Fashion 101: K

Today's word is generally a dirty one in world of fashion.  It mocks sophisticated traditional fashion and takes style into its own hands.  With this word, designers like Jeremy Scott, The Blonds, and Richie Rich are able to be successful.  And thank goodness for that!  Fashion should have more of a sense of humor!


Kitsch

Definition: A style that is considered to be overly sentimental and/or pretentious.  Kitsch often draws upon mass culture and mass-produced items that may previously have been met with critical disdain.  As fashions change, what was once kitsch becomes cool.  While aesthetically considered bad taste or garish, many people take pleasure in kitsch designs, whether ironically or not.  French designer Jean Paul Gaultier is known for injecting kitsch into the usually sophisticated world of couture.

Patricia Field

There is no one in fashion that has more kitsch factor than Patricia Field.  This is a woman who made oversized flower brooches, stripper chic, and 80s b-boy jewelry fun to incorporate into everyday wear.  With her wild magenta hair, she is someone that puts the fun and irony back into fashion.


Credit: The Visual Dictionary of Fashion Design, Ambrose & Harris