Whereas, in actuality, change is
never a one-stop trip, it’s constant and eternal. Even in history, we’ve never
changed overnight, its taken centuries. Why then, do we expect everybody around
us to fit themselves in one box or the other? We push for people to think
outside of the box but despise if this doesn’t lead to them fitting into
another one. In my opinion, there is no box, unless you decide to build one. Setting
up limits stifles creativity, and puts us into neatly packaged finished
products divided by style on shelves labeled with generalistions. But life isn’t
a supermarket, and we aren’t cans of soup – stop labeling yourself and you
allow the opportunity to be anything you want, which is the best feeling in the
world.
Coat by H&M
Top from Topman
Jeans from Asos
Platform Sneakers from Asos
Sunglasses from Topman
Bag from H&M
