When clothes hit the shelves already "distressed", there's an understanding that the clothing is constructed properly; worn out aesthetically, but not in actuality. But when collections like Kanye West's Yeezy Season 2 debut over at Vogue Runway with clear physical defects, one has to wonder—are the errors done intentionally, or do they signal poorly-made clothing?
According to The Cutting Class, if there are defects in the composition of West's apparel, it's contradictory to label it as "elevated," and makes comparisons to "zombiewear" legitimate. If the design flaws and distressing are intentional, then it's really no different than buying a pair of pre-distressed jeans.
On the one hand, the distressed nature seen in images are likely intentional design point. Acknowledging West's interest in designing wardrobe staples that feel like worn-in essentials—Vogue Runway's tattered product images match the designer's intentions. As The Cutting Class notes:
"It’s honest to make them have the look of the old favourites that hang around in our wardrobes far longer than they should; t-shirts with overstretched necklines and comfy sweatshirts that have worn too thin."
On the other hand, fashion shows often show imperfect samples before they're sent to production, at which point the manufacturing processes and designs are perfected.
"Maybe it shows mastery of materials to choose to mismatch the thread to the fabric or screw up the tension, with the intention of creating puckered seams. Or maybe it happened by accident, and when the samples came back to the studio post-dye everyone went “oops”? Do we value one over the other? Should it even matter?"
It's not uncommon to have pieces that hit the runway or presentation floor, only to be reworked and retooled for a cleaner final product. With the product in the images likely samples made for the Yeezy Season 2 presentation, we'll have to wait until Yeezy Season 1 hits stores to formulate an opinion.
Check The Cutting Class's critiques below.
