Minimalism In Fashion

Note: I commented on Shi Jun's post.

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The concept of minimalism in art movement (emphasizing on the shapes and forms itself) can be applied to fashion as well. Minimalism in fashion concentrates on the form and fabric of the garment instead of its functionality to cover human body. Terms like reductivism and non-emotive design would be the core elements of minimal fashion.


Reductivism
Definition to reductivism would be extreme simplification, reduction to a minimum and use of the fewest essentials. (Your Dictionary, n.d.) In fashion, it can refers as reducing the design to its core and removing the appearance of composition. The final works are often simple-looking and utilizing invisible closures even the construction is complex.

(Ventus, 2013.)



Example:

Wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1967.

[Defining Minimalism in Fashion] 2013. [image online] Available at:<http://the-rosenrot.com/2013/08/defining-minimalism-in-fashion.html> [Accessed on: 17 July 2014]

This Balenciaga wedding dress isn't held up by any corsetry and it does not follow the shape of the human body. The dress was formed by the three seams that connect the lengths of silk gazar.

Non-emotive design

Geometric composition and/or the use of non-conventional materials act as the elements for non-emotive design. Lines and shapes were the ideas to go for. Many early Minimalist works implied the repetitions of shapes and the utilisation of lines and planes.

(Ventus, 2013.)

Examples:

Suit by André Courrèges, 1960s.

[André Courrèges] 2013. [image online] Available at:<http://www.my-fashionbank.com/articles/article25.html> [Accessed on: 17 July 2014]

This suit designed by André Courrèges made great use of the geometric lines. His visionary approach to fashion incorporated clean geometrical lines and rejected excessed materials. (Fashion Bank, n.d.)

Gareth Pugh, 2007, 2009, 2010.

[Defining Minimalism in Fashion] 2013. [image online] Available at:<http://the-rosenrot.com/2013/08/defining-minimalism-in-fashion.html> [Accessed on: 17 July 2014]

An example of a much recent scene. Gareth Pugh enhanced this idea of non-emotive design further in his works where he used the repetition of geometrical and linear shapes. (Ventus, 2013.)

Reference:
Fashion Bank. (n.d.) André Courrèges. [Online] Available at:<http://www.my-fashionbank.com/articles/article25.html>  [Accessed: 8 July 2014]

Ventus, G. (2013) Defining Minimalism In Fashion. [Online] Available at:<http://the-rosenrot.com/2013/08/defining-minimalism-in-fashion.html>  [Accessed: 8 July 2014] 

Your Dictionary. (n.d.) Reductivism. [Online] Available at:<http://www.yourdictionary.com/reductivism> [Accessed: 8 July 2014]