Fashion Innovators: Inherent or Acquired Flair? – The Garnette Report

Fashion Innovators: Inherent or Acquired Flair?

Fashion innovators are at the center of a perennial debate in the industry, as many ponder whether these creatives are born this way or molded to become great. The ever-evolving landscape within fashion lies in the hands of its innovators in design, styling, and visionary work who are resolute in challenging conventional standards. But to what respect can innovation in fashion be interpreted as by nature or by nurture?

Innovators hold the kind of talent which is considered next to impossible to emulate and replace, but above all else is dependent on the person. Fashion is often at a crossroads between utility and artistry, though it is an individual’s personal journey which often holds the most influence for an innovator. No creative is identical to the next, as the experiences they may or may not have had in the fashion realm largely contribute to the execution of their artistry.

Alessandro Michele for Gucci, who was renowned for redefining the Italian house’s image and was recently appointed the predecessor for creative direction at Valentino is one such example of this. The innovator completed formal studies in fashion design in Rome which is on the acquired end of things. But the manner in which his artistry has flourished and developed over time could be viewed as inherent. Gucci’s Twinsburg show in September 2022 was just one of many glimpses into Michele’s incomparable artistic processes – putting the multifaceted nature of creativity on full display.

The late Virgil Abloh was one of the most influential people due to his design aesthetic and reached levels of fame which were unmatched. Abloh’s mother was a seamstress, so you could say some of his abilities were instinctive at an early age, but formally went to school for civil engineering and architecture. But it was architectural designs which prompted his interest in fashion, and led him to start designing himself. Abloh touched upon this as well as his distinctive approach to luxury in an interview with the New York Times, mentioning how previous doubts from a Professor made him all the more encouraged to nurture his craft.

Fashion, like many other art forms such as music, is subjective and will be interpreted distinctly based on the naked eye. Innovation should be considered in this narrative no differently in terms of being inherent or acquired, as a categorical factor such as this can lie in between or on either side. Some of fashion’s greatest creative minds in history didn’t finish high school or made it to a college level education but didn’t graduate. But does this mean they’re less than someone who has accomplished both of those things? Of course not, because the work that they’ve contributed to fashion since then negates this.

A true creative is one who amalgamates their ingrained abilities with the formal and informal knowledge they gather along the way, continuously drawing upon each of these in their work. Every innovator is ultimately on their own path which molds them to become definitive forces in fashion or a related creative field. The ability to innovate is neither simply the result of ingrained talent nor solely due to a learned skill set, but an interplay of both.

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