Look at the screen, look at the rack, and look at your feed. You know exactly what this is. When we talk about the “visible mechanics” of fashion, we’re talking about the moment you realized a creative director wasn’t hired for their sketches, but for their ability to manage a legacy logistics machine.
Think about the sheer, exhausting speed of the “drop” culture. When we say production is constant and its waste is for the third world, think of the mountains of unsold polyester sitting in the Atacama Desert or on the shores of Accra. That isn’t an accident; it’s the industry’s “momentum” at work.
When we talk about heritage as a weapon, look at how the LVMH and Kering giants operate. They aren’t just selling clothes; they are selling the 19th century as a barrier to entry. If you don’t have a “house” founded in 1920, the industry treats you like a guest rather than an owner. Look at the recent carousel of creative directors—Sabato De Sarno at Gucci or Chemena Kamali at Chloé. These aren’t just hires; they are tactical re-alignments with the archive to ensure the “playbook” remains unchanged.
You see the “filtered rebellion” every time a brand tries to co-opt a subculture or a political movement for a 15-second TikTok clip. It’s the “punk” aesthetic stripped of its danger, sold back to you at a 400% markup. It’s a riot choreographed by a marketing department.
But then, think of the work that actually stops your scroll—the work that makes you feel a little bit stupid or a little bit uncomfortable because you can’t instantly categorize it. Think of the haunting, draped silhouettes of Rick Owens, the impenetrable world-building of Hood By Air in its prime, or the way Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons refuses to give interviews that explain the “meaning” of a collection. They aren’t “content creators.” They are authors. They aren’t asking for your like; they are demanding your presence.
That is the tension. You are being fed “clarity” and “commercial alignment” because the industry thinks you’re too impatient for anything else. The question is: are you going to keep buying the resolution, or are you going to start looking for the tension?
