We arrived at a moment in history where fashion is no longer fashion, it is the art of communicating. Dressing became the key to communication. We are not going to deny that trends exist and that they clearly stand strong in the world of fashion. The big brands like OFF-WHITE, NIKE or GIVENCHY are the ones that tell us what is going to be used, how to use it and at that moment. Since the first decades, the catwalks and magazines are what tell us how we should dress and when. We have to respect the seasons and styles of each one.

   Bella Hadid –  Paris Fashion Week – Off-White AW 2019

Since we have memory, fashion is a brand for the great. Since the twentieth century, when Paul Poiret released the woman from the corset. In 1910 the skirt was what was used, in the 30 ´ the cut to the bias, in 1950 the “New look” was the last in fashion and a great trend in the decade. The mini skirt of Mary Quant in the ’60s. The leggings in 1980 and finally the minimalism in the 90 ‘. Years of trends marked and respected by society. If you did not follow her, you were totally out of the fashion circle.

But, since 2000 that this “divide” for decades remained something, quite a bit, in the past. Since 2000, far from offering us novelties, fashion has in fact been retrospective and has brought about the return to previous decades.

The novelty vintage. What was used before, is the trend today. Is it like that? Today, the brands bring back the trends of the past but communicating this new generation.

A freer generation, without fears, breaking structures but even so, although some deny them, we continue to respect what the big brand tells us what to use, and how. But, what do we really want to do when we dress?

While it is clear that we can not walk around naked, it is illegal. The question really is, what do we want to do or express when we dress everyday? Follow trends? Search in the latest fashion magazines? Follow inspirations during fashion week or are we really trying  to communicate something, perhaps who we really are? There is a fine line between who we are and how we dress. There are many people who are what fashion says, they are the ones that trend brands, there are people who use trends to reinforce their personality. With which personality do you identify more?

We know that our past was shaped by marked and respected trends. Fashion is what it is for those  who creates it. The designers, producers and style icons who are simply inspired to create through their imaginations. But today, in 2019 many things changed. The tendencies that are established today are those that at some point had already been indicted but with another perfective, another design and clearly another morphology. A more current to the new generation. Freeride.

Today, we accept the trends that identify us to who we are. We are in a new era where people struggle to be strong in their opinions and visions of seeing life. And this clearly reflects in todays fashion. Fashion helps us to empower ourselves, give us tools to confirm who we are thanks to certain guidelines or characteristics of the trends we use at the moment. But, we do not choose them as society dictates, but we choose them for ourselves, to help us feel,  and /or  to make us stronger when it comes to communicating who we are.  Nothing is better than using clothes by means of fashion to express it. By this means,  fashion and its trends empower people, more specifically women.

Contemporary fashion distanced a lot from the trends. Now trends are part of the world apart and people are deciding whether to adapt to them or not and if they do, how well does it fit with their personality. Fashion as we know it today is free in form. The structures destroyed by the personalities that seek to reinforce their values and beliefs through the garments, they use everyday to show the world who they are.

Nonetheless, we have to thank the past decades for the creativity and all those who left us the ideas and inspirations we build on today. Brilliant minds of the past deserves most of the credit for laying the foundation, something we as a society now continues to builds on, but, in our own different ways.

Not only is fashion for the showing or for the season but it has become the most predominant way we communicate. Fashion is used in all aspects of life and have revolutionize the way express how we feel. Be it going out for dinner, church, work, party, work or part of a political activism.  We use fashion to strengthen ourselves as people, to express and reinforce our personality, our ideas and our way of living, being. So the next time you dress up, become more self aware, know that you are always communicating with others.