Power House.
For those of you who follow fashion know that brands go “in” and “out” like hemlines. The power of a brand is to start with a powerful creative designer force that mirrors society for a moment in modernity. What becomes difficult is when a brand no longer speaks volumes by way of designer death, retirement, or bankruptcy. How does a brand go forward?
Like Hollywood studios, brands have become crippled by corporate rule. A brand must take what is iconic and familiar to audience, then reference past images to gain stability in today’s market place. Take for example, comic book film genre, which references nostalgia, textual material, and iconic symbol into box office results—now fading. Always reading the pulse of society, fashion has stepped forward with symbols of what is to come—style customization.
The romantic build of a brand has faded—a bit—think Galliano early 1990’s, when models helped financially keep a designer’s vision afloat—I know his current situation—but he has contributed to our fashion vocabulary. Galliano, McQueen, Ford, and Largerfeld created the blueprint to resurrect a Power House Brand; take the essence and symbols of the past and remix them for today’s marketplace—now what?
Post resurrection, designers are taking back what belongs to them—creative control. Corporations may own the name and supply the cash, but designers are taken fashion back. Case and point, Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, and Celine’s Phoebe Philo, who’ve taken creative control of these bands by way of stylization; by separating from past imagery, these two designers have been able to connect fashion in today’s world. Fashion will always be about fantasy because style built by identity through self-image expression is timeless. A band can no longer blanket society, but create discourse with a highlighted niche. Philo has taken what was Calvin Klein’s modern woman, and elevated her consciousness of motherhood by giving her style power and function at Celine. Tisci has taken Gianni Versace’s vamp and made her elegant and stylish in Givenchy.
Take a look at these images and let me know what you think.