Theory of Clothing as Art: An Introduction
I am infinitely grateful to the Designer Boot Camp program for teaching me to sew my own designs, but I wouldn’t be a UChicago student if I didn’t want a little more. Since my designs debuted last winter at Galería de MODA, I have been filled with questions about what clothing is and what it should be. How do designers begin to conceptualize their looks, and why do they choose the designs they do? Balenciaga crocs, bricks being sold for thousands of dollars, IKEA Frakta bags serving as handbag inspiration. Fashion trends are strange, and sometimes are meant to be displayed on the runway rather than worn.
In this new series, I am planning to write about the art of clothing. I will be writing less about fashion, which involves histories and trends of clothing, and more about clothing as an art form. Some big questions I will be exploring include: what makes clothing as an art distinct from other forms of art, clothing’s relationship to culture, and how individuals interact with clothing as part of their identity, individuality, and group affiliation. I am hoping to illustrate from this emerging philosophy the myriad ways we currently conceive of clothing as an art form, as well as new methods and mediums for interpreting clothing as an art.
I am still learning, and I won’t have all the answers. I am hoping that my readers will correct me or offer their opinions on what I write. With that, next week, I will be begin with clothing and its interaction with the body.
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