Q: Would you give any advice to a young artist/ fashion desingner in order to find her own style?

ryantippery:

My girlfriend is currently going to school for fashion design, so we talk a lot about these things. I like that we can relate to each other’s work so much even though it’s very different. I think the thought process is very similar.

I hear a lot of people say things like “Think about your customer. Think about who you’re designing for.” And I just don’t like looking at things in that way. Fashion is just as personal to a designer as a painting is to an artist. I never once heard in art school, “think about your customer, who are you painting this for?” And if I did I probably would have stabbed someone in the face.

Creation of any kind in my opinion should express something personal. Or hold a piece of you within it. So I just can’t get on board with that thought process. I think that the most important thing for any creative person whatever your chosen medium may be is to just stay true to yourself. What do you personally gravitate to. Are there certain aesthetics that you enjoy? Take those things and do them in your way.

For example, my girlfriend enjoys a lot of different kinds of fashion. She’ll be talking to me about all of these super complicated in depth ideas she has. And they’re honestly all great, but I always have to ask, “would you wear it?” And her answer is always yes, but then she thinks about it for awhile and realizes that although she’d love the garment, she most likely would never remove it from a hanger after making it. Lately I’ve noticed that she’s been doing a lot of simplifying with her ideas. She enjoys easy to wear clothing that still has unique qualities. So she’ll take an idea she finds very inspiring and simplify it until she’d actually wear it on a daily basis. And it becomes so uniquely hers in my opinion, and people love it.

I guess what I’m saying is pay attention to your natural preferences. Although you may love something you see, it might not necessarily be you.

Personal style emerges from listening to yourself. You may be influenced by outside sources, but you’ll rarely find that you approach things in the same way as your influencer. Instead you have to recognize what aspects of their work are pulling you in and explore those aspects in your own way.

Style is something that manifests naturally. It will come in time, until then don’t force it, don’t rush it. Just listen to yourself.

asked by Anonymous