Wabi Sabi

[AKA*NYC]

^ nothing like a crushing hangover to bring this concept to one's awareness

[TypicalFashion]

I feel like wabi sabi is the whole point of the SZ aesthetic, I think it's definitely what drove me here. I also think its a tragedy - as its existence to me, shows that we have been bred to doubt craft's authenticity. Which is of course true in this age, I'd love to exist in a time when wabi sabi was solely for good luck.

[Fade to Black]

Lumina those Yohji quotes really nail what the most beautiful part of inhabiting one's wardrobe is to me. Thanks for sharing.

Wabi Sabi is wearing a leather jacket for 30, 40 years or a pair of jeans for 20 years just because it's there and clothes are a natural, functional part of daily life.

[BeauIXI]

^ Woah dude, hold on, were CCP or Rick Owens even around 40 years ago?

[PaintedBlack_7]

^ Woah dude, hold on, were CCP or Rick Owens even around 40 years ago?

Haha, this brings up a point though. I believe fashion/clothing is a directly contrasting entity to this wabi sabi ideology. fashion evolves so quickly, If you take a leather jacket from the 1950's or 1960's which is 2 cycles of the leather jacket trend, they fit noticeably more boxy and are much heavier than the Rick lambskin slim fitting jackets of today. I guess you can argue, to a point the treating of specific materials to evoke a feeling or style in the garmet is related to wabi sabi. but these treatments are usually hastened and done quickly usually within the course of a few months. which again conteracts the beliefs of the ideology.

Unless i am missing something.

[Faust]

Unless i am missing something.

I think you may be. (Creative) Fashion is about manifestation of ideas through its creator (the designer). So, say the clothes by Yohji or CdG or Rick are not wabi sabi, but the idea of wabi sabi. I mean, we all know that Ann's clothes are not punk clothes and Paul Harnden clothes are not Victorian peasant gear - but they are inspired and embody these aesthetic ideas. The beautiful (and the ugly) thing about fashion is the destruction and recreation of meaning through appropriation by its author (the designer).

[delirium]

insightful post, Faust.

Eastern philosophical ideas are fascinating.

Wabi sabi is a really powerful idea and really underlines the focus on many Japanese brands on clothing that ages beautifully. In a way, it shows the real soul of the garment / item.

I liked how Enaml brought up "mono no aware" as well.

[Lumina]

So, say the clothes by Yohji or CdG or Rick are not wabi sabi, but the idea of wabi sabi.

Exaclty !

[JCastor]

not fashion related, but search 'takashi amano aquascaping' for, in my opinion, one of the purest and most beautiful expressions of wabi-sabi out there.

[eat me]

How bizarre, I was researching both wabi sabi and mono no aware last year for my uni work and thought how interesting that it relates so clearly with many of the designer's work I like, and yet contradicts with my constant obsession with precision and perfection.

I imagine that in relation to fashion it has to be near-perfect with a slight (perhaps intentional) dent to have that feeling that it's beautiful even though it's got it's imperfections, rather than having something that's just slapped together without knowing better and passed on as some kind of revelatory concept.

[BECOMING-INTENSE]

This might be an interesting read. A beautiful woman recommended it to me ...

Wabi Sabi: For Artists, Designers and Poets.

[Skye X]

How bizarre, I was researching both wabi sabi and mono no aware last year for my uni work and thought how interesting that it relates so clearly with many of the designer's work I like, and yet contradicts with my constant obsession with precision and perfection.

I imagine that in relation to fashion it has to be near-perfect with a slight (perhaps intentional) dent to have that feeling that it's beautiful even though it's got it's imperfections, rather than having something that's just slapped together without knowing better and passed on as some kind of revelatory concept.

This reminds me of a section in William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties:

Laney has a theory that the old man is a sensei of kit-building, a national treasure, with connoisseurs shipping in kits from around the world, waiting anxiously for the master to complete their vintage Gundams with his unequaled yet weirdly casual precision, his Zen moves, perhaps leaving each one with a single minute and somehow perfect flaw, at once his signature and a recognition of the nature of the universe. How nothing is perfect, really. Nothing ever finished. Everything is process, Laney assures himself, zipping up, settling back into his squalid nest of sleeping bags.

[syed]

So I read In Praise of Shadows yesterday and just wanted to say thanks for recommending it. I loved his meandering style, reminded me oddly of a more succinct Proust (). I suddenly feel the urge to go to the V&A and take a look at their lacquerware. Plus suddenly my trips to the toilet feel rather inadequate.

Two of my favourite quotes...

"...we find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates."

"Have you never felt a sort of fear in the face of the ageless, a fear that in that room you might lose all consciousness of the passage of time, that untold years might pass and upon emerging you should find you had grown old and gray?"

Not sure whether this is the right thread in which to ask it, however how did people respond to his quoting of Ryoku that "elegance is frigid"?

[stretcheroo]

I post this only because this was the first time I came across the concept of Wabi Sabi (maybe 3 or 4 years ago) and remember being intrigued. From Earnest Sewn:

Earnest Sewn is a denim brand that sets itself apart not only by demonstrating consistency in its compelling concept and lifestyle identity, but also by being actively committed to its product quality and brand. The ES concept resides in the integration of the Japanese beauty aesthetic, Wabi-Sabi (which is interpreted as the beauty of things imperfect, modest, and unconventional), with denim's Americana past. Launched in 2004, the Earnest Sewn design principle is literally translated as ‘product sewn in earnest’. In staying true to this standard, a dedicated and unmistakable pride is emphasized in its workmanship and commitment to authenticity. The production and progress of each garment, which is overseen by three people, is monitored from start to finish, at every stage: design, sewing, and wash.

[viv1984viv]

There is a lot of interest in Wabi-Sabi in the high end denim ( nerd ) market. Clothes that age, evolve and develop a unique character. I guess it's too easy for something as obvious has selvedge jeans ( whereby the fades rather conspicuously exaggerate a wearers 'uniqueness' or 'history' ) to be tied to Wabi-Sabi.

personally I feel Wabi Sabi is at it's best, or most authentic in borrowed or old clothes, quality clothes that have timeless style - think of the nicest, most understated, anonymous cashmere jumper you have, supersoft and a second skin that gets better with age - a garment thats countless times better having been across the globe with you and been worn and washed so many times.