Althouse: "Decades ago, the world of fashion was smaller and feistier, dominated by eccentric, visionary designers trying to express themselves...."

July 21, 2026

"Decades ago, the world of fashion was smaller and feistier, dominated by eccentric, visionary designers trying to express themselves...."

"In 2000, John Galliano showed his infamous 'homeless chic' couture collection. Alexander McQueen’s 'Highland Rape' show of torn dresses shocked the industry in 1995. Rei Kawakubo’s spring 1997 line, known as 'lumps and bumps,' remains one of the most significant collections of the century because it rejected traditional sex appeal, distorting and reimagining a woman’s form. It would be impossible to defend 'homeless chic' or 'Highland Rape.' Or Mr. Lagerfeld's disdain for fat bodies, a part of his personal brand, or Mr. Galliano’s antisemitic tirades.... But as fashion becomes more consolidated and homogenized... it hasn’t seemed to figure out how to provoke and shake up aesthetics and culture, creating crazes that people open their wallets to be part of...."

Writes Amy Odell, in "The Rise of Fashion Slop" (NYT).

17 comments:

Peachy+2 said...: No one ever mentions the rise of Costco clothes.
Cute pants and a simple cotton T-shirt for under 25 bucks?
Done.; 7/21/26, 8:49 AM
RideSpaceMountain said...: Nothing says "fashion slop" like "homeless chic" to Derelicte.; 7/21/26, 8:50 AM
Lazarus said...: Part of the general cultural exhaustion. Also, once you go to the extremes of the avant garde everything else just looks tame and predictable. The avant garde devours itself and now we're just left with the same old garde.; 7/21/26, 9:26 AM
Kai Akker said...: Guessing Amy Odell is young. Possibly very young, 20s? Fashion is losing its grip on her and she is casting about for an explanation. This is an English-101 type of composition -- I should say, sounds like as I have not read it -- with its thesis and its various little points.

For me, though hardly a fashion maven, none of them are remotely as good as Oscar de la Renta. But I was pretty young then.; 7/21/26, 9:30 AM
Richard Dolan said...: Amazing what rich, white women will buy. And not just in fashion.; 7/21/26, 9:32 AM
n.n said...: My body, my Choice... uh, choice, is a fashion-forward statement.; 7/21/26, 9:44 AM
William said...: A while back I decided to do something self indulgent to celebrate the record Dow. I bought an expensive T-shirt--55 bucks. The fabric is a little smoother than the ones I usually wear. I wore it on a hot, humid day, and it does succeed in wicking moisture. I don't know if all that is worth the two or three times I usually pay for a t-shirt. It looks like a t-shirt and I can't see any great differences in style from the other t-shirts. No one but me knows that I'm wearing an expensive t-shirt.....I guess a Saville Row, bespoke (whatever that is) suit looks expensive and stylish, but there's not much difference in apearance between expensive t-shirts and cheap t-shirts.; 7/21/26, 9:46 AM
Enigma said...: No one reveals their ignorance in public like a NYT (AI trained?) reporter. No mention of sloppy cut-off jeans in the 1970s? The strategic holey jeans and baggy sliced t-shirts following "Flashdance" in the 1980s? The mega-oversized jeans of the 1990s?

Every decade reinvents every old idea.; 7/21/26, 9:53 AM
Leland said...: Was it smaller decades ago? If it was smaller before what does more consolidation suggest about the size of the industry now?; 7/21/26, 10:11 AM
Kirk Parker said...: These people are just perpetual middle schoolers. It's "épater le bourgeois, épater le bourgeois, toujour épater le bourgeois" with them; 7/21/26, 10:18 AM
Peachy+2 said...: I found these cropped summer-time pants at Costco. 13.00
on clearance for 7.00.
I purchased a nice stack.
If I go to Dillards (and I like Dillards - it has a place) one pair of pants is at minimum $ 70.00
I had to buy a nice blouse for an up-coming wedding a while back. I paid 70.00 at Dillards. Ridiculous - but I needed something and my old clothes were not going to cut it.
I'm not going to shop at Needless Marc-up. I could give a rats butt about high fashion. Most of it is designed for young skinny bitches.; 7/21/26, 10:39 AM
Howard said...: You can't make this shit up....
Top Comment:

**Not mentioned is the horrific environmental impact of fashion.

Algorithms and corporate greed have overthrown creativity. Fashion is killing us, through its need for the next THING. We can fight back, don’t participate! Buy vintage, buy from small fashion houses who are trying to do the right thing, and are creative to boot!**; 7/21/26, 12:48 PM
who-knew said...: The brief descriptions of previous designer collections sound like fashion slop to me. Have near zero interest in fashion I won't be bothered to explore or think about this any further; 7/21/26, 2:44 PM
Known Unknown said...: I love crazy designers. We need more crazy designers. Simpletons will mock them but I think they deserve all of the praise they receive for being weird and interesting.

Life can be too boring. People can be too critical and care too much about things, like movies or fashion or art.; 7/21/26, 2:46 PM
Peachy+2 said...: Howard- fashion is not killing us.
geeez - no wonder you like that freak bernie.

Fashion is mostly angry gay dudes.; 7/21/26, 4:33 PM
Peachy+2 said...: I would love it if we had more Made in America clothing.
Good luck finding any.; 7/21/26, 6:54 PM
Peachy+2 said...: I shop at the fashion house of costco.; 7/21/26, 6:54 PM