Guest Post: Fashion, behind the label

Matthew Pluma is an up and coming fashion design student. I have personally seen his work and it is fantastic! Whenever I need style advice, I know I can trust Matthew's opinion. 

Mrs. Harer has asked me to write a blog while she is on vacation; of course I had to say yes. Why would I not want to write a blog about fashion?

We all know fashion and we all know the trends. Nude and blush are the in colors of the moment, clogs are making a comeback, and since summer is more than just right around the corner, skin is in. Now, I am not going to write a blog of the dos and don’ts of fashion, we’ve all heard those lectures; besides, do these rules apply to fashion anymore? It seems to me that people tend to march to the beat of their own drummer by mixing colors, prints, and different styles of clothing pieces.

With all these choices and trends some of us become concerned about the designer labels we wear. We also let magazines, movies, and celebrities influence us on what we wear and how we wear them. What we lose sight of is the unseen; the unseen talent that is behind the label. Yes, it does take talent to have a vision and put graphite to paper and design some of the most amazing garments anyone can ever imagine, but it also takes talent to do the work SOME don’t get the opportunity to see. Now this isn’t to say that some of the greatest designers cannot do this work, I do respect their talent and artistic views, but, there are people “behind the scenes” that do deserve some credit by the people who are unfamiliar with the process.

   

Now as a fashion design student I have come to have a greater appreciation for what most people don’t get the opportunity to see, and yet there are people in the industry that know the process of what is done, and yet, still feel that their title is far superior than the next person. They need to realize that without a team their label would be nothing. I feel that the patternmakers and seamstresses do not get enough credit for what they do.

Primarily, some design students don’t understand the concept of being a great designer, they expect to wake up one day and make it famous in a world consumed of self-absorption. I have discussed my love for fashion with many (I refuse to use the cliché "passion for fashion" quote) but unfortunately I have only discussed my goals and aspirations in this industry, as many aspiring designers tend to do. I have realized that in order to be a great designer (like the many I aspire to be) one must have a great team and a great attitude towards them and life. This is not to say I’m a great designer, I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go.

On a side note: start dusting off those clogs.