Do You Understand Rightly About Minimalism?
In fashion, there is a concept that seems like the paradox “less is more”. However, it is one of the most popular trends today, the trend of minimalism.
Book cover of Minimalism and Fashion by Elyssa Dimant
Like having to eat too much spicy fish and meat, people become eager for frugal fruits and vegetables. The fashion world admires the extremely simple and sophisticated costumes of designer Phoebe Philo in the Céline Spring-Summer 2010 collection of dresses. Monochrome costumes, neutral colors, dresses with simple but meticulous seam cuts. We can see many designs with similar styles in the collections of emerging young designers such as Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Derek Lam, Jil Sander, Alexander Wang …
From left to right: Derek Lam, Céline, Calvin Klein Collection, Stella McCartney
Designed specifically for the minimalist style of Calvin Klein Collection
From a school of art …
In art forms such as painting, sculpture, photography, music …, minimalism is the minimum use of the simplest design details. For example, the blue rectangular painting by Yves Klein in 1962, the Voice of Fire painting of Barnett Newman 1967, or the sculptures of Tony Smith. All are based on the simple principle and minimize the use of descriptive details.
Minimalism in music manifests itself in the repetition of chords or melodies as in La Monte Young’s music, or focuses on depicting the nature of familiar sounds such as the sound of a ship’s horn. Different Trains (1988) by Steve Reich.
The Voice of Fire painting of Barnett Newman 1967
In literature, the minimalist style is that the writer minimizes the use of words, they focus on surface description. Writers in the minimalist style often avoid adverbs, preferring to rely on context to express meaning. Readers play an active role in creating stories based on the suggestions and implications of the author instead of just passively reading.
Minimalist style was born after World War II in Western countries, especially in America in the 1960s and early 1970s. Minimalist style is reflected in the result of the work, not from tools or techniques in making a work. This is also suitable for minimalist fashion. Minimalist designers sometimes need a lot of work and time to create a perfectly simple design. Minimalist fashion gained popularity in the 1990s with the introduction of designer Tom Ford’s first collection for Gucci in 1996 and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton in 1998.
Tom Ford collection for Gucci in 1996
Marc Jacobs performed the Fall-Winter collection for Louis Vuitton in 1998
Minimalist fashion can be summed up into two outstanding features: the reduction of all redundant details to get the core of simplicity and the escape from the concept of traditional beauty, gender, age.
… to the influence of fashion
In fashion, the minimalist style is to choose costumes that favor simplicity, less details, less accessories with neutral, dark or monochrome tones, towards the simpler and more sophisticated criteria. Minimalist designers focus on the speciality of designs and fabrics rather than on the function of the outfit. They design costumes through many stages of strict refinement to get an extremely simple design but still exudes sophistication and personality. Minimalist fashion designs often have a cold, emotional mood. A typical example of this style is the famous Balenciaga wedding dress designed in 1967. Without any decoration or decoration on the wedding dress, even the waist bow. The designer sewed the wedding dress with only three lines on a gazar silk background. It is simplicity, but no one can deny the beauty emanating from that simplicity.
Balenciaga wedding dress design in 1967
Also, with the goal of obtaining special designs, minimalistic fashion tends to eliminate the lines that show gender, age, beauty according to traditional concepts. These are non-gender designs with neutral, monochrome colors, not for any age, completely comfortable. It is no coincidence that Japanese designers are considered pioneers in this style when they do not follow the same female body curves as traditional Western fashion. One of the most acclaimed and influential fashion shows in the history of minimalist fashion is the show of the 1997 Spring and Summer collection by Comme des Garçons by Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, with the name “Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body”.
Spring and Summer Collection 1997 of Comme des Garçons
In this collection, Kawakubo challenged the traditional notions of the standard of beauty, which by default wears the body’s curves. It is this conception that makes invisible women have their physique shaped by a certain standard, losing their own characteristics of their body. Therefore, although Rei Kawakubo’s collection does not follow the basic principles of minimalism, the message that she wants to convey is extremely consistent with the spirit of minimalism. It is the escape from the traditional form, the sex-shaping costumes, age. Kawakubo’s designs put the model in fancy shape. They go against the usual lines and prove that no standards are forever in fashion and fashion should not become the limit of beauty.
Simplicity in minimalism does not necessarily always appear in appearance. It may be in the material or the seams that make up the dress. It is hard to recognize the simplicity of Martin Margiela’s designs. However, if you look closely you will find that he still adheres to two simple and special principles. His clothes can be made from very ordinary materials, recycled products and with very few stitches. Examples are plastic jackets, or dresses made from old gloves.
Design by Maison Martin Margiela
Stars prefer minimalist fashion
Audrey Hepburn
The image of the actress in the elegant and elegant LBD in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s has become a classic image in fashion, which is also a symbol of minimalist fashion style. She is also a fan of simple, elegant style.
Victoria Beckham
Since becoming a designer, Victoria Beckham has preferred fashion style to simplify details, focusing only on form and lines. Mrs. Beck likes to wear plain colors, like white and black. Shirts, trousers, and long dresses are the types of clothes associated with her image. Even the designs of the Victoria Beckham brand follow the minimalist style like Phoebe Philo.
Gwyneth Paltrow
This slender actress has preferred a minimalist style since the 1990s – this was also a time of popular designs such as the smooth slip dress. Until now, Gwyneth Paltrow has often chosen dresses with long slender shapes, little to show curves. Her favorite designers are Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford … Few people forget the white cape long dress of Tom Ford that Gwyneth wears at Oscar 2012, voted as one of the most beautiful dresses. in the history of this awards ceremony.
Summary: Anh Tuyet – Photo: File