The Rants' Diaries: Fashion and Intelligence

Vanity, physical, self-centric and vapid ― these are the synonyms that the masses would equate to the fashion world. To begin with, there is no difference between the fashion world and the other “worlds”. 

In fact, fashion world is not an otherworldly realm that exists in fictions. It is inhabited, yes, and people within the world eat, breathe, play, walk and sleep like the rest of other mere mortals.

But what sets the people from the other mortals is, the copious ways of creative expressions they possess. Not to mention the indefinite amount of valour that runs within their veins – the force that drives them go against the norm. With little to none blurred lines between what’s logic and illogical, these extreme creative expressions have been misunderstood or deemed by the “sound-minded” likes as lunacy or a desperate attempt to gather as much attention as possible. Very well, to each his or her own.

Maybe we realise it, maybe we don’t, but it seems quite solid: Fashion mirrors our intelligence. To be honest, I’ve never been aware of any psychological studies or research ran on this subject. Nevertheless, this piece is just an outlet for me to share my fruits of observation on the fashion sphere. In fashion, tribalism exists in the form of groupies: The trendsetter, the followers, the wannabes and so on. The category that you belong to reflect the level of your fashion intelligence.

For instance, to the peasants of the fashion world (the followers, the wannabes, etc.), the trendsetters perch on the summit of the hierarchy. They are what the media coined as style icons, fashion mavens, and style doyens. 

They are the one who set the trends and I believe, there is no need for name dropping here. They work in many ways. Some are approached by fashion labels and designers who would lavish them with luxurious freebies, with hopes that once their products are spotted on the trendsetter, the peasants will run to the stores and buy in droves. There are trendsetters who come across looks and accessories by chance. With the help of Instagram or fashion blog, the trend sets like a wildfire.

As for the followers, wannabes and so on, I guess there is no need for further elaboration – especially if you do know who you are (sorry, pun intended). However, away from the hierarchy, there is a group of people whom I would call the “fashion intellectuals”. Do they know the A to Z of fashion? Yes. Are they fashion designer and fashion critics? I would say fifty-fifty. But what piqued my interest in them is the way of how they evaluate fashion, especially when it comes to the buying part.

You see, a well-heeled lady whose entire life is draped by the likes of Azzaro, Emanuel Ungaro, Giambatista Valli, Chanel and Givenchy ― couture maisons with deeply rooted history ― may not bat her eyelash twice or more when it comes to spending, say, RM35,000 on a Chanel bouclé tweed  jacket. 

In fact, once the season is gone, she might be buying again and the cycle continues, until you will be shocked to see that she has one wardrobe to store the bouclé jackets alone!  

Now, put your feet in the dainty pairs of Roger Vivier buckled pumps belong to a Senior Marketing Executive. We’ll name her Lea.

Lea lives in Kuala Lumpur and has been working with a multinational corporation for five years. After graduation, Lea started her career, long after a year of unemployment.

To make things worse, the economic situation is not as rosy as it used to be. Yet, she considers herself grateful as her luck keeps her from being a victim of retrenchment. 

Perhaps due to her upper class upbringing, Lea has been exposed to the delights of luxury living – Baby Dior at infant stage; Versace Kids in her tween years; and a pair of Prada “Trembled Blossom” high-heeled Mary Janes from her parents as graduation reward. 

After scoring her current job, she decided to make it on her own and living solo wasn’t easy for her. Especially when your disposable monthly income is below RM6000.00 threshold.

Though she could always turn to the high street likes of Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti or H&M, to tone down her taste for the high fashion is an impossible feat. Moreover, being a girl in her mid-20s, she needs to keep her style on par with the current trends. 

If she saw Britney Spears wearing a Dior dress, she needs to have it. If she saw Selina Gomez endorsing the Coach tote in their new advertisement campaign, she will make it a point to have it. Her trend-following behaviour lasts for quite some time.

It was only when she entered the 30s realm where her fashion preference began to mature. Elegance and poise aside, she began to be careful with her spending. Well, it is not to say that she restricted herself from splurging literally, but she has developed an arcane eye on values that justify her purchase. 

It all began with a trip to Florence where her friend, Gianna, took her to a shoemaking factory. The establishment – a small cottage in the outskirts of the enchanting city – belongs to Gianna’s uncle, Emilio. 

A man of few words yet humble and warm, Emilio introduced her to the world of bespoke shoemaking. Here, she could see how artisanal shoes were made, first hand. She asked him the minimal price for a pair of his bespoke shoes.

“€800.00,” Emilio answered.

Lea was aghast. She converted the amount to Malaysian Ringgit and it is equivalent to RM3900.00. She asked the shoemaker to justify the price of the shoe. 

Emilio responded that the price is due to several factors. First is the material. Unlike most fashion brands in Europe that source their materials from countries such as India, Spain, or United States for alligator hides, Emilio uses locally-sourced leather from a nearby tannery. 

To create a single hide, it takes more than one meticulous process that begins from cleaning up to the final finishing. Then he showed her how his workers work. Instead of big, robotised machines, much of the works were done manually, from carving the mould right to the final stitching.

“The same goes with most luxury brands,” said Emilio. “Ever wondered why Hermès Birkin is so expensive? It’s not only because of the leathers they use and the brand; it’s also about the time taken by one artisan to complete the bag. Just like these shoes. The more complex the design, the more days it will take them to finish.”

 

Lo and behold, a valuable lesson learned by Lea on her Florence daytrip. Since then, whenever she desire to purchase a designer item, she will google for it on the net and research for how it is made. By changing her shopping behaviour, it has enabled Lea to see fashion from a wider perspective. 

She gets to learn the history of the label, the honoured codes employed by the house or maison, and the dedication that the artisans and the labels have put into ensuring the continuum of their heritage and brand legacy. Furthermore, she also gained more satisfaction from buying and wearing, it also helped her to save more money.  

“If it wasn’t for Emilio’s advice, I guess I would be the same Lea – the girl who would blindly rush into the stores just because Sarah Jessica Parker worn it when she walked her dog in Greenwich Village,” she said, recalling the Florence trip. “It’s great to have looks that are curated for yourself. A look that isn’t just a look but a look that is composed of history, articulation, savoir-faire and value.”

Lea continued, “After all, when you are left without a choice but to survive the city life with RM5,000 a month but at the same time, you still yearn for a piece of luxury to make up your day after a month of laborious toil, you still need to be careful on where the money goes.” 

*Photos  (for illustration purpose) were taken from various sources.