Thank You, Eric Gaskins
Eric Gaskins’ blog post of last week, wherein he tackles the question of what is fashion and why it matters, inspired a host of impassioned comments from readers determined to weigh in on a subject that touched them profoundly. The dialogue that unfolded, as comments and responses went back and forth, fascinated me. I wanted to join the discussion, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was at a loss for what to say. That doesn’t happen very often.
And my ruminations led me to think about why. Why didn’t I approach the idea of fashion with the same passion, energy and sense of wonderment that was manifest in what the commentators wrote in response to Eric’s post? Why could others, and not me, connect with fashion they way I connect with a Monet or a Michelangelo? What does fashion really mean to me and what place does it inhabit in my world? Like a religious leader who doesn’t believe in God, am I a fraud, writing fashion blogs without appreciating the magic of fashion, the myriad of things it represents to so many?
And then it occurred to me why. I grew up in a household where fashion – the art form – was eclipsed by fashion – the business model – and where names like Norman Norell, Paulene Trigere, Originalla, and the likes, floated across the dinner table not so much for the contribution each made to fashion but for how their pieces should be merchandised, who else carried them, were their goods shipped timely? The fashion, we never quite got to – the lines, the shapes, the colors, the fabrics, the textures, the workmanship, the statement made by the pieces was all taken for granted. Sort of like having a great antique vase in your living room and thinking only about how much to insure it for and how to maintain it, missing the opportunity to appreciate its beauty and artistic elements.
And once you begin to think of fashion for the pure sake of fashion – you come away with a new appreciation for your role as an owner of a fashion business. You begin to see yourself as a custodian or trustee, a caretaker, whose role is not merely to ensure the continuation of the business (which in and of itself is a great challenge), but to do so in a way where you support and foster the true art of fashion, with all of its transformative creative elements. Such a task, I fear, is easier said than done.
Thanks Eric, for getting me to the point of thinking about this.
Caryn Hirshleifer
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