The Artists, the Established Houses and the Purely Commercial

When I came across a New York Times article titled 'Where Did the Free Spirits Go?' I was expecting an article I would agree with wholeheartedly. New York fashion week is my least favourite of the four fashion capitals. It lacks the prestige of the established houses of Paris and Milan, and it cannot compete with London when it comes to nurturing new creative talent. That being said, designers like Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang have brought excitement back to a city that seems to revel in the expected. In the article the author Cathy Horyn critiques young designer Prabal Gurung by saying:

'Mr. Gurung doesn’t seem to know what story he wants to tell. Slick and dressy? Dark and romantic? It changes each season. He needs to flush some of this goo out of his system, figure out what he wants to say and then, as boring as it may sound, repeat it again and again.' 

This is quite possibly the least helpful advice I have ever heard given to a young designer. Brands need an identity but we are talking about fashion here not a static product. Vivienne Westwood has a brand identity. It's young and anti-establishment. Between 1971 to 2000 Vivienne's collections were inspired by things as far reaching as: fetish clothing, punk music, pirates, British art from the 16th Century to Tracey Emin, Blade Runner, Edwardian tailoring and Harris tweed. Even her flagship store has undergone numerous name changes to get to today's World's End. Vivienne did not just find what sold and then 'repeat it again and again'. This is why she is a great designer.

I think there are three different types of fashion designer. The artists, the established houses and the purely commercial. Other than a handful of young designers New York falls into the latter category. This is why there is no American Miuccia Prada or Alexander McQueen. Let the young designers explore and make mistakes, they are the ones bringing creativity to New York.