Archive Fashion, the beginning…
Though the term “archive fashion” is an ambiguous term, meaning an archive piece can range from your favorite designer’s lines a few seasons back. However, it could also mean seeking after a garment from maybe your favorite designer or just a piece you saw on Pinterest that you really liked and actually digging for that piece. And by digging, I mean doing laps around the world wide web until you find what you’re looking for. This brings me to my next point, which is that just because you have a piece of “archive fashion” does not necessarily make you an archivist or even into the topic for that matter. When it comes to being into this sort of thing, it really is more about the journey of getting what you are looking for and finally acquiring it, versus it being easily accessible off a resale site. Don’t get me wrong, I would not consider myself some sort of top tier archivist with some secret formula on how to find what you’re looking for, but for now we can say that I am an “amateur archivist”.
As an amateur archivist, and as Judy, my favorite brand is Prada and I especially appreciate Prada’s archive and also much much more recently, Miuccia Prada’s collaborations with Raf Simons in the previous, yet recent, years. Their collaborations feature tastes from both designers making iconic collaborations to this day. The two have known each other since around 2005 since Raf was “appointed” as the Jil Sander’s creative director when they were still a part of the Prada Group. In the more recent years, the two have had amazing collaborations with my favorite being last year’s collaboration with their women’s wear Fall/Winter 2022 line. It was very vibrant and the show itself just makes you want to get up and dance. It was that good. I especially appreciate how their lines together feature sort of the framework of an archive with a modern twist.
Another iconic moment from the archives that I feel is extremely prevalent in the fashion world to this day would be the Maison Margiela Tabi’s.
The Margiela Tabi shoes are essentially one of his very iconic archival works that has been reworked and is still sold today, even though Margiela is no longer at the brand anymore. This beautiful line of shoes shows a pair of shoes sort of reworked into a more non-traditional style, yet still being practical. The shoe was first shown in 1988 on the runway and has sort of been a Margiela staple since.
When it comes to archive fashion, there are many layers and you kind of have to dig deep to not only find a product you’re looking for, but also the information that you want to know regarding certain lines and such. With this blog, I just wanted to begin the conversation and just scratch the surface of what archive fashion means to me and things that I find particularly interesting. This definitely will not be my last blog about this topic and there will most likely be multiple blog posts regarding this same thing. I just wanted to sort of give my own definition of what the topic means to me and as I do more research, I most definitely will be sharing both my findings and knowledge, as well.
Thank you and xoxo :-*
Judy N. Ulayyet
Sources:
https://www.archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/12792 https://www.hungertv.com/editorial/is-the-internet-ruining-archive-fashion/
https://hollowayexpress.org.uk/the-historical-significance-of-archive-fashion/
https://www.sumunage.com/an-introduction-and-the-meaning-of-archival-clothing/
https://www.farfetch.com/style-guide/trends-subcultures/archive-clothing-and-archival-fashion-brands/
https://www.luxuo.com/style/fashion/archival-and-dated-fashion-pieces-old-is-new-again.html#:~:text=Efforts%20that%20conserve%20fashion%20archives&text=Retrieving%20archives%20builds%20the%20heritage,of%20brand%20cultures%20over%20time.
Image sources:
https://pin.it/3hfCI8d, https://pin.it/7x4EOhR, https://pin.it/2bc2Yh6, https://pin.it/1S87ZVi, https://pin.it/7EQ1yUe, https://pin.it/6IUu06c, https://pin.it/7hV9Jn3, https://pin.it/7HrrY03, https://pin.it/4BfMl42, https://pin.it/6knazIn, https://pin.it/aw97Woh, https://pin.it/5EOBeJl, https://pin.it/7LL88EV, https://pin.it/12RUlwj, https://pin.it/5A470QC, https://pin.it/2PNTYVB, https://pin.it/4KnMeBW,
Winter/Spring
An Essential Season for Experimentation in Fashion (and Your Closet)
I feel as though everyone’s favorite time of the year is something basic. I mean, there are only four seasons which really isn’t much to pick from, but I mean like you ask someone their favorite season and they usually say “summer” or something BASIC. If you know, you know exactly what I mean. As for MY favorite season, it would have to be Spring. Early spring. I feel like spring and fall are the shortest seasons already, but spring I feel is even shorter than the fall. This is mainly my favorite time of the year because my birthday is at the end of March and spring break is around this time too and the weather is always good and it just makes me smile. However, what makes me smile even more when we talk fashion and more specifically what I like to call the “Winter/Spring” season.
Now I know that this season isn’t really one you see on the runway, but I think it is super important that we talk about it. This is sort of a long transitional period where if you live in certain areas, like the midwest where I live, you know that the weather is different almost everyday. This means that one day it’ll be snowing and not even a week later it’s 70 F outside. Climate change is crazy, but anyways. With all this being said, there is a lot, and I mean A LOT of versatility with what you wear during these months which I would say in Bloomington, Indiana starts at the end of January to the second week of April. That is more so for this year however, but usually this season back up north in Valparaiso would maybe start at the end of February or mid March.
Okay, so why is it important and why talk about it this much? I think this season is crucial for fashion and more specifically, experimenting with fashion and the things in your closet. I am the type of person to wear my winter coat whether its 5 F or 50 F. I do this for a plethora of reasons, but the most obvious one is I’m just plain cold. However, my pants may not necessarily be sweats or something typically warm and my shoes may not necessarily be winter shoes, even though I’m wearing this big winter coat.
With all this being said and considered, this is where the experimentation and versatility comes into play. You are not dressing for one season anymore, rather you are dressing in hopes of transitioning your wardrobe into a more spring summer, but of course you still have a couple winter items because of that slightly cold weather. This so called “hidden gem” of a season is the perfect time to not only experiment with pieces in your closet by mixing and matching, but playing around with your clothes as well. This can mean a lot of different things, but one way I perceive this is as wearing items untraditionally. And this can mean wearing a belt in a different way than you traditionally would or maybe a jacket being both your shirt and your outer layer. However, wearing something untraditionally is up to everyone’s own interpretation and everyone should do what they want to do when it comes to personal style especially. Can you think of anything worse, in fashion, than everyone looking the same? Big barf alert.
Though I keep calling this season “transitional”, it sort of makes it sound like it’s not as important as the other seasons, or that it isn’t a staple. Though I do not think that this Winter/Spring season isn’t a staple season YET, especially in runway, I do think that this season should be a staple due to its versatility. Trust me, I understand that making three lines rather than two lines a year would be significantly more expensive. However, I am more so suggesting that we pay attention to this season in streetwear and also on the runway either during a F/W or S/S line.
Thank you and xoxo :-*
Judy N. Ulayyet
JudyOnFilm
Fashion and lifestyle and much more.
In 2010, my mom bought me a little pink Canon PowerShot and recently, I decided it was time she made a comeback. I love this camera with my whole heart and it makes me happy that I am able to capture my favorite moments with it. My project, JudyOnFilm, will hopefully be something that is ongoing because I cannot say I enjoy anything more than playing around with my little pink Canon PowerShot.
Recently, I have gotten into taking short videos on my camera and making these sort of “video collages” or vlogs of the things I do, whether I am by myself or with a friend, With these videos I make, I put what I deem to be a fitting song for the final visual product. Without my little PowerShot, I probably would have never found this hobby of mine that I enjoy so dearly. Under the portfolio tab, I will have another page called “JudyOnFilm” where you can find all of my videos.
Thank u and xoxo :-*
Judy N. Ulayyet
Accessories
Accessories can make or break the outfit. Here’s what I have to contribute to the matter.
Accessories can make or break your outfit. You can go ahead and argue that this is in fact a cliche and obvious statement because of course! That’s the whole point of accessories and accessorizing, is so they enhance and make your outfit distinct and unique. Which brings to my next point which is that accessories are sort of like snowflakes. Each one being so different. No two people have the same thrifted Jordans or jacket. No two people have the same rings. No two people have the same necklace they wear from their mom’s jewelry collection. Accessories are both unique and ambiguous. They’re fun to play with and we all do so differently, which is why I say that accessories are like snowflakes.
In this shoot, I wear the same top and bottom, but change the accessories. Whether that be the jacket, hat, shoes, etc. The point of me doing this is to not only show levels of ambiguity, but to also show just how powerful accessories can be. Within these frames, I go on to present a plethora of different looks while wearing the same foundational outfit, but also showing how that outfit can be styled in many different ways just by the use of different accessories. The pictures with this shoot can be found under the portfolio tab where it also says “Accessories”.
This is my first project doing something like this and I hope it won’t be last, as I would like to keep adding on this specific blog topic and portfolio as well.
Thank u and xoxo :-*
Judy N. Ulayyet