Who exactly determines what is stylish?

Last Friday night at the fashion week grand finale held at Mille Collins Hotel, I found myself marveling over the diverse gorgeous creations by several designers who participated in the fashion event—the first of its kind in Rwanda. As the models paraded past, showing off both their outfits and their modeling skills, a few people stood up every now and then applauding energetically, while others whistled. Each designer had a collection that had a unique flair—a flair which distinguished one designer from another, and this is what made the show a pleasing one. For me, this show simply re-enforced the fact that, like other things in life, fashion is very subjective because it all comes down to a matter of taste, opinion and upbringing. As the show progressed, I wondered, “Just exactly who determines what is stylish and what isn’t?” It became evident to me that designers have the opportunity to start a trend, however this trend can either be accepted or rejected by the consumer. A type of clothing can become fashionable if a celebrity starts wearing the item in question; in such a case this is great for the designer, as it will mean more sales! Some people are greatly affected by fashion trends because they always want to be the first to have certain fashion items that are new on the market. However, others may choose not to follow the trends that come out, rather they decide that they want to be true to themselves, by not wearing what society dictates they should wear. Fashion tells a lot about a person; what a person wears can easily tell if they are trend followers, trend setters, reserved or daring, and so on. Fashion is dependent on many factors that include; age, social class, and occupation. When it comes to what to wear, we often opt for clothes that reflect our mood and what we will be doing that day, but sometimes we dress simply to look good and to make a statement. Fashion is the style and custom that is adopted at a given period of time and it keeps on changing from time to time. Fashion is subjective, and it will always be, no matter who sets the trend whether it be society, a designer, celebrity or you. What matters most is that you feel comfortable, confident, and true to yourself in what you wear! ms.efuahagan@gmail.com