March 10, 2008 - "Blossoms," by Ana Juan
From this year's Style Issue, we are presented with another cover produced by Juan that captures the essence of a modern and relevant topic: the fashion and style industry.
Today's fashion is something that is often thought of being something very bizarre and strange to the average American. In this picture, which depicts a model dressed for some show perhaps, there is a flashy and chaotic atmosphere in the image. The model's hair is black and blowing in the wind, as if she were walking briskly down a runway. The blossoms on her dress seem very natural, as if they are growing on some sort of vine, chaotically growing all over the place like in a forest or field of flowers.
In all of this ruckus, the blossoming flowers encompass the spring feeling. The bright colors of the flowers is reflective of the bright and new days of summer that are to come. They also point out the beauty, or at least what society has determined to be "beauty," that is found in today's fashion industry. Even though many people may think that fashion is stupid or weird, there is still a large amount of skill to create these clothes. Designers often have to spend many hours sewing, cutting, and matching different kinds of fabrics together. These skills require a large amount of training and practice.
Thus, because there is so much skill involved, style and fashion has become an art form. The designers are trying to discover innovative designs that would appeal to a person. Despite all of the money that is involved, the ultimate goal for the artist to capture someone's taste and satisfy them.
The beauty of it all is that fashion and style is not only for the high and mighty. In wearing the clothes that we are wearing now, there is our own personal style. Each style is unique and has its quirks, and despite them seeming normal to us unlike "high fashion," they are all crazy and beautiful.
