Being Influenced by your Idols
Via Grailed.com / shot by George Elder
We all have people in the fashion game that we look up to and aspire to be like. Whether it be Kanye West or Karl Lagerfeld, we all have our influences. Fashion is largely based on taking inspiration from others and making it your own. However I see some issues that need to be addressed.
Everyone at the FMF office is a huge Kanye West fan. There is no doubt that he has had a different influence on each and everyone of us. For me, Kanye gave me confidence through his music, and as well as introducing me to some very talented designers that he would wear. A couple of years ago, I wanted to dress like Ye by using his same color palettes and silhouettes that he would wear. I had no knowledge about anything besides what I call " Kanye West fashion." Tan suede boots with ripped jeans and an overlong tee was pretty much what I considered fashion for a long time. After my interest was sparked by Kanye, I decided to get more interested in men's fashion as a whole. I realized that dressing like someone else was not the best that I could do. It was easy stylistically, because it was easy to find outfit ideas based on what my idols would wear. Finding your own personal style can be hard and take time and experimentation. You will probably hate the way you dressed 6 months ago, but as long as you are progressing it is all apart of the growing process.
The thing that is bothersome to me is everyone getting hyped up and spending a lot of money on clothing that is worn by celebs. The Fear of God 4th collection denim are almost impossible to get, just because Justin Beiber and Kanye have both worn them and created massive hype. The jeans are good, but at the price point of 1k +, I don't think it is worth buying. Considering you could buy a pair of Saint Laurent jeans for half of that. I know it is easy to wear things that you see on your idols. You want to have a piece of them because you admire them, and wearing outfits that they have worn helps you identify as a supporter of them. But coming from a fashion and style perspective, I don't believe you should just wear exactly what your idols do. You can be inspired by them and take influence, but do not just stop there. Learn more than just the brands they wear. Learn more about what you like and don't like. Learn how to make your style better and more personal. Clothing usually gets misinterpreted because people think it is always a superficial thing. Clothing is a personal thing. It is about expressing yourself. We are all guilty of dressing like someone we admire, but I think it is time for a change. I know we live in an industry based on hype and popularity, but if that is all you dress for, it is hard for me to consider you apart of the fashion industry.
I do believe Kanye has done the industry a service by getting more people into fashion and using his influence for good. However, there are so many more than brands that aren't Kanye West related (Yeezy, Off- White, Fear of God). If you wanna stay in that realm and dress for flash that is fine. But if you are really interested in fashion and want to be involved in the industry you should further your knowledge of other designers and past collections. Their is so much art and talent within fashion industry. Don't just limit yourself to what you already know. But if you really just wanna dress like YE, I suggest looking at his style from 2013-2014 (when he dressed the best).
Just some advice for the road.
Don't wear it how you see it. You can like an item, but you should try to find a way to work it into your wardrobe. I wouldn't buy a full fit for just that one item you like.