In reply to jeanclaudecourt:

I know exactly what you mean. I've just started my first year doing a BA in fashion design and whilst one would expect a eclectic mix of people, a large percentage of the group are all dressed the same, trying hard to be different that in the end there is no difference. We are all guilty of this, and in all fairness its hard not to be.
It seems that we almost need to start again with Fashion, go back to the beginning to find things we didn't find the first time around rather than just revisiting styles that are continually circulated.
Our tutors tell us to be different and adventurous but it the search for individuality, we create things already done. Maybe there is nothing left? Maybe we've done everything we can with wearable fashion?
I don't know, either way, as a wannabe designer I already feel stuck in a rut of circulatory styles from military to nautical to florals to college girl to safari to black is back to lace and velvet.
People may rave about Gareth Pugh but can anyone actually wear his clothes, and if Calvin Klein thinks that his recent collections of shift dresses in a variety of colours is the best he can do then we really are failing as a creative community.
It seems sad that people that are meant to be so inspiring are failing those of us who really need them

In reply to Galileo's Universe:

We can quit our attention to the current fashion establishment and concentrate on individual creativity - by doing exactly that! What is it that holds you to the fashion establishment? What do you want from it? Can you not persue your desires and inspirations without it?

My sergeant Pepper jacket TV clip example was to make serious point about the culture. The 60s produced so much fantastic stuff that it makes the current climate seem quite barren, but I think I would need to write a big book to not make an explanation of this appear simplistic.

In reply to Karl Fuler:

....you have your point of view and that is ' that ', that's the message I seem to get from the way you formulate your question and opinion.. ....with no realistic solutions on how to do what you suggest ....and quote :' We can quit our attention to the current fashion establishment and concentrate on individual creativity - by doing exactly that ! ".......and forgive me but I wonder if you really have a deep insight of the workings of fashion ?......and please do correct me if my perception is wrong !...
I dare to assume that if you really had an insight then you would understand exactly what I'm talking about and why...anyhow I do hope you have read the article I posted - ' THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE ' - the article deals with just one aspect !.....that will give you some insight of how the fashion system and establishment works......and I like to add ...without the fashion stablisment...a fashion designer , however creative, however genius , however innovative......he is just.....a drop in the blue wide ocean ......doomed to evaporate into the thin air.....if you can understand what I mean....:)

And if you are really serious abou the subject....it would be absolutely great if you could write a book ... on ' HOW TO REVOLUTIONISE THE FASHION SYSTEM '....ideas...ideas...that' what we need nowdays..., at the same time after having read the mentoned article I seem to get this odd idea that perhaps...the title of ' fashion designer ' is becoming obsolete...outdated....perhaps it is time for....fashion designers to get together and start ' think tanks' made up of ' artists and engineers ' working together to tackle the issues and make fashion more relevant to today's world and tomorrow's challenges....

Somehow....' La Belle Epoch of Designers '...as we know it seems to be nearing its own end......just a wild guess.......:):).........

In reply to Galileo's Universe:

Designers are already think tanks - with the 'designer' as the one who makes the final decisions. The two 'top designers' that I know operate like this. They find people with ideas and inspiration and take from them (also they both would not be in this position if it was not for them having influential friends and heaps of free money). I know this as I am one of those people. My creativity is taken and rebadged. Over the years my work has had a great deal of influence, though I recieve hardly any recognition. I accept this without any bitterness as I have a good understanding the business and the people involved.
I do have ideas on how to improve the current situation with the fashion establishment, but I am wondering why I want to bother doing so.
It appears to me that many of those involved in fashion are confused with empty values of glamour conflicting the true values of romanticism.

In reply to Karl Fuler:

... yes I know about the so called ' think thanks '...but that means...gathering someone else's ideas and creativity and make them ' HIS ' own.....but those are the ones where MONEY- FAME - STATUS are the key motivator...rather than true passion to be original and/or being true to the ideals....yes I know how it works...but to me that is not a 'think tank ' where everyone gets a share....of the credit of the success....that to me is totally something else ! :):)...anyway....

WHY BOTHER ?.....WHY NOT ?.....it is my humble opinion that if you have been to de ' LION'S DEN '...the better !.....after all if you have ideas...what do you have to lose ?.....it is a lot more rewarding to do something positive than to sit back and do nothing.....

I quote.... " It appears to me that many of those involved in fashion are confused with empty values of glamour conflicting the true values of romanticism."....
Please do not forget that decisions are made by people who have gathered great amount of power...to control the system.....and in that system...the egos are bigger than the ' Rocky Mountains '....and it is a world full of illusions ....but in the end it is a world in which ... whether we want/ like it or not has great power of influence....going from a simple ... ' colour card......what gets produced in the textiles factories......ateliers....advertising....fashion editors who decide ' who is in and who is out '....etc...etc..etc...and who gets the recognition according to the trend of the day...or simply.....who pays more for the advertising........very complex and sometimes 'infantile ' and whimsical...logic seems to play a very small role I think !....and not to forget the alliances that are forged in order to keep the rest out....

If your work has influenced someone else's...you should be proud...and be absolutely no bitter...to become bitter would be to admit defeat...!...I once did some creative work that was ' literally' copied by 3 very well established ' someone'...people near me thought I should had been angry and demand my copyright ...but hey !...I was happy to see that they with their ' power of influence ' could put the ideas to a good use....that to me was a great compliment.....but do I care if get a credit ?...not really ! ...when it comes to that I'm rather phlegmatic, because I truly believe that when someone is truly creative..ideas will always keep flowing, geared by the passion....those who run away with others people's ideas will always have to keep searching hard....it becomes harder for them the less they can originate their own ideas ...in the end who is fooling who ?...I'm more pragmatic about the whole thing and no matter what I will always encourage creative and original artist/ designers not to give up ...because I still believe in it.......

It is a great opportunity if you set your mind to it.....artists always have to fight to get recognition...it doesn't come easy....the cliche is 100% true , art history books are full of such stories...but just imagine if they all had giving up ?...the true reward I believe is that you follow your instinct...you follow your passion...and you keep true to yourself..... 'compliments...money '...that is all nice but...to be at peace with yourself that is more rewarding...however much fellow humans may think that that is ' immaterial ' or ' silly '...... that is in my opinion......and believe..

In reply to Josh Baker:

tell us more, oh wise one!

In reply to Karl Fuler:

If you want to be individuals and not live by the system, then avoid to read and believe something that's written about fashion trends by any major publications.

Fashion is a self consciousness, it's to decorate oneself, it's to give some amusement, it's like art, which is not a necessity, but we would have no fun and less joy without it.