Fashion and story-telling have always been intertwined. Through fashion, a certain narrative is pushed and that can be about anything! Fashion is walking art and from way back in time, art has been used as a tool for escape from the realities around u. Other times, just like music and all other art forms fashion has been used to express rebellion, happiness, courage, changing belief systems and so much more. That’s because behind every design is a story that is meant to elicit a certain emotion.
The design process always starts with inspiration that may come from a personal ordeal, a happy experience or some common interest that the audience and creator share. Many fashion designers and artists tell their stories by manipulating fabrics, techniques and colors and that way, they get to share their lives and their world with their audience. .
Fashion designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder of Pyer Moss attributes his success to telling stories through fashion. He describes his brand as an art project that is eighty per cent storytelling and twenty per cent product. He continues to elevate his brand to combine activism, storytelling, and theatre while collaborating with other artists to facilitate conversation across those platforms.
Like fashion brands, each person has their own individual story and we dress to tell a story about ourselves. The lawyers’ suit can be the show case for power dressing. The IT guy’s cashmere sweater and jeans, the bank teller’s shift dress, the student’s skinny jeans and T-Shirt, and the construction worker’s overalls are an expression of their story.
At weddings and other formal ceremonies, Ugandans wear their colorful traditional clothes, such as the Gomesi, Omushanana, Esuuti, and so on.
Our wardrobe reminds us that we are part of something bigger which connects us, and that way, we leave clues about who we are and the lives we lead.
Telling stories through fashion and style has built communities of people who share common interests regardless their location, nationality, or ethnicity. Our clothes reveal not only how styles have changed but how we too have changed, and evolved into different people over the years.
Indeed our our clothes will always reflect our lifestyle and how we want to express our selves in the moment. The important question is, do you feel that your clothes tell the story that you want to tell about who you are now? You can choose the story that you will tell.