Maximalism Fashion as a Reaction to Culture

Hey guys!

For this week I thought it would be interesting to tackle the concept of maximalism and why it is resurfacing in our present culture. Maximalism of course is the antithesis of minimalism. It thrives off of the notion that “more is more”, which depending on how you view it makes total sense when we consider our general ultra globalized western society (Welker, 2018). Maximalism fashion uses loud prints and colors that can be used to create statements that convey the beauty of excess.

The origins of maximalism can be traced back to the 1960s and traces of it in the 70s and 80s where the play on bold patterns and colors were prevalent due to the psychedelic movement that created a sensory experience that was expressed in fashion ( FIT, 2019). Fast forwarding to today, major brands such as Gucci and Balenciaga have been trailblazers in maximalism.

The current rise and implications of maximalism is due to the counter cultural reaction of minimalism, politics, and technology.  Fashion cycles are accelerating as trends are driven by a multitude of sources, from social media platforms to celebrity “influencers,” fashion editors, and bloggers. Irrespective of design aesthetic, recent collections have shown that this is not a time for quiet clothes. In 2018, journalist Alexander Fury described the spring collections as “hysterical, scatterbrained, and lunging toward extreme opposites . . . just as global political parties have become more polarized themselves ( FIT, 2019). The election of United States President, Donald Trump in 2016 was more than controversial and polarising – it was momentous. Well-known trend forecaster, Lidewij Edelkoort, when asked how Trump would influence fashion said to DW.com, “in these times of fear, in the big parts of the world, in densely structured fighting societies, fashion tends to become very extravagant.” She continues by saying, “There’s this whole urgency, I believe, to truly change form. It has been too basic for too long, and we need to have a new incentive. Theatrical clothes are going to be important.”

I think most people see maximalism as something that isn’t practical or too overwhelming to put together themselves, so I wanted to make sure that the examples I put for today are street style looks to make sure it’s more comprehensive and relatable—well somewhat!

Here are some examples of Maximalism

 

 

 

 

Works Cited:

Deutsche Welle. (n.d.). Trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort: ‘Fashion gets political when clothes become uniforms’: DW: 21.11.2016. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/trend-forecaster-lidewij-edelkoort-fashion-gets-political-when-clothes-become-uniforms/a-36430428

Masemola, N. (2017, June 23). 10 things you need to know: Maximalism: Maximum Impact trend: Fashion blog: The Way of Us. Retrieved from https://superbalist.com/thewayofus/2017/06/23/maximalism-list/10746

Melissa Marra-Alvarez, M. (2019,). Minimalism/Maximalism. Retrieved from https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/minimalism-maximalism.php

Nast, C. (2019, September 12). Phil Oh’s Best Street Style Photos From New York Fashion Week Spring 2020. Retrieved from https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/slideshow/new-york-fashion-week-spring-2020-street-style

 

28 thoughts on “Maximalism Fashion as a Reaction to Culture”

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