Does Fashion Take Itself Too Seriously?
This overarching question has been plaguing the Obscura team as of late, ever since seeing a clip of Alex Consani saying in true Consani-gagged fashion, “At the end of the day, we’re not saving lives here.”
And she’s right. Mostly.
In surveys conducted by the Obscura team, 57% of respondents said fashion does take itself too seriously, and 52% of respondents prefer fashion made for a mix of personal expression, functionality, and storytelling. Some respondents explained they feel fashion is taken too seriously because of labels, trends, exclusivity, gatekeeping, and a personal favorite response: “Appearances are taken too seriously, implications of dress are not taken seriously enough.”
Personal style and the fashion industry (think: runway shows, presentations, the glitz, glamour and ego of it all) boil down to one simple thing: clothes. At its core, it’s just garments –– especially for someone not interested in personal style, they’re clothed purely for functionality and utility. In other words, an arbitrary part of cultural routine.
Then there are those directly involved in the business. Whether it’s an influencer who gets paid to market brands and be a walking billboard, a technical designer for a large corporate company, an industry theorist, or the creative behind a start-up brand, fashion can mean so much more than meets the eye. It is an artistic expression of the self, it is political, it is a nuanced language.
And for those fluent, it is also obvious when this language is being abused. In semiotics, clothing acts as ‘signifiers’ regardless of what you’re wearing, and the ‘signified’ is subjective to the eyes around you, a slippery slope of negativity or snobbish superiority. It’s all a game dependent on who’s watching. An example of this would be wearing a total punk, DIY outfit, embellished with say, metal chains and bones (Ibis Hospital is haunting me, in the best way).
This ensemble is the ‘signifier,’ and the ‘signified’ to someone who truly loves fashion as artistic expression may point toward your hobbies, interests, creativity, etc. To another—perhaps someone who views fashion as a status game—it may read as overbearing, unserious, or even cringeworthy.
Fashion can be (and has been) a tool for building up ego, inflating superficial aesthetic appeals, and putting down others who maybe don’t have the social currency or financial privileges to partake on the same level. Think: someone wearing quiet luxury who scoffs at the idea of thrifting, or a celebrity sitting front row at a runway show simply for the optics.
“The artistry and craftsmanship of fashion deserve respect, but sometimes the industry’s exclusivity and over-intellectualization take away from its essence—self-expression,” said Chukwudi Ome, the Design & Artistic Director at IOYWAV VETERANSONLY. “At the same time, the performative nature of fashion week, influencer culture, and media hype can feel like a spectacle detached from real creativity.”
Ome has been a designer for the last six years, growing up in Houston, Texas with Nigerian roots. Designers like Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons, and Martin Margiela and their ability to shape culture through clothing inspired him and his endeavors with If Only You Were A Veteran (IOYWAV). Ome’s love for building something tangible that merges art, storytelling, and cultural relevance emphasizes his opinions that the art should always come first.
“It can be [overwhelming]. The constant cycle of drops, trends, and fast-paced creative demands make it hard to stay authentic. There’s also pressure to always be ahead, which can make fashion feel less like a craft and more like a rat race. But at the same time, it’s the most exciting industry because it never stops evolving.” Ome said.
Fashion and textile designer Angela Le has also been working in the industry for the last six years. Le acknowledged that on one hand, there are issues in the industry that deserve to be taken seriously including sustainability regulations and labor problems that need improvement.
It cannot be ignored that fashion is a key player in world economics, and impacts humans in both the most positive and negative of ways. According to NGN Magazine, “An estimated $161 billion worth of apparel and textile goods are at risk of being produced with forced labor and an estimated 27 million people are trapped in forced labor across the globe.”
Still when it comes down to the business, marketing, designing and lifestyle built in fashion, Le echoes Consani’s sentiments –– “we’re not saving lives here.”
“I’d be in hour-long meetings with the higher-ups and sales and they’d just be arguing about if the shade of green we’re putting on a t-shirt is too warm-toned,” Le said. “Realistically, I don’t think the consumer is really thinking about clothes that hard. It’s only those in the industry that will nitpick every detail.”
Designer Nicole McLaughlin is one designer that feels this pain point too in the industry too. McLaughlin blends upcycled reworking and sustainability into a joyous, unusual fashion utopia.
“It’s a lot of experimenting with things and being a little bit funny or quirky in an industry that can sometimes take itself too seriously,” McLaughlin told Hypebeast. “I think for me just as a person, I enjoy making people laugh. I like to use materials that feel really unexpected…If I don’t have fun, then why am I doing what I’m doing?”
Continuing to flip the coin, fashion can be a political statement, toting serious connotations. Referring back to symbolism in clothing, 1965 students signified their protest for the Vietnam war by wearing black armbands to school. No words exchanged, just a garment that disrupted and boldly told these kids’ values. Hussein Chalayan subtly nodded toward the devastations of war in his AW2000 runway show. Plenty of designers, from Moschino to Walter Van Beirendonck utilize their garments and catwalks to share political views or raise awareness.
For Alex Consani—the first transgender model to win Model of the Year—fashion is purpose-driven.
“I think it’s really important to remind myself why I’m here,” Consani told E! News backstage at the Victoria’s Secret show. “It’s to represent more than just myself.”
These are all valid points. But the fashion industry still suffers from a lack of levity. It’s the ego, the pretense, the uncomfortable exclusivity that can suck the joy out of something inherently creative. This is especially true during Fashion Month.
“Fashion Week is a mix of energy, exclusivity, and spectacle. Some rooms feel genuinely inspiring, filled with people who respect each other's craft,” Ome explained. “Others feel performative, with people more focused on being seen and “comparing status” than the actual fashion. The best moments are when a collection, the music, the set, and lighting cut through your soul and genuinely move the room.”
A Reddit User came to r/Buddhism to ask how to decipher if fashion is just a hobby or tied to their ego. After scrolling, reading, and inevitably slightly spiraling, the consensus from many users was that it’s likely tied to ego, but that doesn’t mean they have to stop caring or loving fashion. Rather, to be mindful and recognize when it’s causing suffering or overtaking their mindfulness.
“Fashion is an attachment, it just fuels self view, even in your good scenario where you think of it as art, it’s still an attachment, and in the bad ones it’s vanity…Labeling things as art is a good way people trick themselves into justifying their attachments,” one user said.
We’re not here to tell you to renounce all worldly attachments. But in a world of flowy fabrics and catwalks, fashion isn’t a burden to bear—it’s a space to play.
This month’s editorial plays into the satire of the fashion world. Izzy channels the angry, serious, overworked stereotype—probably late for one of those really important meetings. Hannah takes the opposite approach: going with the flow, lighthearted, reigniting a childlike wonder.
“After all, in Samsara we are all just at the carnival, wearing our costumes,” another Reddit user said. In fashion, we are doing just the same, so you might as well use it to represent yourself, and have some fucking fun while you’re at it too.
CREDITS—
Photographer: @discoqweenie
Photo Assist: @ellaher_man
Stylist: @quitethenotion
Designs: @sour.dice @monjia__ @cydn3yyy
Models: @fukkkizzy @hanalita_kohana
Hair: @miryahparedes
Makeup: @niezmarie.beauty @azaleaonthebeat
Production Assist: @yeseniafollingstad
