A show in Milan made me stop chasing runway trends for good

I was at a smaller show during Milan Fashion Week about two years ago, and it hit me hard. I saw a lot of clothes that looked amazing on the models but felt totally unwearable for anyone else. One dress, for example, was made of this stiff, sculpted plastic that you couldn't even sit down in. It made me think, what's the point of a design if a person can't live their life in it? In my experience, a lot of people get caught up in copying these high-concept looks, but I think we lose something when we do that. It feels like we're designing for a photo, not for a person. Now I focus on making pieces that are interesting but also comfortable and practical for a real day. Has anyone else shifted their design focus away from pure spectacle after seeing something similar?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_patricia1mo ago

Comfort and style can totally go together!

lisa51mo ago

Yeah I mean I used to think I had to pick one or the other. I finally just started looking for clothes with a bit of stretch in the fabric, like a looser fit but still a nice shape. It took some trying on different stuff to figure out what cuts worked for me without feeling tight. Now I have a few go-to outfits that feel like pajamas but look way more put together. It's totally possible, you just have to ignore the idea that comfortable means sloppy.

victorb7428d agoMost Upvoted

Spot on with the stretchy fabric thing. That's been my trick too. I found a pair of chinos with like 2% elastane in them a few years back and now I've got three pairs in different colors. They look sharp enough for the office but I can bend down and tie my shoes without my gut getting all squeezed. You just gotta look for that little give in the material, it makes all the difference.