by Cristina Pavelescu
Celsius magazine no. 2, Offline
Fashion on a personal level, when it is cherished with ease rather than when taken seriously – frivolity, in this particular case, is directly proportional with pleasure – not only does not make our head ache, but makes our life more beautiful. That’s it.
When we look at a work of art, be it a panting or film, when we read a book or listen to music and we like what we see, our eyes twinkle, we enrich ourselves, want to dance; something smiles within us. It would be interesting to feel this way when choosing what to wear, too, or looking at someone who is already dressed and feel like admiring. In any of the situations, however, it is about self-knowledge rather than just taste. Art helps us find ourselves just as much as it helps us lose ourselves – metaphorically speaking. Just as clothes do – literally speaking.
Style says who we are before we do. Nevertheless, clothes have the power to make us shine only when their sparkle is in line with ours. To expect for fashion to save us and transform us into something that we’re not is to, basically, become liars, on one hand. People who take fashion so seriously that it becomes superficial. On the other hand, there are people who take fashion the opposite way. They choose not to speak through fashion at all only to not be taken for liars. For the fashion victims that make fashion feel superficial.
Art is not necessary, yet it makes our life more beautiful.
We could all be wearing palm trees’ leaves and everything would be so simple (and impossible). In an immediate reality, though, we could all be wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of classic, blue jeans. But we are not. We are different and we want to show it.
Clothes will cover (for) us no matter what. Ideally, clothes we like, make us feel good, represent us – the mandatory role when wanting to experiment in and with fashion. No explanation, rule or theory needed. No limits or purposes whatsoever. Relaxed. Open minded. Out of pleasure. Fun.
When being creative. When falling in love.
Are the clothes we choose to wear online the ones that make us feel offline even when online or is it the other way around? Online definitely has its charm, but only when offline is happy.
The notion of fashion industry is a product of the modern era. With technology, capitalism and store chains, clothes were produced in shoal, standard measures and at fixed prices. Until the mids of 19th century, clothing was hand made to measure by a tailor, a process appreciated nowadays more than ever. There are couture Chanel pieces from Spring 2016 collections which are – first and foremost – said to be hand made in “an infinity of hours”, precisely the hours that promise the customer to be able to keep them from one generation to another.
In antithesis with fast fashion, mass production and lack of sustainability.
Almost anyone of us can confirm, though, the existence of “fast” pieces in our closets. We are only human and this is the world we live in. It’s the online. It is, however, the world we shouldn’t run from, but furthermore find the offline within. A world where we would be choosing clothes by paying attention to the tactile and soul. Where we would take the time to contemplate a painting, watch a movie, read, listen to music, just listen, dance and not ever forget about having fun.
If fashion would be perceived as the form of art that it is, we wouldn’t take it so seriously and it wouldn’t seem frivolous to us anymore. To us, the ones who are afraid not to be identified with those who use fashion in order to lie. To us, the ones who chose to go into another, deeper things rather than into the shallow perceived fashion. Fashion can be deep, too, even though it may only look like just a game. It is, anyway, one. A play game. An art.
In any case, if we are being honest with ourselves in the first place, why should we be afraid? Of perceptions, preconceptions. Everything is relative, in the end. The idea of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity sprung while day dreaming in his armchair at home.
He was also known for his unique sense of humour.
