Why is the microcosm that is the fashion world a staple in the natural world?
Art, in all mediums, is an essential component of the human experience.
With the embrace of style and fashion, one seems to achieve the personification of art.
Anything that serves the hungry human ego will be abused and distorted to the point of addiction by humankind– and fashion is addictive indeed!
What could serve the human ego better?
Maybe social media?
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Is fashion just an anthropromorphic distraction from global affairs?
I suppose that an active interest in fashion appears as a cavalier ignorance of worldly affairs and, certainly, there is some truth to that stereotype.
It’s easy to use retail therapy and condescending programs like “What Not To Wear” to shield oneself from disillusioning current events around the world.
Never before have so many people had instantaneous access to horrific news stories and images from foreign lands.
But, to people like me, fashion is so much more than a distraction.
Personal style is an expression of the almighty self, and an honor of the omnipotent force within.
The body is a temple and the care with which one decorates one’s temple is a loving praise that, ideally, radiates outwards to affect the world in a positive way; the same can be said of hair and makeup.
Why is fashion important in the grand scheme of things?
In the grand scheme of things, fashion and art aren’t going to save the world.
I won’t try to convince you otherwise.
If humankind is in a collective flux and widespread transcendence is on the horizon, fashion probably won’t make the cut.
It necessitates material ornaments, details, and, hell, a little sparkle… all the things that an enlightened soul would leave behind as they rose to meet Nirvana.
But until then, what are we humans to do to deal with the harsh world we inhabit and the puzzle of feelings we experience in solitude?
Obviously, we’ll do whatever it takes to stay sane.
For many of us, that means art as a coping mechanism, and, considering the alternatives, it’s a very healthy one.
Fashion Photography by Mick Ackland
