By Dale Peers,
One of the many advantages of working in an academic institution is a minimum of at least two New Years! We have the academic year which traditionally begins in September as well as the calendar year. This gives us the opportunity to have fresh experiences and new beginnings in general and more specifically with the start of the study of new courses.
For our Fashion Resource Centre, this means opening the doors and the drawers for a new group of students. Decisions must be made from an educational perspective about which items need to be brought into the different classrooms to best illustrate the concepts of the course.
And, we know that the fashion world is all about “new.” And yet, as they say, “Everything old is new again.” As our design students look for inspiration, the garments we have on display rotation may initiate the spark of a new idea.
Inspiration can certainly be found in our zeitgeist. Our students look to the world around them for ideas. Will, for example, the current slate of movies rouse interest in revivals of not just vintage fashion but new fashion?
Will seeing Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella or the Turner exhibition at the AGO provide a colour story or thematic inspiration?
And, as we embark on a new year the making of resolutions may be an opportunity for new ideas. Often these resolutions have to do with improving our bodies through diet and exercise or becoming more concerned with our health. It is interesting to note that as human beings we often incorporate our appearance into the resolution, whether it is a revision of that appearance or an announcement of having met a particular goal. We often want to communicate through our appearance an important life change. The adoption of a new wardrobe, style, even a new haircut is a subtle (or not so subtle) message that we send to the world.
For women in the past their wardrobe and fashion style would help to communicate a change in status – from girl to young woman; from bride to wife and mother.
From Childhood to Young Woman:
The seasons could be marked with the purchase of a new hat.
Even the time of day could be identified by the type of dress worn.
What have you planned for this New Year? Are you part of the group embarking on a new area of study? Has something in our zeitgeist inspired the desire for a new career or lifestyle change? Have you a resolution that you are working on and does it involve your appearance? What has inspired this change? Would love to hear from you…simply write in the comments.
Whatever awaits I wish you a Happy, Inspired New Year!
