Fashion: One Giant Retweet

Everything has already been done within fashion, nothing is new and everything we are seeing has been seen in one way or another. This is one of the first things taught in fashion school. Originality is hard to come by within the fashion industry. Everything has that recycled feeling. Though innovation and creativity will always be present within fashion, it is rare that an audience gets something that has, truly, never been done before. Sticking to their signature styles, brands do what they can to create new and improved garments that consumers can get excited about. But, how much can a brand do before their pieces start to feel tired?

The best example of this would be Alexander McQueen. Not the late designer Alexander McQueen, but the current brand Alexander McQueen. The late and great Alexander McQueen has been described, rightfully so, as one of the greatest designers of all time. His legacy lives on, in his dark and advanced signature style that was super unique to him. He was an original master of his craft. After his passing, the brand was left to start anew, as their biggest asset was no longer with them. The brand withheld its momentum, creating collections filled with captivating silhouettes and bold designs. However, it was nothing in comparison to McQueen's previous work. The brand recently came out with their Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. It featured a variety of repeated silhouettes, popularized by McQueen. McQueen was ahead of his time when he started presenting a large variety of low-rise pants with cropped suit jackets, all of which we are seeing in today’s styles. So seeing them present them once again, felt a bit familiar to the viewer. It’s hard to replace the amazing work that Alexander McQueen left behind, but the brand is still doing what they can to present dynamic collections. It just feels, unfortunately, a bit “been there, done that”.

What if the brand is not repeating their own silhouettes, and it is hard for the viewer to pinpoint a signature style? Ambush suffers from this problem. The brand is semi-recent, as they were founded in 2008 as a jewelry brand, later starting and developing clothing lines. The brand is consistent in an edgier styling, which is why their latest collection felt so peculiar. The Spring 2023 ready-to-wear show featured a variety of designs that all felt a little too familiar. Looks were styled with chunky black boots that had silver embellishments, looking far too similar to the style of boot used in Jean Paul Gautier’s collaboration with Olivier Rousteing. The collection also featured large, bug-like sunglasses, similar to that of Balenciaga’s iconic alien-like sunglasses. Small details looked repetitive and unoriginal, as they were pieced with garments that, again, have been seen before.

Some of their most memorable garments included tops in a style that looked extremely similar to Versace’s Fall 2022 ready-to-wear collection. The top is not only nearly identical, but the pants look the same as well. Overall, the outfit is so identical, the viewer is left feeling fatigued. Similarly, Ambush presented an outfit consisting of a metallic blue set, that looks familiar to a Diesel design. Ambush’s Fall 2022 ready-to-wear had a look consisting of a metallic blue set that appears a bit too similar to the one Diesel showed. This being such a consistent pattern for Ambush, proposes yet another issue to the viewer. Although, surprisingly, the common fashion nerd has yet to notice, as there has yet to be any publication regarding these consistencies.

To the naked eye, these repetitions may not be visible. But, to the avid fashion lover, the repetitiveness of the fashion world is starting to bore them. The common viewer is not asking for much. Many out there understand it as an impossible feat, to create something completely new that has never been done before. Accepting that everything has been done before will allow the viewer to start appreciating interpretation more. But, one thing is for certain, the viewer does not want to continue down the train that Ambush seems to be leading. Alexander McQueen is showing that a legacy may live on in a way that allows for repetition, but will hopefully be shown in new and exciting ways. In fashion, there is a difference between admiring an artist and straight up copying it, and many brands are riding that line a little too close. It is almost as though the fashion world is just one giant retweet. But alas, fashion will forever live on, no matter how tired it may feel.