the tyranny of fashion: Monique van Heist ‘Hello Fashion’

The cycle of trends in particularly rampant in clothing design, where new seasons are brought out twice a year causing a great amount of waste. The recent global economic crisis, and the resulting slowdown is sales of clothing has cause some of the fashion world to re-examine the way in which their industry operates.

One designer who is acting out against the cycle of trends is Monique van Heist. The philosophy of her label ‘Hello Fashion’ is that her work will be eternal. She will not produce garments in seasonal ranges but rather add to a permanent catalogue of pieces that will remain permanently available.

In theory this is a very good idea. We do not actually need our clothes to look a certain way, their function is to keep us warm and covered. It would certainly be possible, I think, to wean the consumer market off of it’s yearly consumption of large amounts of new fashion if done delicately. People will always want new things, but by increasing the time ‘seasons’ of fashion last and by producing clothes of higher quality the high levels of waste and over consumption could be greatly decreased.

I must however, express my doubt at the eventual success of Monique van Heist’s particular endeavour. It seems to me that to achieve such aims as she targets one’s designs must be wearable and embody timeless aesthetic. To illustrate the source of my doubts I will now let her designs speak for themselves.