Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Caught in fashion?
By N. Dilshath Banu
That boob top of Britney Spears and the gangster style of P. Diddy. Hair extensions – introduced by Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton. Coming closer to our neighbouring India, that thick sporting bracelet won by Rajanigand. Those Spice Girl shoes…

You name it. You are urged to try wearing them, without dwelling too much on whether it makes you comfortable or not, or even how they came into existence. It starts with a celebrity… and then a trend starts.

That’s Fashion. Go to any store, and you’d find the same kind of outfit, maybe in different colours on display. As long as there is demand for those ‘uniform’ styles, they will keep coming. Sometimes you may even notice some try to stick to fashion trends and lose their sense of personal style. Is fashion helping individuals develop personal style, or is it ‘fashion vs. personal style’?

Michael Mascarenhas, a young fashion designer says that fashion cannot be defined in one word as it’s a never ending cycle full of innovation and creativity, subject to rapid change. “Since fashion is not restricted to clothes alone, it extends from jewellery to the lifestyle of an individual. Fashion can be considered to be a cycle, because of the link it has built up with the past, giving birth to something new to the current age.”

Says Michael, “Personal style is a picture of an individual. It speaks about who we are and what we do. It always adopts and goes along with the trend of the time, but it also creates a signature.”

“Sri Lanka is taking a slow turn in terms of fashion. But people who are involved in the fashion industry have lots of potential; the designers, especially have the opportunity to bring out what they have in them,” says Michael, optimistically. However, he added that many in our generation want to be imitations of celebrities. He warned that this sort of imitation only lasts for a while and as we grow up, the urge to imitate slows down.

“If you think and feel comfortable in the latest trend, try it out! But why do you want to try an outfit just because it’s trendy? Fashion will adapt to any individual personal style and even trend, and be toned up to suit all types of people with different ages. Therefore wearing what you think is good and makes you a confident person rather than adjusting ‘you’ to a particular style is always the best option.”

“Remember, that not only celebrities create fashion; you can do it by being original. Originals always carry a difference and will make you stand out positively. Day by day, people are looking for individuality, difference, uniqueness and that special ‘spark’. Our generation should be encouraged to be original and positively support that style with confidence, because it’s about who you are,” says Michael. We all like to dress up, but when we do it let’s be ourselves!

Top