In the modern world, the title of "Fashion Designer" is handed out like candy. If a celebrity wears a striking outfit or a socialite launches a "collection" that is essentially a remix of vintage Dior and Valentino, the press is quick to crown them a genius. But as the industry evolves into a machine of pure marketing, we have to ask ourselves: Where has the actual design gone?
1. Design is Not How It Looks—It Is How It Works
As Steve Jobs famously said about Apple, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
In fashion, we have forgotten this. Wikipedia defines a designer as someone who professionally produces designs—be it an architect or an engineer. Yet, in fashion schools today, we focus almost exclusively on "ideas" and "sketches."
Let’s be honest: a sketch is just a wish. In the 1950s, students sold packets of sketches for $5. Today, young designers work in "design rooms" churning out drawings that a Creative Director takes credit for, despite never touching a pair of shears. A "dresser" or a "tastemaker" is not a designer. A true designer understands the architecture of the garment.
2. The Marketing Trap: Sensationalism over Quality
The current state of the industry is a far cry from the golden era of the 1950s through the 1980s. Back then, fashion was an intersection of art and rigorous engineering. Today, brand-name designers often seem to design for the camera, not the consumer.
We see "sensationalism" on the runway—outfits that act as armatures for shock value—but they are unwearable and impossible to produce affordably at a high quality. Because manufacturers have lost the ability to engineer creative patterns, "Fast Fashion" has filled the void. We are left with cheap, disposable clothing because we no longer know how to build anything better.
3. A Cry for the Lost Industry
The decline began in the 1980s. As a veteran of the industry who lived through the peak of American fashion manufacturing, I find the current landscape heartbreaking. Today’s brands often seem to dislike the consumer, focusing instead on selling licenses and building a name rather than building a garment.
The "Business of Fashion" reports that consumer confidence is at a historic low. People are pickier because the "dream" being sold by luxury brands doesn't match the technical reality of the product. When creativity is only for the theater or the celebrity, the everyday consumer loses.
4. The Solution: Pattern Engineering
If we want to save fashion, we must change how we teach it. We need to move away from "old hat" drafting techniques and "useless creativity" in sketches.
True innovation happens at the intersection of Pattern Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering. At 93 years old, my mission remains clear: we must hire teachers who can teach students how to engineer a style into existence.
My own collections, which prioritize the results of creative production engineering, are now housed in the MassArt Fashion Design Archives. They serve as a blueprint for a future where fashion is once again about the mastery of the craft, not just the noise of the press.
Conclusion:
Fashion education must stop aping the brands and start teaching innovation again. It’s time to stop sketching and start engineering.
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