There are few things more important to me than fashion. It is my free time, it is how I plan to make my living and it is something I will always argue has great significance in all of our lives. But when I talk about fashion, I am not thinking of luxury, logos and labels. I am thinking of the street and the ways in which individuals put together pieces without the aid of a stylist. Fashion shouldn’t be about dictation, but creativity and communication; this is what fashion means to me.
We have come a long way from using clothes just to survive the elements. Now, we dress to express. What you choose to wear is a visual representation of your personality, your likes and dislikes, your taste and your background. They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but when that cover has been personally designed by you surely it would be a mistake not to. Recently, we have taken to wearing our lives on our wrists with friendship bracelets, festival wristbands and gap year trinkets. Moments in time become commemorated in fashion, and through them we send messages to the world without saying a word.
Although fashion, for me, is most interesting on the street, it is impossible to ignore the influence and importance of designers. Fashion should be exciting, and it is the thrill of the new that keeps me engaged rather than classic styles. Creativity on the catwalk comes around once every six months, and with the new season comes suspense and surprise. Designers like Christopher Kane, Vivienne Westwood and the late, great Alexander McQueen consistently break boundaries with each and every show, keeping fashion ever-relevant.
In short, fashion means everything to me. It is who I am and it is what I do. Whether you know it or not, fashion says a lot about who you are. Your fashion tells a story, and I want to hear it.
