The retail "gallery" and fashion reclaiming its status as art form
It’s no secret that fashion retail has been becoming more ‘experiential’ and focused on visually-appealing displays recently, particularly in the luxury sector. Arguably in some cases the design of the store has become a more total work of art than any of the items of clothing the space contains. Something that I have noticed more and more, however, is the tendency for retail to present itself self-consciously as a museum or art gallery space. Rather than racks full of multiples of each item, wall and table spaced merchandised efficiently and a large range of products available to buy on the spot, premium and luxury fashion retailers seem to be paring back the number of products on display, or focusing on unique products not available in the normal collections. Clothing is increasingly presented as a design object or work of art, rather than an everyday consumer good that may have higher or lower status than another brand. Overall fashion (and its retail incarnation) seems to be reflecting a potential shift in how the fashion industry views itself, how we choose and value our clothing, and in turn what that says about us as individuals when we buy an item.
For example in Copenhagen recently I noticed that both Wood Wood and Stine Goya are presenting store concepts in this way - Wood Wood had a “museum” format, while Stine Goya had “Goya Gallery.” Using “museum” or “gallery” as a format name is perhaps self-explanatory, but implies a different kind of interaction than would be expected from a store or shop - the gallery experience is more aesthetic and intellectual than necessarily about product consumption. The implication is that in these spaces one enters to think critically and observe something unique and culturally or artistically valuable in a highbrow way, as one might engage in the Hayward Gallery.*
And indeed in both these spaces a visitor can look at - and of course buy - items that fall outside the classic in-season range of what brands are usually expected to offer in multiple, ready-to-take sizes. The specialness and distance from a typical retail offering adds an extra layer of storytelling that requires interpreting, and adds a different kind of value to the goods. Wood Wood Museum offers primarily archive pieces, while Goya Gallery has, according to the window, “show samples, collection classics, upcycled design, [and] studio prototypes.” Archives and samples offer customers a chance to buy into the history of the brand, things that are no longer readily accessible but feel ‘collectible’ due to their place in an ongoing history, demonstrating an consumer interest in becoming ‘collectors,’ not just wearers of fashion and brands. However, to me, the inclusion of prototypes is perhaps the most telling and interesting element of this effort to reconsider fashion retail. Highlighting the experimental, behind-the-scenes design process, the ‘imperfect’ or ‘unfinished’ iterations created in a designer’s studio seems to have a twofold importance. Firstly, it is the ultimate limited-edition product, as likely only one or a handful of the item will exist, and the owner will know they have something with a unique story that sets it apart from the final, mass produced product. For the brand as well, though, it reinforces the design and craft credentials that are otherwise often obscured by the brand world and imagery of what is ultimately for sale to many. These ‘galleries’ are not only capitalising on product that would otherwise go unsold, but also showcasing their expertise and cultural capital as companies with creative craftspeople behind the products.**
This ‘gallery’ trend is of course not confined to Danish brands, or to a specific style or consumer. In high-end streetwear as well (if not even more widely) there is a tendency to position clothing as art objects within a wider aesthetic experience. In some cases this is literally becoming a curator or art, as in Études which uses its space as an art gallery separate from its own brand experience displays. However in purely brand space terms, some examples include retail spaces from Off White and Filling Pieces, both of which place minimal amounts of merchandising alongside sculptural and abstract works of art, positioning the clothing for sale as on display in a gallery for aesthetic contemplation and appreciation. In some ways this is an interesting evolution of the scarcity inherent in ‘hype culture’ that has been an integral part of the rise of many streetwear brands. However rather than scarcity for the sake of it, these brands are visually creating a connection between the scarcity and value of a unique piece of contemporary art, and one of their jackets. There is something to this as well, as streetwear and sneakers increasingly retain resale value in the same way a more ‘traditional’ piece of artwork would. Ultimately the lines between ‘everyday’ objects and exclusive art works are inceasingly being blurred, creating a new way for brands to get value out of their products and demanding a new way for consumers to engage with the shopping experience.
Filling Pieces Amsterdam
Whilst logos and recognisable high-end designs have long been status symbols, it seems that what brands and customers are prioritising is shifting. As designer styles become readily accessible via rental platforms - or copycat versions through fast fashion retailers - fashion seems to be going the way of fine art in valuing ‘authenticity’ and unique aesthetic value. Partly, the increasing focus on archive styles, prototypes, and samples for sale as one-off exclusive items is de-mystifying fashion design and bringing it more in line with other crafts and design processes. Fashion has always been an important design practice and craft, but in the age of fast fashion the process and skill behind it has been obscured. Designers here are re-claiming or reinforcing their status as artists and craftspeople whose work should be collectible. Buying a prototype is something like buying an artists study for an oil painting, there is an element of ephemeral authenticity to it. Both showcasing the process, and in visually contextualising clothing in the context of an art gallery also positions these brands as inherently against ‘fast fashion’ (or one might say “mechanical reproduction”), and in doing so re-claiming a special, intangible status and cultural capital that mass fast-fashion production will never be able to truly replicate.
OFF-WHITE London
*Obviously I would argue that anything anyone buys is culturally valuable, but it’s a common and longstanding problem that “fashion” is often seen as mass and somewhat lowbrow (take Legally Blonde as cultural evidence, if any is needed). The way this is connected to feminine crafts and the realm of what women are allowed to engage in is another strand in this train of thought. Let’s go there another time.
**In addition, being willing to showcase, and sell, prototypes and samples demonstrates a level of transparency and ownership over the design and production process that goes against ‘fast fashion,’ and reinforces the ethical and sustainability reasons to pay more to buy into these higher end brands.
