Bring back the clothing!

I was intrigued by a brief interview video clip from InStyle at the CFDA International Designer of the Year Award, winner Daniel Roseberry, Fashion Designer and Creative Director at Schiaparelli on X, eloquently speaking on the trend of nude fashion. When asked about what he wanted to see in fashion, he claimed “I’d like to see less desperation, and a bit more reserve.”

Daniel Roseberry for System Magazine

This had me thinking on how public figures choose to present themselves, and how the ever increasing popular trend has been a continued decrease in clothing.

My personal consensus was drawn to the notion that it is actually incredibly more intimate for one to choose to wear clothing that speaks to their hopes, their dreams, and their tastes, than it is to be naked for everyone to see.

“Because so much of the fashion that I know we all love was not built for the internet, it was built for a very intimate moment which feels really like an untapped source of inspiration”

As paradoxical as it may sound, looking at someone’s naked body actually tells us significantly less about a person than what clothes they decide to wear. I consider it to be incredibly brave to wear fashion that tells a narrative for all the world to see and draw their own conclusions about who you must be to wear that particular piece. I wonder if that’s why we use language such as “bold”, “daring”, “sweet”, “loud”, and “fun” to describe an outfit or someone’s style, since we are really just summarizing the story being told and the voice that’s being used.

Especially prevalent in today’s digital age social media has become the fast food of human interaction, providing quick and addictive boosts of serotonin without any substantial connection. This has inevitably led to people starving for genuine human relationships, an increase in loneliness, and a growing inability to present oneself as vulnerable enough to make that first step towards friendship. Is this the norm for all? No. Is this a new standard we’re seeing internationally in the new generations? Yes. Are some countries more susceptible? Also yes.

“I’m tired of people dressing for the internet. I’d like to see people dressing for themselves”

Everyone on social media or access to the internet has inevitably come across some form of viral content one way or another, and an indisputable correlation for viral success is that the content is either: 1) cringe, or 2) controversial. Public figures well versed in trending social media engagements looking to increase their impressions and digital splash at an event have observably turned time and time again to nude styling. I believe this is a subconscious tactic, behaviour, or symptom, evolving from this degradation of human connection. .After all, one could consider it significantly easier to draw attention to oneself in a way almost guaranteed to boost popularity than it is to go out amongst the endless sea of people that live to observe and judge and critique and expose the delicate parts of us we try so hard to protect — who we are, authentically, without any pretence, and what we want to tell the world.

Watch the original interview on TikTok here: #CFDA International Designer of the Year Award winner #DanielRoseberry is talking to YOU…