Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other....
That's the premise of Crash, quite possibly the best movie I've seen in the past 5 years. In this study of race, culture, and Karma (to name just some of the issues it explores), it's one of those movies that truly, honestly, and often painfully rocks your soul. In the world of Spiderman 2's and The Man, and especially in light the way things were handled in the Gulf Coast, this movie should be required viewing for every American.
Crash got me thinking about our country's pulse... the slow steady beat that runs through the nation and affects its collective consciousness. This pulse can be measured in terms of trends... crime trends, fashion trends, consumer trends and the like. For example, I remember my mother told me once that she wrote a paper in high school and was able to find a correlation between hem
lengths and war...
This kind of pulse is important in terms of our work (which deals with fashion and consumer trends) and in terms of our own mental health. When the collective consciousness is one of unrest, fear, or apprehension, we should all be aware of our responses and the lengths and levels to which we allow it to affect us. Similarly, as artists and consumers you can use your work as an outlet and therapy for the current climate.
*****
In a relevant aside... The Fashion Pulse captures a tiny part of this concept. Gathering young, high-end independent designers, The Fashion
Pulse is a study of affluent aspiration. With truly beautiful clothes I can't afford, the site offers insight into the world of up-and-coming designers. Compare their designs to those featured in the coverage of Fashion Week in New York Magazine. Offering insight into Spring 2006 (what a pleasant thought with winter fast approaching), note the mood expressed by the designs. Compare that even still to the undercurrent of the industry (you know my favorite). Those highly original designers who offer a refreshing and contrasting pulse. Do they ever collide? If so where? I have my thoughts, but I'm interested in hearing yours.....
That's the premise of Crash, quite possibly the best movie I've seen in the past 5 years. In this study of race, culture, and Karma (to name just some of the issues it explores), it's one of those movies that truly, honestly, and often painfully rocks your soul. In the world of Spiderman 2's and The Man, and especially in light the way things were handled in the Gulf Coast, this movie should be required viewing for every American.
Crash got me thinking about our country's pulse... the slow steady beat that runs through the nation and affects its collective consciousness. This pulse can be measured in terms of trends... crime trends, fashion trends, consumer trends and the like. For example, I remember my mother told me once that she wrote a paper in high school and was able to find a correlation between hem
lengths and war...This kind of pulse is important in terms of our work (which deals with fashion and consumer trends) and in terms of our own mental health. When the collective consciousness is one of unrest, fear, or apprehension, we should all be aware of our responses and the lengths and levels to which we allow it to affect us. Similarly, as artists and consumers you can use your work as an outlet and therapy for the current climate.
*****
In a relevant aside... The Fashion Pulse captures a tiny part of this concept. Gathering young, high-end independent designers, The Fashion
Pulse is a study of affluent aspiration. With truly beautiful clothes I can't afford, the site offers insight into the world of up-and-coming designers. Compare their designs to those featured in the coverage of Fashion Week in New York Magazine. Offering insight into Spring 2006 (what a pleasant thought with winter fast approaching), note the mood expressed by the designs. Compare that even still to the undercurrent of the industry (you know my favorite). Those highly original designers who offer a refreshing and contrasting pulse. Do they ever collide? If so where? I have my thoughts, but I'm interested in hearing yours.....