Fashion

GLOBAL INVESTOR 1.16 — 53
PERSPECTIVES ON
FASHION TRENDS
5/6
F . O . R . R . E . S . T
J . E . S . S . E . E
is a designer, educator and founder of Forrest Jessee Studio, which works
with institutions and artists to produce digital and print material.
What do you see as the global
trends (e.g. digitalization)
influencing today’s fashions and
the fashion market?
Methods of production in fashion
have drastically changed in the past
10 to 15 years. Mass customization
is now a possibility that has entered
every designer’s head, whether or
not it is reflected in their work. The
world is really just entering the Digital
Age, and I sense that we are
only at the tip of the iceberg. It’s like
any other age in history – the Bronze
Age, Industrial Age and so on – and
this age will span several generations.
I think designers have really just discovered
digital tool kits, but have not
yet fully understood how to harness
them. The onslaught of the Digital
Age has been so sudden that we are
scrambling to really grasp the potential
to truly change the way things
are designed, made and con sumed.
The influence right now is mostly
loose experimentation – attempts to
push the limits of what we can do
and begin to understand future possibilities.
So, I see a lot of fumbling, a
lot of successes and a lot of mistakes.
It is a time I think designers should
really feel free to experiment and not
be afraid of the awkward or unusual.
How are these trends changing
fashion and the fashion market?
I find the most interesting designers
right now are challenging
the 120-year-old model of the Paris
runway. The runway model molded
fashion into a discipline that ex hibits
trends, and I see that has defined
fashion for many years. Designers who
are separating themselves out are
producing fashion that builds in a
different utility into the garment.
This allows it to have a life beyond
the trends of one season. The digital
tools used in print design, architecture,
sculpture, photography and
many other disciplines can start
a conversation with fashion and
produce new typologies.
Where do you get inspiration
for your designs and collections?
I was originally trained as an architect,
and all of my projects take
an interdisciplinary stance. Part of
my process of understanding space
is through the lens of other disciplines.
I almost have to step outside
of what I know to understand it
better. So, I would say that a lot of
my inspiration comes from other
design practices.
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