How Oblivious Can Fashion Really Be? 

Tbh a lot of "fashion is silly" probably has to do with the idea that "fashion is for girls"

As a completely uneducated engineer who only just started learning anything about fashion (from your videos! Thanks!) these past few weeks, I can say the disconnect I always had was a question of goals. I always thought fashion was about "a beautiful outfit I could wear to work or to a restaurant". Instead I'm starting to understand that fashion is about "a [beautiful] human form" and fashion is communicating a vision. It's not about practicality necessarily. When models come down a runway with something wild and fantastical, no one there is even considering the question of practicality because that's not the goal at all. It can absolutely be a part of things, but that's not what people come to shows for. Just my two cents of how I'm starting to change my conception of things as a new viewer and outsider.

The irony is there’s very little visibility of what the commercial fashion industry really is. When I was going to school for fashion design, the assumption was that I was aspiring to be a couture runway designer.. In reality, I ended up doing production management, pattern making and designing women’s knit loungewear.

"We don't buy clothes all the time. And we're so grossed by fast fashion that most of our clothes are falling apart, because we buy just a handful of clothes per year and we keep them until they literally don't function anymore" this is so true, haha, couldn't phrase it better.

Thinking back to my childhood, what you wore or didn’t wear was weaponized and I believe those feelings of humiliation -whether a person experienced, perpetuated or observed it - stays with us until we deal with it. I’m glad that I came across your channel because it has changed the lens that I view fashion. Still, I absolutely understand why people may embrace or reject it. There may be scars as it pertains to what we wear

I think the thing for me is that there is a fundamental disconnect in fashion that doesn't exist in any other medium. You don't think of how a Picasso will look in your living room or how useful a song will be. However, the vast majority of people who look at fashion have an expectation that the clothing can be worn. So they look at these clothes that were never designed to actually be worn more than once and judge them for being ridiculous to wear more than once. ETA: The human backpack for example. No-one is ever going to wear or use that outside of a fashion show and that's ok. But it means that someone who thinks of backpacks as backpacks will hate it because they expect their backpack to be functional.

*ITS NOT SILLY FUN THOUGH IS IT...?* its amazingly hard work. I think thats what most people miss...

Two things: I'm not a fashion guy at all; I resent having to wear clothes. If I could just get the government to issue me a jumpsuit and a set of gym shorts, I would be set. That said I enjoyed watching your videos pick it up perspective on the art aspect of fashion, so good job. Regarding the subject of the video: The thing that it took me a while to get over, is that fashion is the only form of art that I am forcefully compelled to participate in. I have to buy clothes that cost a certain amount and look a certain way and our uncomfortable and that I just kind of resent owning in order to get the job I want, to it'd be looked upon in a way I need to be looked upon in society to survive. The fact that I can lose my job for wearing the wrong clothes, and not in the sense of lewdness or rudeness, but crudeness is kind of f***** up, it makes me dislike the whole enterprise. Your videos have convinced me to separate the artistic part of fashion from the enforced homogeneous culture part of fashion though, so good job!

As a womenswear designer whenever I tell people wat I do they always seem so impressed and think it must be so glamorous 😂it’s the furthest from glamorous behind the scenes and extremely high pressure and hard work

People definitely do this with studio art and music but I think fashion gets the brunt of the "anti-elitest" jokes because it's more accessible. Like it's more talked about in magazines and newspapers than other forms of art (at least to me). Not everyone plays an instrument or sculpts or paints but everyone wears clothes and that makes the more comfortable and confident calling it stupid.

Even when you take one of the most fashion-hating group in the world (gamers), you will still see them spending thousands of hours on WoW to get a cool shiny armor that they like. Everyone loves self expression and looking cool, but there are so many cultural barriers. The biggest problem i think is the the elitism, for someone who don’t know anything about fashion it’s genuinely so complicated to get into, and you’re reminded everyday that this specific group of people get it and you don’t. It’s also a weird thing that such a niche and quirky hobby with tons of niche references happens to look like the biggest hobby in the world for rich people and celebrities.And you associate the elitism and out of touchness of these people with the fashion world itself. Add to that the barrier of money, luxury stores that do make you feel like you don’t belong, the hobby of dressing peculiar being « gay » for men, the shock value marketing that is often time the only moment where « normal » people hear about fashion, the predatorial modelling industry and the climatic situation; and yeah you get something that is culturally extremely hard to get into, even when most people would love it. Again that’s why your channel is so important, there is no other fashion channel that explains you in a welcoming way this world without needing previous knowledge

I worked in the NY fashion industry in the 80's and have since moved up state and experience those who feel the fashion industry don't touch the at all. So thank you for this

What truly got me into fashion and sewing was the manga "paradise kiss". While, yes, it's fashion aspect is secundary to the story, it also was my awakening to actually start searching about fashion.

It’s 5:30 AM and I’m listening/ watching this while getting dressed for work. I am a 53 yr old licensed plumber. This world is clearly not for me. But I consume all media. Stereotypes be damned. The one point I would make as an layman to the fashion world, is the built in classism. Fashion is criticized as being “impractical” or “silly” by plumbers and other underclass. But that criticism is mild compared to the baked in disdain that the fashion world has for the working class. High fashion is inherently classist. And grossly, that’s the draw for many people. The same with art, wine, cars. They become signifiers for dumb rich people. And pretty soon it’s hard for anyone to know what came first. As per usual, wealth corrupts everything and turns it to shit.

i think fashion is such an unapproachable art form for a lot of people because function >>>> form for clothing. While the function for other art forms is just “does it make me feel”

Your videos are what changed my perspective on fashion completely, after transitioning im now slowly getting new clothes and I’m doing it intentionally and and I’m so much happier for it

Thank you Bliss Foster for loving Fashion and how it makes us feel just cause! I guess there is that part of the human condition that needs to bully always going to the thought of "them and us".Love the way Bill Cunningham a Fashion PhotoJournalist once expressed what Fashion is "Fashion is the Armor to survive the reality of everyday life".

Being someone who went to fashion school, I still struggle not viewing high fashion/high fashion people as a bit much. I'm an artist and have been through it all but I just don't really "get" all the high art, avant gaurde, super intellectual stuff and I kinda hate that I don't 😅

I never really knew anything about high fashion besides the pop culture crossover of Tyra & Naomi, but discovering your channel this year has made me respect it more as art. I still don’t think of myself as a fashion expert, but the video you did of that runway show being put on in the French ghetto and another one you showed of the Ukrainian fashion show where the models’ outfits are modified mid-way through their walk really impressed me.

Zoolander and Ugly Betty are my favorite fashion movie and show 😂

The L’Oréal thing is so goofy, I couldn’t stop myself from giggling 🤣🤣🤣 the literalism lol! I’ve been binging all your videos and I’ll join the patreon when I can! Thanks for making RU-vid a more thoughtful place

L’Oreal achieved their marketing goal. They got you talking about it 😂

I think a lot of people who are over fashion don't realise that designers and real fashion people hate the same thing they do: shallowness, consumerism, absence of meaning. Where the same starting point gets lost in translation is for two things: the first is the fashion industry (which I don't think anyone hates more than fashion designers themselves --though they have to love it too), who is just so relentless, obsessed with ridiculous things, cruel and unforgiving, and most importantly, watering down the message of the designers. The second one, which is weirdly a counterpoint to what I just said, is that the general public doesn't have the codes to decipher fashion, just like it doesn't for contemporary art. There's this weird thing, when non fashion or art people see outrageous fashion or art, they see it as brainless, where it's actually the most thought provoking in many cases. So thanks for your education work

I think I'll need to rewatch this video at least one more time (I love how your videos give you something new every replay). It touched upon a lot of different subject. But what I get out of it is that once you understand that the industry has real people in it who really care about making good clothes (designers as well as manufacturers), you realise that fashion is not about all the superfluous bs (corporate marketing, influencers, scams...). A clear separation can be made between fashion for the sake of putting emotion and passion into your craft, and fashion as a way to sell people an unrealistic lifestyle by taking advantage of their insecurities while delivering poorer and poorer quality clothing. Things can be more or less nuanced but if we as customers were more conscious of this distinction, it would clear some confusion on what fashion is and is Not. thank you for this video.

Man, you hit the nail on the head right there…it’s not even love that we want…it’s acceptance

Always worth noting that Les Wexner, owner of Victoria’s Secret, was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s top financiers, bought him his house (one of the biggest townhouses in Manhattan), and allowed him to present himself as a booker for the fashion show to corner women. So that’s the culture behind those particular 'dreamy' 'glamorous' 'aspirational' fashion shows.

This documentary gave me so much clarity. great work

Runway Fashion to me is one of those things that like helps conceptualize what practical fashion becomes. Like that chandelier dress might end up becoming more iridescent fabrics, and a silhouette that's much more puffed out. idk I'm into goth fashion, and stylings so that's what I try to go for, and what I pay attention to.

Laughed so hard watching this video!!! 🤣 Thank you. Nicely put. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

seeing it as that faux lifestyle is so crazy because when someone (me) expresses their interest in the industry and when i describe it to anyone as my dream it’s impossible for people to understand. i’m putting my whole heart and soul into that dream and that whole notion is so discouraging and damaging, im fully aware of the amount of work i have to put in, and i’m closer after every video so thank you bliss :)

As someone with friends that were involved in Vancouver’s (Canada) Fashion Week…. can confirm it was a total flop and cash grab. Vancouver definitely has the potential to run a fashion week successfully but it just doesn’t have the right people with the right passions behind it

So fashion is my first love, but my second is psychology. People often don't understand the importance of beauty. It helps with our mental health. Our surroundings and the way we dress ourselves have a huge impact on not only our self esteem, but also our mood. Humans crave beauty. It's devine like, and we crave the devine. I'm starting a fashion line, myself, and part of my marketing will be teaching people why beauty actually really is important. It's not frivolous at all. I also want to teach people how to bring beauty into their lives. I mean, of course I want them to buy my clothes, but my style isn't for everyone. If I can teach them how to create beauty for themselves, that is just as valuable as them buying my beautiful creations.

I use to perceive fashion the way you’re describing people on the outside do. Now it’s what I enjoy the most and what I spend my time learning everything I can about it. I thought you advocated on the behalf of fashion beautifully. It really just boils down to approaching it with an open mind. That’s what I did and now I’m an aspiring fashion designer. Even being this dedicated to the craft that is fashion, there are certain things I still can’t take seriously, corporate/celebrity stuff aside; but I still appreciate it because it serves its purpose in its own lane. Excellent video Bliss!

Love your wide ranging insights - thank you, Bliss.

YESSS!!!!!!!! As a Fashion Business major, it really gets under my skin when I tell people (mostly family) and they react like Im going to art school.

Lol loved the comment in the end about hating fast fashion to the point that most of your own clothes are falling apart. Can relate 💯

From my perspective as an artist - I see that a lot of people these days do not recognise contemporary art from 21 century, sometimes even the modern art from 20 century. Many of them recognise art only when it's applicable, shows craftmanship and is recognised as universally beautiful. They do not see value of art when it's about provoking a thought, a feeling, a concept. Perhaps because they do not see the value in affecting and nurturing their mind. That's when they would see Schiaparelli would say WOW why would you even create that, you would never wear that in the streets. Or if they would see Joseph Kosuth works they would say they do not belong in the museum because the artist didn't even "create" anything in the craftsmanship sense. It's sad sometimes that most of people do not see or especially if they do not wan't to see that a lot of contemporary art is about the creativity, the concept and they just want to see pretty, functional objects.

Love the channel. Love art. Don’t love the industry becoming too big to fail and too responsible for poor self esteem and unfathomable tons of garbage. Also, the marketing is completely bonkers. No, Timothee Chalamet in grainy black and white chiaroscuro lighting is not going to get me to buy cologne. Didn’t fall for it with Marky Mark and those underwear either. 😂

the barrier to enjoyment to most literally is the deployment and promotion i think, like no one resents a screenshot of a shirt but as soon as you stick it on a hot person you are asking the viewer to replace the hot person with themselves, to perform some kind of aesthetic judo and that's going to make people feel like shit most of the time and reject the whole exercise as spiritually threatening! clothing is really really really intimate

It’s great that you have highlighted how hard it is to make beauty. I am fascinated by the journey and thank you for bringing more of it than we would have seen without your videos. Oh and the drama in this video… bravo! ;P Loving the accents.

Shout out to Craig Green. That jacket is sick!

Someone on Film RU-vid made a very interesting comment that lends itself to the Anti Fashion segment of the population... fashion is closely tied to the Intellectual Movement of art, which on a whole, has been in decline due to the anti-intellectual movement thats present in the culture rn: "I found it curious that she only mentioned anti-intellectualism once, a major factor in the decline of film criticism. Largely coming from the political right, anti-intellectualism has for the better part of fifty-years consistently promoted the idea that film criticism is something only done by the elites and is in direct opposition to what YOU the people want. It promotes film as entertainment only and results in "it's just a movie" and "get politics out of my movies""

i feel like i try to explain the first 2 minutes to adults everyday n im like how r u twice my age n u cant seem to grasp the concept of subjective personal interests?

As I often enjoy your videos and your points of view. May I suggest you have overlooked one thing. Fashion is a creature. It is ravenous and shall not be satiated ,eternal, and seductive it shall always feed off any person it can devour. ( side note... Great work)

Dont forget many dont watch any movies besides action and only go to a historic museum once a year on vacation

One thing that this video made me think about is: can we actually separate what is fashion industry and what is pop culture? Of course the fashion industry and the entertainment industry have their differences. But in the world that we live now, it seems that pop culture it's a giant concept composed of fashion, entertainment, internet, celebrity culture and more. Maybe the ways that pop culture portrays the fashion industry is somewhat the way that the fashion industry wants to be seen?

Brilliant as usual!

such an interesting video, thanks!

I think that the reason a lot of people don’t want to understand fashion in a hypothetical way is the same reason that people don’t like modern art. To understand it you have to spend the time to learn about it and that creates gate keeping. You can look at a painting by Monet and see it’s beauty but to see the beauty or meaning in Cy Twombly takes a little more work. So people just say it’s stupid

This is one of my favourite of your videos. I particularly loved your hot mimicry. Just about everything you say about the fashion industry is true of all art. If art is what we do with obsolete technology in order to extend ourselves in all sorts of fascinating ways (cue MarshallMcLuhan, of course.), the fashion is much more than just keeping us warm and dry, just as, oh, say, Mark Rothko went beyond illustration. I have know quite a few rich but stupid people who bought expensive art and fashion because they thought it was what they should do, but at least they paid the bills for the folks who did the work. Although I don't have the money or energy to do fashion once I did and just do little bits of private art, fashion can be the absolutely most person form of art and art collection. Now I gotta look up the Copenhagen Fashion Week.

i enjoyed. Thank you.

Thank you for this!

Milwaukee fashion week is actually cool

The cookie monster voice "are rich people okay??" killed me lmao

Love your jacket!

There's this person on TikTok who almost exclusively does these "ugly rich people fashion" and it usually consists of "i don't get it, therefore it's ugly and also who would pay that much for weird shit?" One of her last vids was about the Balmain Unicorn sneakers and I was just thinking "I watched so many IG reels from Safa Sahin designing these from scratch; they don't look like any other shoe out there." But no, "ugly" + expensive = bad, no context ever needed

I also think an aspect to the attitude you describe towards fashion is because it has primarily been seen as a feminine aspiration, it puts you center stage & shows thoughtfulness, you spent time on the vanity of curating your appearance “which is sus” instead of spending money to watch half naked guys wrestle through the years society puts down the feminine & champions the masculine even when they can both be ridiculous & also great

Victoria Secret fashion show really be goofy af 🤣

Designer shows are a joke, it’s not about creating beautiful clothes for women to wear, it’s just about shock “art” value. Remember the dress with the inflated kiddie pool around it? Designers insult potential customers with their vanity and stupidity. Designer shows used to highlight clothes we actually wanted to buy and wear. Fashion design crashed and burned around Y2K. Plus, the increased plasticization of the apparel market led to brands pushing designers to create “trends” using cheap polyester and other synthetics, to push brands’ profits to astronomical new heights. This year’s sheer and lace “trends” are a perfect example, they’re all polyester items produced for pennies, but charging customers to hundreds of dollars. No thanks! Sometimes I feel like the lone voice crying in the wilderness looking for high-quality, natural-fiber clothing in wearable, flattering and modern styles.

Remember when VS tried to convince us that these hideous outfits were so creative and difficult to make when the concepts couldn’t be any more repetitive and obvious?😂

waited for this all day.

I that there is a psychological, mental health analysis to this video, as well as a discussion about the industry.

Yeah. I’d be happy to find clothes in my size.

Love this channel ❤

5:38 wearing shoes with no socks is the real atrocity here

I’m no fan of slave labor (that should go without saying but you have to be explicit about these things on the internet), but it’s contextually dishonest to use that against VS in comparison with Rick Owens in a conversation about aspiration. You can’t point out VS’s promotion of an unattainable body type while ignoring the same thing being promoted at Rick as a part of the brand’s aspiration. Rick models are extremely physically fit with *very low* body fat percentages, especially the male models. Part of the Rick Owens ethos is this very regimented physical fitness aspiration. In context of the brand, VS’s aspiration was being an attainable, (local) “luxury” that could make you feel incredibly confident and sexy (hence the angel imagery and general glamour of the shows) in your own skin. This is largely the aspiration of every single lingerie or shape wear brand. I’m not saying VS didn’t contribute to a skewed view of fashion and the fashion industry, but this particular criticism in this video feels flimsy. When’s the last time you saw a dad bod on a Rick runway? Both brands in your comparison suffer from exclusivity in the aspirations of body types they present and therefore represent. It feels like you used the slave-labor criticism (completely fair in a general sense) in this particular comparison to tap into people’s aversion to that as opposed to making a genuine comparison.

Really great video, had me rollin

bliss u the best. thank u!

We adore ya Bliss.

You should visit Atelier Jolie. Now, THAT is something that really makes sense in fashion world, at least to me.

We would love to have this kind of videos more plzzz

I appreciate the accessibility you give to the fashion industry. You provide value. I think fashion is cool, but never knew where to start. So I've really enjoyed watching your videos since I discovered your channel. Um on "practical things". I think a real mix of high fashion and quality work wear would be cool. Like quality affordable fabrics and like features and accessories that would be super useful to like the construction industry. (I'm a carpenter) Like I go through clothes so fast, I don't have a single pair of pants over a year old. Like challenge Carhartt that'd be cool. Like durability wise, but make it look cool and fashionable. That'd be dope. And since this might already exist, I'd love any recommendations from anyone reading this comment. Thank you for your labor! I love that you pointed out slave labor so much, specifically with Victoria secret. Workers solidarity!

yes thank you for adding the brandon rogers vid i sent lol XD love you bliss haha

This has been one of my top three favorite videos in this channel ❤

i’m gonna spend a long time in airports and on airplanes today so this video was perfectly timed

Thank you

I really agree. Just enjoying the beauty. Enjoying the craftsmanship, but I also think sometimes social media overhypes the fame and the trendiness of certain items or certain trends. Lots of people forgot to look at the details and all they can see are just them gimmicks and the marketing and the potential attention or the potential fame they can get through obtaining certain items or trend. It's sad.

As someone from the inner city aspiring to create my own brand, I use a lot of the high fashion I see as inspiration! I'm not saying fashion doesn't get a lot of air time in St. Louis, MO but I believe I have an opportunity to bring a new lens to it.

I love you both ❤ thank you

Oh my god !! My fave fashion clothes really are falling apart and some blacks are nearly grey coz I have been wearing them for ages! So I am not alone! So glad you mentioned this!!

Thank you for adding the wkuk clip

It's also worth noting that these criticisms generally come from "Real" sectors of the economy like engineering, business, or blue collar laborers who's work, while perhaps more concrete in some ways, has still resulted in the current world we find ourselves in: with an economic system that doesn't effectively feed, clothe or house everyone, even though there are surpluses of all these things; with an environment degraded by climate change and biodiversity loss; and with wealth inequality so vast that there's no hope of everyone seeing eye to eye. Basically, I'm saying that it's not like the "real" economy has it figured out either. Fashion might seem like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic to some people. But it's worth remembering that many of those people were involved in building the boat this way, and then piloting it into the iceberg. Maybe their opinions about what is "useful" or "meaningful" or "valuable" shouldn't matter that much.

Thank you professor Foster!🤍🤍🤍

Longing for the Dyson show, famous models and celebs in purple hard plastic heels vacuuming and blow drying down the runway!

I know zero reasonable adults who thinks a whole industry doesn't include a ton people doing a ton of work, it's literally the definition of an industry.

Another fun with auto-captions: Bliss: "As...pirations." Auto-captions: "ass operations"

*PEOPLE CAN IMAGINE* putting a painting on their wall, people literally watch a movie, but people who cant buy a coat in a bright colour cos they would feel self-conscious can NOT imagine wearing anything on a catwalk - even if they could afford it... So when they look at a catwalk show they fixate on the ridiculous cos thats an easy way out of the debate. They never have to have that awkward internal conversation *"I REALLY LIKE THAT but I could never wear it, cos I don't have the confidence"*

the first thing that comes to my mind concerning why general public doesn't like or understand fashion is that it it way more marketed compared to art. for exemple on instagram I can see random painting that I like, and it will be only paintings that will be shown to me. if I follow fashion as an art form I will still be harassed by commercial/trendy fashion, and celebrities and all the superficial bullshit. and what appears the most in the media is the trendy commercial or "weird fashion" wich is very hard to understand from a newcomer point of view. because what comes out is mostly superficial, elitist, weird etc images. In fashion I feel like you have to dig under that first layer to appreciate the true beauty. the art world is maybe as much fake, but from the outside perspective you can just apreciate art and not deal with its world, which is harder to do with fashion.

I still haven’t found a designer bra as good as or even close to as good as Victoria Secret, I hate that. I tried to switch to wolford but they always fit funny. I have gotten everything from DandG bras to Armani and Mochino, Gucci tons of Gucci and they all fit funny none fit comfortably enough for daily use they are all relegated for special occasions. They never make the cups big enough or the band big enough there is always a problem. I tried to get rid of anything I owned that wasn’t designer just because I had so much crap but my biggest mistake was getting rid of all my Victoria secret crap.

love you bliss everything you said was true asf

Aye that random Milwaukee diss was not necessary😂.

I don't reside in either extreme myself. What I would say is I'm unsure how I would contribute to the fashion industry, given that my experience is more the other side of design and art unrelated to models: I recently started making what I call "pixel plaid" which works sort of like screentone, and also figuring out what colors complement each other, and different types of monochromatic and selective color. Or seeing how things we don't normally associate with high fashion, can look good in the right context. Thus it seems like fashion shows are a completely different artistic skill from character design and web comic creation. Although I admittingly have floated the idea of using fashion as an extension of the universe I've already created. And would like to try costume design. I am warming up to it, knowing that apparently "theatre style" fashion shows, that aren't on traditional runways, is apparently a thing.

The back and forth at 15:00 felt so WKUK movie pitching guy

Love love love love loooooove your jacket

Everyone has tried to draw, and at some level understands how hard it is, it gives them a small amount of appreciation for it as an art form. Fashion doesn't get that grace...

For me my interest in fashion started when I saw Lolita fashion. I was getting to the peak of 'I'm not like other girls' phase but it was fighting that I still loved disney princesses and pink. What I perceived as little girl stuff. To see an adult woman wearing such a whimsical dress made me so happy. Edit: if a consumer brand can pretend to be luxury by using a runway the company will do it. It's not the effort to create beauty. It's capitalism using fashion as a mask. And fashion has always been part of class.

L'Oreal still owns the Mugler fashion label, right? If so, beyond just sponsoring Fashion Week, the company has an actual and legitimate vested l interest in the fashion industry. I loved your analysis here. It is interesting because I was watching an old Todd Oldham fashion show earlier today on RU-vid and was thinking many of the things you expressed. Oldham was known for having a whimsical /playful style, so my knock wasn't against him. The way that some of the models were being such divas /hams taking themselves so seriously going down the runway was so pretentious and goofy. I was like, girl get over yourself...stop trying so HARD. Cue the Right Said Fred music, 'I'm Too Sexy....for Milan...New York...and Japan...'

I need to go to fashion week

I do like Project Runway a lot because i love watching people in their design process and i like seeing something resembling art criticism on TV. I love the artistic aspect of fashion, but the economic and ecological implications are truly horrifying. And the artistic aspect is VASTLY undersized compared to those material aspects.

I love fashion but my latest grip with fashion is the used of AI model! 😡 working for a writers guild and fighting for artists to still make a decent living wage in our day and age i was shock to hear that it’s no longer enough to seriously retouch a picture of a model now we can just not used a real person to show the clothing.