Thursday Night #1: Future Beauty

 Future Beauty was hideously crowded and completely too loud, but I loved it. The claustrophobic press of people made it seem, in retrospect, almost like a real runway show. While my favorite piece would have to be the seamless glittering full-body lace suit, what stood out most was Kosuke Tsumura's "Final Home". I had been familiar with the jacket before I came to the exhibition, and was surprised to see it there, tucked in a corner and padded out with artificial flowers. I was also interested in the small selection of designs dating from the 1960's and earlier. It was interesting to see the 60's style's I know interpreted through a different cultural lens.

 I think that many people approach fashion as something separate from the more conventional arts, a 'not quite' art form. Drawing the line between the commercialized 'mainstream' of fashion and the notorious avant garde is challenging, of course, but this does not invalidate its artistic value. 'High fashion' designers are not generally attempting to create something practical, wearable, or even aesthetically pleasing. Asking about the difference between what art and fashion can achieve is, in my opinion, a non-question as fashion is as much an art as dance, painting, or theater.