Loving this article by John McDonald – he makes lots of points about body decorations very clearly. He talks about the ‘lopsided’ fashion industry where items are made for cents ad sold for thousands. He talks about ‘innovations’ that can add to production. Which is unclear to me – printing is not new, although certainly revolutionary. Fashion makers have used printing/stamping for a long time. Maybe the biggest difference between ‘art’ and ‘fashion’ is the production.
He talks about the irony of the destruction of nature wrought by the fashion industry. Nature enlisted in the social theatre of fashion. Meaning communicated with materials and symbols. Expression of tribe.
McDonald must often have to argue that clothing can belong in a capital A Art Institution because he finishes with the observation that a Hallmark of Fashion: Most dazzling dresses are the least worn. Exposed for one night, then entombed in a closet. The natural habitat for luxurious objects is the art museum.