We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. — Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. — Coco Chanel

The word “portmanteau” means to combine two or more aspects or qualities into a single entity. Therefore, it seems fitting to begin with two famous cultural figures whose words collectively sum up what I would like to achieve with this blog, which is to produce critique that explores fashion as a multi-faceted subject that intersects with spheres as diverse as the arts, pop culture, politics, social issues and economics.

“Portmanteau” also comprises literary and sartorial associations, referring to linguistic blends as well as a suitcase for clothes, which hopefully enhances the notion that the ideas on fashion explored on this site can create new perspectives that travel and are evocative.

The two quotes, articulated by a somewhat odd pairing of historical icons–one was a Renaissance polymath and the other a 20th Century maverick who subverted gender stereotypes with her androgynous designs–reflect that this blog is very much a labour of love after years of being influenced profoundly by fashion. More importantly, it presents an opportunity to continuously refine my own understanding of fashion and also to probe at it more deeply as a subject that pervades several major aspects of modern life.

Indeed, as unexpected as the combination of Goethe and Chanel may seem, I believe it is in such unusual–and occasionally problematic–composites through which new meaning might possibly arise and become, well, not quite so odd anymore. If nothing else, it makes for an interesting exploratory process, and may perhaps lead you to reflect on your own relationship with clothes and their place in the world at large in new ways.

Image Credits:
Portrait of Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Original Source: Duyckinick, Evert A. A Portrait Gallery of Eminent Men and Women in Europe and America. New York: Johnson, Wilson & Company, 1873.

Photograph of Coco Chanel
Original Source: Lipnitzki/Roger Viollet/Getty Images