Does Fashion Need to be Groundbreaking to be Good?

As Miranda Priestly (à la “The Devil Wears Prada”) once proclaimed, “Florals, for spring? Groundbreaking.” Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, but that begs the question — does fashion need to be groundbreaking to be good? 

What differentiates “good” fashion from “bad” fashion? Is it purely due to personal tastes, or do our fashion opinions rely on the social factors that influence fashion? Personal tastes exist within the context of the world, meaning that fashion cannot be viewed in isolation, so when we observe “basic” fashion collections/garments, what are we really observing? 

Interacting with fashion comes at every level. Whether it’s getting dressed every day or designing and creating garments, fashion is a spectrum — and each part of the spectrum has inherent value. 

A discernibly “basic” fashion garment speaks to the current state of the fashion world. If a brand like Bottega Veneta sends a white button-down shirt down the runway and Zara produces a white button-down shirt, what are the differences? On the surface both garments may seem the same — but after further investigation, they have more differences than similarities. Whether it be the construction, the quality of labor and materials used, or the purpose of the garment in a commercial industry, a Bottega Veneta garment and a Zara garment are like night and day. 

Our collective perception of the value of garments depends on various factors. As our awareness and care for sustainability and ethical production grows, so do our standards of “good” fashion. Was this garment produced ethically? Was this garment produced sustainably? As consumers, asking ourselves these questions and challenging our preconceived notions of good fashion pushes us toward a better industry.

Does that mean one is inherently better than the other? 

Is Innovation Everything?

In our fast-paced, product-obsessed culture, innovation is everything. Whoever comes up with the most ingenious and original creation is considered the best. In the fashion world, it can feel like one has to have the most avant-garde idea to get noticed.

Groundbreaking fashion can be exciting to witness and test our limits, the same is true for conventional fashion. In recent years, however, the worth of a garment or collection rests on its virality and not much else. The most seemingly innovative piece — the one that will go viral — has the highest value. We no longer take into account values like construction quality, sustainability, and labor used to assess fashion, we go off the metric of likes.

John Galliano for Maison Margiela’s Spring 2024 Haute Couture collection recently showed us what a truly groundbreaking show is. The models had porcelain skin, hair teased to the sky, waists tightly sinched by corsets, bodies walked in contorted positions, pubic hair was displayed without shame. The show’s atmosphere got under the viewer's skin — it was disturbing, uncomfortable even, and beautifully enchanting. 

Maison Margiela Spring 2024 Couture. Photo courtesy of Youtube

Were dramatic effects the only thing that made this collection groundbreaking? In short, no. Fabric manipulations, silhouettes, makeup and hair styling all enhanced this collection and helped us to categorize it as innovative. This shows that one factor can’t define a fashion show/collection — a great collection cannot solely rely on a “viral moment” to drive commercial sales and public adoration. A viral moment can get someone their five minutes of fame but in this world fame is fleeting. A truly great collection must rely on multiple factors as this one did. Hair, makeup, garments, accessories, set design, and models created an incredible show. 

Many people described this collection as groundbreaking — whether due to its virality, its everlasting impact on the fashion landscape, and yes, the clear innovation behind the collection.

Contrary to the Margiela show, the collections featured below are not “groundbreaking.” The models don’t resemble ghostly dolls and there are no theatrical elements but that does not mean the fashion presented is any less than, quite the opposite.

Visually Appealing or Valuable? You Decide.

Maria McManus’ Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection was not only visually appealing, it was valuable. Maria McManus is all about creating a more just world through fashion. Each garment is made by people who are paid a fair wage and all the materials used are the most sustainable option. 

The ethics behind fashion are tied to the value of it. A beautiful collection made with unethical labor and disposable materials is an unsustainable model for the industry and society as a whole. With the rise of fast fashion, sustainable options, and ethical labor are not a concern for many brands, but they need to be. The use of innovative materials and techniques for creating fashion is an important standard for the industry, just like challenging the status quo of worker’s rights. 

As Maria McManus says, “Our ethos: buy less harmful, well-considered pieces and wear them more often.” The Fall 2024 RTW collection showcased a neutral color palette with pops of crimson and poppy. The silhouettes shown were sleek with fabric constructions and manipulations that added dynamism.

Maria McManus Fall 2024. Photo from the News published on Kendam February 9th, 2024.

The show took place in a subdued space, marked by black accents and light that softly illuminated the room, adding to the darkly serene atmosphere further brought to life by the clothing. The collection was inspired by Irish architect Eileen Gray and the intention behind her creations. Gray worked during the 20th century and McManus works during the 21st century and unfortunately, the lifetime of our products — specifically clothing — has decreased drastically between the two centuries. 92 million tons of textile waste is produced every year and people are throwing away their clothes at a substantially faster rate. Gray and McManus have a shared care for our environment and consumption which is shown through both artist’s designs. 

Austere and utilitarian suits were juxtaposed with a metallic mini skirt and knit underwear, but with the genius of McManus’ cohesion, every piece helped to tell the story. The accessories shown were minimalist and eye-catching. A silver buckled belt shown against a black lace catsuit and an organic sculptural pendant helped to cultivate a fluid and elevated collection.

“Good” Fashion Is Not Always The Flashiest

Part of the allure of McManus’ collection and brand as a whole is the experimentation that comes along with the garments. While the styling of the pieces helps to create a comprehensive story, the individual pieces can be adjusted to the wearer’s own tastes. For example, a chocolate brown cardigan styled alongside a pleated mini skirt, button-down undershirt, and loafers went down the runway. Due to the versatility and quality of an item such as the brown cardigan, it can be worn in countless ways, for many years.

This collection was not avant-garde, it was not theatrical and over the top, but that doesn’t negate the beauty and importance of it. Maybe it speaks to it. Maria McManus is making strides to improve our consumption and standards of fashion, and this collection — through the creation and presentation of the garments —  proves that “good” fashion is not always the most flashy.

Connor McKnight Spring 2025. Photo by Julius Frazer, courtesy of Connor McKnight

Connor McKnight recently presented his Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection in New York City and it was subdued, simple, and graceful.

The collection featured tonal ensembles with elevated details such as a heeled boot and jewelry. These features subtly enhance the collection through visual stimulation and continue to tell the story crafted by McKnight — a story about the normality of a marginalized identity, specifically the Black identity.

The ethos of Connor McKnight’s clothing is said best by the brand itself, “His designs represent a continuation of narratives of a beautifully mundane childhood as a black person of color. In a society that continually struggles to recognize nuance within the black community, his goal is to explore the relationship between normality and luxury in hopes of reestablishing the black mundane.” 

Binaries exist within social groups and cultures all across the world, but particularly in the West. For example, the gender binary is strong and rampant in the U.S., and a lack of recognition of nuance is present in communities like the Black community, as McKnight pointed out. A social binary more often than not leads to restriction and oppression of identities that exist in or outside of the binary. McKnight’s designs shed light on the complexities of the Black experience.

The collection in question touched on the betweenness of normality and luxury masterfully. At first glance, there is not much to differentiate between a Connor McKnight button-down and a Target brand button-down. However, it doesn’t take long to notice the quiet attention to detail, the care and respect for the art of design, and the vulnerable storytelling that went into this collection, and that goes into the brand. He was able to tell a story and provoke thought through this collection, and it didn’t rely on groundbreaking designs. It focused on simplicity, details, and care for the mundane and the Black experience. 

Look Beyond the Surface

Stein Spring 2025. Photo courtesy of Stein.

“Stillness and motion, minimal and maximal, mode and tradition” are the words used for Stein’s ‘“about” page. 

These three sets of antonyms encapsulate Stein as a brand rather perfectly. Our constructed binaries are expanded upon and challenged. Is stillness always stagnant and motion always fluid? Does minimal simply mean less and does maximal simply mean more? Are mode and tradition inherently opposing forces? These questions are brought to the forefront of the mind when interacting with Stein.

Creative director Kiichiro Asakawa presented his Spring 2025 collection in Tokyo and the ensembles shown featured a somber nature against contemporary designs. A feeling of exploration shone through the muted color palette, inviting the viewer to look beyond the surface and look at the construction and details. 

The color palette invoked the experience of existing within the natural world and the industrialized world simultaneously. Slate and sand-colored fabrics were constructed into androgynous, utilitarian silhouettes that were presented against a white wall and concrete floor. Blue jeans, trench coats, and sweatpants were shown throughout. These garments all signal a different context in which they exist, yet Asakawa blends these scenarios and contradictory feelings into a digestible and beguiling collection.

The craftsmanship of each garment is clear, even from a photograph. From how a jacket collar stands on the neck to how a pair of trousers drapes against a walking body, the individual garments come together and are brought to life. Asawaka has presented a clear aesthetic in his recent collections and once again, an over-the-top factor is not present. It is not… missing — simply not there. Stein’s collections do not rely on “groundbreaking” fashion to create an enchanting collection. 

Deconstruct Your Fashion Standard

While there is no industry standard for what makes a good collection versus a bad collection, it seems we have become obsessed with who can create the loudest dress with the most volume and the boldest colors. Deconstructing our standard that innovation always equals “good” is a step the fashion industry and everyone can take. 

It seems it is becoming harder and harder to critique or dislike fashion, especially high fashion, due to our pedestaling of certain aesthetics and ideas. The subjectiveness we once valued and respected seems to be losing its grip. When we pedestal art it creates a hierarchy where there doesn’t need to be one. A hierarchy such as “This dress is good, that dress is bad” can lead to the moralization of art and design. Why is that dress good, why is it bad? Is it objectively bad, i.e. poorly constructed, or is it subjectively not to my taste? These questions have become fewer and further between in the fashion sphere, and to combat those all-encompassing thoughts we must seek to understand the questionable and disrupt the hierarchy. 

So maybe florals for spring aren’t groundbreaking, yet we keep going back to them every year so what does that say about groundbreaking fashion? Pushing the needle forward on avant-garde fashion and always going for the shock factor are admirable pursuits, but we should not rely on them as the standard for “good” and “exciting” fashion. 

Interacting with fashion is something every person does every day, in one way or another, yet we all do it in highly individual ways. For instance, two chefs working at the same restaurant fashion themselves differently even though they wear the same uniform — one chef prefers the feel of cotton against their skin while the other prefers linen. 

Fashion, although not an exact science, has theories like the trend cycle for structure and rules. But fashion is an everchanging industry and art form and considering the unknown direction of the industry, we may begin to rely more on the “classics” and less on a “wow factor.” No one can say for sure, which is one of the beautiful things about the industry, the possibility that exists within the margins. 

There is much to be said about a well-constructed and well-tailored piece, so don’t forget about them while admiring the new and groundbreaking runway show.