should be doing hmwk

“our appreciation of the apparent aesthetic simplicity of minimalism is accompanied today by an increasing interest in the development of new fabrics and combinations of materials. in this way fashion is catching up with industrial design, which has been dedicated to reducing the weight and volume of objects for many years. a well known and long standing collaboration between makiko minagawa and issey miyake aims to incorporate complex synthetic materials, like polyester and nylon, into high fashion. the german designer jil sander uses fabrics from the aeronautical industry in her designs, thus demonstrating her trust in technology as much as in aesthetics as a means of expression. philippe stark has created a garment for wolford using no more than 7 ounces of stretch polyamide, where merges the sweater with a tubular, seamless on-piece dress, and is at the forefront of clothing development.” (from a book i scanned @ the ucla arts library but not sure which one)

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i don’t know about u but i’ve been feeling really down on fashion and accessibility lately. obviously w/ stores like f21 quantity over quality dictates endless combinations of vaguely trendy clothes, but when i can’t find a long sleeve shirt without dropped seams or dolman sleeves something in the world is Wrong. i demand armpit attention and also the ability to move. why can’t i find clothes i like (that i can afford)?????

so i started a kinda materials investigation on f21.com and the clothes are made of mostly the following: cotton, acrylic, nylon, spandex, polyester, rayon, etc. i obviously don’t know anything about the actual cost or details of clothing production (esp in terms of outsourcing), but based on composition why would a 84% rayon %14 nylon alexander wang dress cost $250?

i’m tired of feeling like i’m not allowed or able to look “current” or “minimal” w/o spending a lot of money. do u know what i mean? prices these days seem arbitrary to quality or material, so i can only assume the $90 price attached to a sheer polyester dress with an string-tie waistline and noncommittal lining from zara is meant to reinforce a certain “boutique” identity.

not to mention ppl place so much value on their design ideas, and then clutch on to their one-liner success with an obsessive entitlement. silkscreening margiela onto the back of a jersey t-shirt is contributing to the dialogue of style online but it might be missing the point when it cultivates an expensive and “exclusive” storefront and image.

why can’t clothes acknowledge and use the particular affordances of cheap materials, clothes that approximate trends instead of reproducing them, clothes that don’t necessarily aim to be more than they are. transparency in seams that fall apart, that need to be rolled, elastic waistbands, clothes that are rough at the edges. “designed cheap clothes”? idk

im obviously not a fashion designer i just know what i want and i can’t find it