Avant-Garde Fashion Term

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Favoring or introducing experimental or unusual ideas.

The avant-garde (from French, "advance guard" or "vanguard", literally "fore guard") are people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to fashion, art, lifestyle or culture.

The avant-garde pushes the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo.   Many fashion designers have aligned themselves with the avant-garde movement to create a buzz around their name, brand, or designs.  When clothing is designed in an unusual manner (possibly outlandish manner), it typically garners more attention from celebrities and the press.  The media and bloggers enjoy writing about clothes, shoes, or accessories that don’t fit the norm.  Frankly, avant garde fashion provides interesting photographs and news.  Purposely creating unusual clothing helps develop brand awareness which often trickles down from the media to consumers.

A few fashion designers and brands that can be considered to be avant-guard include Yohji Yamamoto, Thierry Mugler, Gareth Pugh, Paco Rabanne, Comme des Garçons, Viktor & Rolf, Marques'Almeida, Jacquemus, Vivienne Westwood, and Thomas Tait.

Avante-garde is a style defined through strong personality.  The style can be sophisticated, intriguing, and striking.  Fashion designed in this manner can also be considered to be mysterious as well as intimidating for typical consumers.   Avante garde fashion is typically very modern but can take on aspects of vintage as well.  Because this style of clothing is often produced with unusual shapes and sometimes unusual fabrications, it often takes on the appearance of being more of a costume than clothes to be worn on a normal day.

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