I just read an extremely interesting article about the Calvin Klein company discontinuing its high-end “Collection,” that category of totally visionary fashion designed for a teeny-tiny segment of the world’s population, but which provides “the dream” that inspires the rest of us to purchase what we really need- underwear, jeans, and the occasional bottle of perfume.
Fashion Director and Fashion Critic for the New York Times, Vanessa Friedman, one of the most plain-spoken and down-to-earth authorities in the fashion biz, artfully dissects what this change might mean to the fashion industry at large. As someone who loves fashion and dreams about making my own clothing ideas relevant to consumers, this change is notable in that it uncovers the next milestone in the democratization of fashion.
DIY’ers, Etsy artists and other small, independent fashion and jewelry studios (like mine!) the world over stand to benefit from the dissolution of the dream factory of “Collection” fashion. By admitting the Collection is no longer relevant to most customers, CK pushes the door open for the rest of us. On the other hand, with so many established designers out there who already have publicity machines in place, like Dior, Versace, Missoni, etc., these fashion extravaganzas inspire creativity in young people everywhere, from small towns to big cities. As one of those young people once stirred by images of spectacular fashion in magazines, I would be most crestfallen if designers of “the dream” stopped dreaming. We all need our dreamers, if only to motivate us to believe in our own dreams.
Read the complete article here and tell me what you think.