Finding Your Style

It seems fair to say that most artists put a little piece of themselves in their work. It gives their work a sort of authenticity and personal seal. Some of these personal touches may reflect the creator’s personal values, religious views, or ethnic culture. Whatever it may be, this personal touch adds validity and depth to the creation. When it comes to fashion, designers need to take into consideration not only things like their location and intended target group, but they need to think about how to make their style unique among the competition. In today’s society with so much to choose from, (eg. grunge, couture, vintage), creating a personal signature isn’t always the easiest thing to come by.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk to Ayaka, an aspiring fashion designer at Syracuse University who is still getting a handle on her personal style. A native of Japan, Ayaka is often looking at the latest Japanese fashion trends and styles. When I asked if her designs reflected her culture in any way Ayaka’s response was, “I don’t know. I’m still looking for my style…maybe it has some influence, but I can definitely say I like most of Japanese designers compared to, like, American designers…” In time, as her collection matures, I’m sure that Ayaka will find her style.

Personal style isn’t always as obvious as we’d expect. In my own experience, I’ve found my personal fashion style in traveling to many different countries and taking a piece of that’s country’s fashion culture with me. Of course, that may be an unrealistic expectation for many people, but the fact of the matter is an artist can draw their own unique style from anywhere or anything. The best inspiration can come from places where we don’t even look. As artists, we just need to be ready to run with it!