Is Fashion really Art?

The fashion world is frequently denigrated and branded as superficial. There are those who belittle it or consider it too empty to be an artistic discipline. However, I believe both Fashion and Art are powerful means of expression, creating objects that are not only beautiful, but also capable of emotion. 

It is important to remember that many of the most famous paintings were first renegade and sent to the “Salon des Refusés” in Paris. Like other means of cultural production such as Cinema, today called “The Seventh Art”,  very questioned and subject of a great debate at the time. Same way happened with Photography, which before being accepted as an art form and rubbing shoulders with Boticelli’s paintings, had to pass harsh tests and criticism until obtaining its own authentic language.

Now, fashion is in that period of transition. We understand that it does not fulfill the same role as a framed canvas because fashion is closer; it belongs to the everyday, in the sense that the act of dressing is daily.

Every morning we must decide on outfits to go to work, to walk, or simply to rest; you don’t need to be an experienced artist to express yourself in this aesthetic way, but at the same time, the act of dressing is authentic and personal. We dress according to our moods, ideologies, and beliefs.

Many people only wear eco- friendly clothing or alternatives to leather to maintain a lifestyle and uphold their principles - Others make of dressing a performance art. With their outfits, they manage to differentiate themselves and shock people around.

I consider fashion a language and an ingenious means of expression, as well as writing or dancing. It is a way of responding to society, and to symbolically represent the reality of its time. 

Experimenting with textures and colors, challenging conservative thinking, innovating, revolutionizing, transcending, and communicating emotions, regardless of criticism, is Art ... That is exactly what fashion means.