We’ve all read the handbook on Wabi-sabi by now, the hostess and holiday gift of choice for both fashion execs and downtown scenesters for the past couple years. But what does the Wabi-sabi aesthetic really mean for fashion besides a chic addition to the bookshelf?
In looking for beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete, is it as easy as turning to Carol Christian Poell’s purposely acid-weathered leather jackets? Yes those shadows and creases are imperfect but maybe in seeking out the unconventional and controlled haphazard we should really look to Hussein Chalayan‘s amorphous layered draping for Wabi inspiration. But then again, thinking about Wabi as it’s meant to be pondered-as an entire aesthetic system-wouldn’t any line parading down the runway fit that description with it’s discrete, patterned and systematic worldview?
The theory of Wabi is ancient, the realization of it to us Westerners is rather new, and the execution of it in fashion has yet to be defined. Some say stonewashing is Wabi-sabi. Some say shopping vintage is Wabi. Some say adding a discolored stitch on a perfectly sewn minimalist piece is Wabi. Regardless of the incarnation, whatever the form, it’s all still unfolding. Note: Claiming that Wabi-sabi tones will impact fashion and style for many years to come, Leatrice Esieman, Pantone Color Institute‘s Executive Director has created eight new color palettes based on the enigmatic movement. What’s your take on Wabi-sabi? Write to wabi and let us know what you think.
- Meghan Cleary