The influence of avant-garde fashion
AVANT-GARDE is synonymous with a movement that transcends cultural boundaries with radical ideas for more than a century.
Since its inception, the development of this movement has been quite progressive in the fields of art, music, architecture, literature, theater, film, and most importantly, fashion.
In fashion terms, the avant-garde has succeeded in producing a generation of designers of a caliber to be proud of; those who are trying to reshape how we see and wear clothes.
The avant-garde style, which was once considered unusual, is now a world phenomenon and is accepted as progressive and forward-thinking.
Definition of Avant-Garde
Avant-garde is an artistic and intellectual cultural movement characterized by an experimental and radical approach. Taken from the French language meaning vanguard, this term describes a number of those who dare to think outside the box and move forward with unconventional or unusual ideas.
Avant-garde is important because it is based on the concept of continuous innovation, daring to take risks and momentum that constantly explores opportunities ahead.
This concept also emphasizes that every progress can only be achieved through every failure, and everyone who wants to be more progressive should be prepared to fail first.
Experimenting with different experiments can certainly produce unexpected innovations.
Avant-Garde fashion
In fashion, the avant-garde is manifested by driving intellectual forwardness, artistry, unconventional designs, new forms, unusual structures and touches that separate the spark of ideas and works from the mainstream.
The continuous experimental approach makes fashion with an avant-garde concept quite unique and significant.
Avant-garde fashion is the self-expression of designers through their work. It is not only external but more about the user’s intuition and perception of the work/design.
Avant-Garde Contribution To Fashion
The avant-garde movement has had an impact on how designers think and produce their work.
The look, shape and silhouette of clothing also began to change under the influence of the avant-garde.
The experimentation of details, details and radical and unexpected clothing cuts such as oversized tailoring injects a different perspective to contemporary dressing style.
Avant-Garde Iconic Fashion Designer
Through a long evolution, the world’s important avant-garde fashion designers have created their own style of work to such an iconic degree.
Indeed, the origin of avant-garde fashion is difficult to identify precisely, but the greatest influence in the beginning of the whole concept of the global avant-garde revolution, came from great Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons) and Junya Watanabe.
Yohji Yamamoto is among the avant-garde designers who have most successfully incorporated avant-garde fashion concepts into mainstream brands.
The collaboration between Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas for the Y-3 brand, is quite popular and has broken the tradition of clothing fashion.
Extraordinary designers such as Thierry Mugler, Courréges and Borris Bidjan Saberi also made a name for themselves with their iconic avant-garde collections.
Contemporary designers such as Rick Owens from the United States are also quite respected among the famous avant-garde fashion designers.
The influence of his design style has also been an inspiration in the collections of many designers on the world’s catwalk and also in other areas of design art.
Contemporary Avant-Garde Fashion
Avant-garde fashion started around the 1960s and was a new style concept that was quite controversial at the time.
It is always inspired by the contemporary social context which may eventually produce works capable of leapfrogging the manifestations (ideas/concepts/thoughts) that define an era.
Clothing with an avant-garde concept should also have provocative elements but at the same time still be sensitive and have an understanding of the layers of the scope of time, culture and society today.
This is to ensure it is relevant in the contemporary context.
Each design/work goes beyond the concept of clothing that has become a habit and actually carries a hidden story, which we need to unravel and translate.
The concept of avant-garde fashion is quite unusual and explores the freedom of artistic expression that has no boundaries.
Avant-Garde Fashion Type
The avant-garde fashion code includes various looks, shapes, silhouettes and proportions, depending on the designer and also the wearer’s wishes.
Each construction of avant-garde clothing style is the result of design based on the expression of the designer’s individuality.
Black is definitely the defining color of avant-garde fashion. Clothes that are all in black are quite dramatic and can focus on the silhouette of the dress. Especially in terms of asymmetric hemlines that can produce unique and special shapes. This fashion design should also have meaning, purpose and value to the wearer.
Different clothing structures in bright shades are also part of avant-garde fashion. This element is quite dominant in the collections of designers such as Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons). This alternative clothing fashion has features such as ruffles, pattern designs, textures and colors that are bold and full of shock impact.
There is also avant-garde street fashion – a collection of clothes specially designed for street wear. Avant-garde street style is often considered luxurious and is one way to ensure our presence is felt by the audience.
INFO
A History of the Avant-Garde
· Globally, the avant-garde movement consists of artists, designers, musicians, writers and thinkers. We can see the avant-garde movement growing since its inception in the late 1850s.
· The impact of the avant-garde on mainstream culture from the past to the present, contributed and pioneered by world iconic personalities such as Salvador Dali (painter), JG Ballard (writer) Zaha Hadid (architect), and Rei Kawakubo (fashion designer).
· Some of the most important breakthroughs in contemporary artistic and cultural fields have been achieved through the avant-garde movement. The avant-garde concept that rejects mentality or ordinary thinking and is more directed to empowering originality, has given the opportunity to those who are more open-minded to shape the future in a more inventive and significant way.
source – Faizal Hamid
