Image is the thread of our social fabric. Our image is comprised of the clothes we wear, personality and, underneath it all, our soul. When our image is deterred by brand names and logos, it is easy to forget our foundation. That is why I wanted to find a designer who is not concerned with diluting her image but portraying her personal style through her soul. She doesn't have a name, a logo or a trademark; she is just unique. Her art is found in her clothing with self-made style incomparable with any trend or brand name. She will remain anonymous, unbranded by her real name and her attitude open for interpretation.
This lovely lady is focused on details and flavor. She has an eclectic collection of clothing, from vintage t-shirts to spankin new Chuck Taylor's. She loves all clothing, especially vintage. She also loves "clothes that are unisex, that I can make feminine." In comparing pants to skirts, she remained evenhanded. She believes that pants and skirts "don't have to be super tight or super short to be feminine." Our designer manages quite well with flowy skirts and nice-fitting jeans to look amazing. I respect her because she chooses items that stand out and molds them physically into her personal style. Although she may not "care" about what she wears, she has a "sh-t ton of clothes," so she has fun with them. In essence, this attitude is what defines her designs. She is "always taking something and re-using it," whether it means adding different buttons, cutting the sleeves off or splatter-style bleaching it.
When I asked her why she is so free-spirited with her designs, she responded, "If I mess up, no big deal because most of my clothes are cheap and at my disposal for fun fashion." Her style is not just derived from being unique; it is also from constantly redefining her clothes. Unfortunately, to our brand name whores out there, you probably will not like her designs. She hates "pronounced brand names." This is not just because she borders the anti-conformist conformist attitude, but because she simply doesn't have the money to spend on clothes that other designers of her caliber do. She likes to make cheap, recycled clothing into college chic fashion. The best part about it is that she doesn't need a brand name to define the style. She only needs the creativity in her head and a few tools.
I felt the most accurate representation of her design was found in her disorganized closet. With my Room Raiders spy kit, I found pieces that make this designer noteworthy. The secret to her style is detail and layering. She had torn, bleached and faded zip up hooded vintage sweatshirts. Her crocheted polyester dress was one of my favorites. It was bright yellow and had been cut and sewn several times to fit her style. She also is the only girl I know that would still wear flannel anything. She loves flannel shirts and can actually make them look good. I also found minimal diversity in pants — just jeans and cords. Fabric belts, big belts and fabric purses were also found lurking in the mess of clothes.
The shoes. She had Chuck's, Topsiders, moccasins, flats, lace up sandals and flip-flops. She had the most diverse shoe selection I have ever seen. Stereotypically, she had the punk shoes, the trend shoes, the boating / prep shoes, the hippy shoes, the sexy shoes and the mass-produced shoe. It is a miracle for a designer today to be so well rounded and unbranded.
I then asked her at the end of our disorganized closet dig, why do you like being so unique? She replied, " It is fun to beat to my own drum, and I like knowing that no one else has what I do, because I put my own personal touch on it."
To me, this designer epitomizes the one-of-a-kind mentality. It is a bit childish and self-serving, but it makes her different from the mass-produced Barbies walking around this campus. By no means is she above or below anyone else, she is just more interesting. This no-name designer marks my hopes for the future of fashion design. No regard for the fashion rules, hands on construction and creativity.
Although this designer has a very different style, she reminds me of a young woman who once designed fashion with soul. That woman is Coco Chanel. My idol, my textbook reference and my inspiration for the love of fashion come from Coco. She may have become the most popular designer in the history of the business, but she never sold out. She was unique, and dictated her art and her hopes for the female gender through her designs. Our no-logo designer cannot possibly be compared with the soul of Coco Chanel, but she remains on the right track, because she is on her own track.
The no-logo designer featured today is really not a designer. She is a college student who is not willing to succumb to monotony. She is her own designer and is setting the bar for the rest of us to reach.
Melissa Eisenberg is a sophomore planning to major in journalism. She can be reached for question or comment at [email protected].
