The Transforming Role of Fashion Designers in Human Societies
The Transforming Role of Fashion Designers in Human Societies
What do the ancient Egyptians and the most modern millennials have in common? Neither escapes the grip of fashion: Not then, and much less now. Fashion design may seem like a superficial or trivial issue, but for centuries, it has been an essential part of our society and has had a great influence on the culture of each civilization.
This article is designed for you, a fashion enthusiast who is about to finish high school and considering studying Fashion Design. There is nothing more rewarding than becoming an expert of the things that you are passionate about. Our goal is such that, by the time you reach the end of this article, you will get to know the great transforming influence of fashion in history and so convince yourself a little more to choose this great career.
A Quick Review of the History of Fashion Design
At the beginning of earliest human communities, “fashion” was something quite unthinkable: clothing items consisted of animal skins that covered the body and had a practical purpose: to protect people from the ravages of the elements. Dressing skins and furs was simply a matter of survival: the difference between life and death.
As societies our ancestors lived in evolved, clothing ceased to be merely a practical, rudimentary element, gradually becoming an aesthetic and complex element which designated the social class and indicated the status level to which a person belonged.
Fashion and Its Impact on Society
Fashion has been present throughout human history, and its influence is undeniable for various reasons:
The mere fact of "dressing", of covering our body with cloths and garments, corresponds to a social requirement: Dressing in a certain way, with specific garments chosen in keeping with the fashion “codes” of the moment, is kind of a “brand” that communicates the way in which a person assumes their sex, age, status and their role in society.
The way humans dress was considered as the greatest expression of freedom, especially by societies and governments which considered the imposition and use of certain garments to standardize, codify and categorize citizens.
Fashion is a reflection of the main moral and aesthetic values of societies. Its impact on modern societies is undeniable and for centuries has shaped even the way men and women look. Their influence is visible when we analyze the “ideal bodies” of the 50’s and 60’s and compare them with the physical characteristics of the contemporary “ideal” woman and man.
When judging the issue superficially, fashion and garment design may seem nonessential, but they have a deep connection with the development of human societies.
Fashion Designers: Profession with High Social Relevance
The fashion designer has a significant social relevance. Although day by day, the role of a fashion designer is related to the creation of clothing and ornaments for the body or hair, her or his role is important because, through their knowledge and creativity, they can imagine, design and produce products that serve two purposes:
- Dress people, protect them from inclement weather and environmental risks.
- Give people the status elements, symbols that help them express themselves, and communicate who they are with the help of their clothes: displaying what their likes and beliefs are by the way they wear their attires.
In our modern day society, designers like Numan Ataker, who is a famed fashion designer, have worked and toiled hard for their business to attain the vantage point it operates from in the market today. The fashion designer is revered, and like Versace, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger and the likes, is contributing to the transformation of the world of fashion with his creative potential. As a result of Numan’s excelling performance as a fashion designer, the global brand John Paul Ataker is now based in Madison Ave., New York with flagship fashion stores in Istanbul and New York.
Being a fashion designer allows you to become a creator of universes, small but big worlds that express themselves through textile, fabrics, shapes and colors.
And this is why today's designers can easily be as famous, influential and praised as any prominent public figure in politics, music, movies or television and art in general.
Fashion designers are key professionals who could develop new ways of dressing that are comfortable and useful and with the use of materials that have a positive impact on environmental conservation.
This is why the fashion design career has become a career option for young people today: their work is essential in many aspects and has a real impact on today's and tomorrow’s societies.