Danny ChaiI listened to an interview with Tom Ford and it was far more interesting than I expected. He made a comment about women’s fashion that was really thought provoking, noting how much the idealized women’s form reflects the design sensibilities of the times.
The 50s were all sharp lines, in the cars, in the architecture; and this was reflected in women. Like, they had conical bras, which seem ridiculous now. The 70s sense was all about softness, and that was also reflected in women, who ditched their bras. In his estimation, today is all about being inflated. Cars today look like someone puffed them up with air. Similarly, the ideal female form is all about puffed lips, inflated breasts. He doesn’t know why the feelings of the times are so reflected in women’s fashion, but he thinks it’s interesting, and I kind of do also. I care almost zero about fashion, and thus never thought about it, but if design reflects the mood of a society, and women’s fashion and form acutely reflects design, maybe women’s fashion says a whole lot about society. And maybe this is obvious, but I’d never thought about how deep that link might be until today.
I read a ton so I feel like I have a little knowledge about almost everything, but the one area in which I’m completely lacking is in my visual sense. I care nothing about fashion. I know nearly nothing about art. My knowledge of architecture comes solely from the Chicago Architecture River Tour and a Frank Lloyd Wright address book my mom had. I’m a horrible photographer. I care very much about sound, about taste and smell, even touch. But for some reason visual things just don’t matter as much to me.
I’ve thought about taking an art history class to close this gaping hole in my knowledge. But eh, who cares.