Fashion Tells Stories
Stop. Take a deep breath. Look around.
Everything in the world is made up of stories. The tiniest thing could be hiding an extraordinary tale inside, and the only way to find out is to stop and take a closer look.
Stories are the substance of the world. And I don’t mean the one with trees, flowers, and the sky. I’m thinking about the one that’s invisible to our eyes but plain to see with the heart.
In a way, you can think of stories like magnets. We are drawn to those that are similar to ours, the ones that express who we are. Sometimes we are pushed away by those that seem alien and unclear. The stories we choose to tell, listen to, and pass on demonstrate to the world our sense of being in the past, the present, and the future.
When thinking about values, it is exactly the story behind something that makes it exciting or, on the contrary, unworthy of attention. Our natural way of being is gravitating towards the things that initiate various personal associations. Yet, stories are not only about who we are. They are also about who we want to become. And this is where fashion steps in.
It is hard to imagine another industry where storytelling could be more important than in fashion. It is all about aspirations and living out your wildest dreams, and the key to achieving that is having a clear sense of what the meaning behind all of it is.
One thing is certain – stories can be told in a million different ways. In fashion, it happens through visuals and demonstration of what sometimes cannot be expressed through words.
It is truly miraculous to see how the look and feel of a fashion design correlates with the complexities of the story it carries. That’s how we can tell apart the masters of fashion – people who use design as a tool to share their visionary ideas in a wearable form. Something that can easily be included in our lives and be there at all times.
Fashion is the most beautiful extra thing in life. We don’t have to, but we do because we want to and see the value in it.
At the end of it all, there remains the question – why do we care about stories? I think it might be because it’s the way we get to learn more about the world, each other, and ourselves. Without stories, there is no depth to anything. And discovering the best way each of us tell our own story to the world is the way to live the most fulfilling life.
Perhaps, fashion tells your story, too.
Written for LCF Communications, 2023.