Does Fashion Qualify as Art?

Fashion designers are artists, so why won't most of the world accept their work as art? An article from fashionista.com highlights the best 50 fashion exhibits of the summer, yet some would argue that the works don't belong in even one muesame. I wonder then, what are the qualifications for a defined piece of art. Hours of sketching, countless beading, embroidery and draping, not to mention the master skills one must have to actually construct a piece, all seem like the groundworks of creating an art piece to me.

             

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened the first fashion exhibition in 1983 showcasing the works of Yves Saint Laurent. Since then the MET as set a wing specifically for fashion exhibits, named after the current editor and chief of american vogue, Anna Wintour. Anna specifically has worked hard throughout her career to change views on fashion. In both documentaries, The September Issue, the story of publishing Vogues most purchased magazine of the year and  The First Monday in May, the story of putting together the spring exhibit in the costume institute, Anna addresses the dated views on fashion.

Not long after their success at the MET, fashion exhibits began popping up across the globe. Advances in technology have made many more interested in fashion than ever in our history. Having a love for fashion myself, I have tried attend as many shows as possible. This magic of such complex designs by artists from Christian Dior to John Galliano in one room is truly amazing. Whether you can tell every creative director in each fashion house or don't even know who or what Channel is, the breath taking works from decades past and present can be appreciated by all. To me, fashion is further than art, fashion is an experience. I think seeing dresses made for royals or celebrities 100-1000 years ago gives you a better connection to their life or an experience than the short blurb underneath will. Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. For all of those who question whether fashion is art, I urge you to attend a show with an open mind and feel the “emotional power,” the designs will give you.