After a look into what designers interpret as American fashion at the MET Gala, many of us are wondering — what is American fashion? For a long time, American fashion had always been an offshoot of clothing that came from Europe, which was housing all the major global fashion capitals. It wasn’t until the 20th century that America was even on the map in terms of fashion.
With a theme that centers around American fashion, you would anticipate that attendees would largely seek out American designers — think Tom Ford, Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Zac Posen, Christian Siriano, Jeremy Scott, Vera Wang, etc. Interestingly enough, a majority of the guests did not opt to wear an American designer for a fashion event pertaining to American fashion … which is, of course, completely acceptable. You do not need an American designer or brand in order to bring the influence of American fashion to light.
There are plenty of references that any designer can make to the trends and eras riddled throughout American history. On a running list of major influences on American fashion you can find: the prohibition era,the industrial revolution, tennis ‘20s/early prep, space exploration, y2k, street style, preppy dress, rock ‘n’ roll, internet culture, denim, hip hop, the grunge movement, psychedelics, the wild west, native american, modern sport culture, disco, ballroom culture, country, athleisure, pop stars, Hollywood glamor, hipster aesthetics, cartoons, politics and just about every decade with its own distinct flare.
Here is a mood board for any designers or celebrities that may come across this in time for next year.