Fashion can be seen through many perceptions, and what really stands out is viewing it through the lens of poetry- where it is not only seen but deeply felt.
When most people are asked what fashion is, the only thing that comes to their mind is clothing and this is how it is viewed by many and that’s where the understanding ends. But I believe there is more to fashion- I see it as a way we understand ourselves: how we want to be perceived, how comfortable we feel in what we put on and most of all, how we view and understand life itself. This, to me is the foundation of fashion; this is what makes it relevant in our everyday life.
Months ago, I was putting down a lot of poetic inspiration and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of something that could not be perfectly explained in conversation but can be expressed through language, with clear understanding that allows others to be able to relate to the depth of that peculiar feeling. Poetry, in my own understanding, is a rhythmic expression of a feeling and perspective, and that pretty much sums it up. Then the thought struck me “what if this feeling can be expressed in different forms and beyond rhythmic writing?”
Poetry is not defined by rhyming words at the end of each line. But what makes it poetry is how it resonates with us and that is simply the beauty in it. There’s poetry all around us, in nature, in birth, in life, in belief, in love, in death and so on. These are the simplest ways to describe what carries depth and stands out as poetry. Why can’t fashion also be seen through the lens of poetry too?
What we wear can be a direct expression of how we feel. Even when there is a dress code or theme, but what makes you stand-out is how honest you can be in expressing yourself. Personally, when I go shopping for groceries, how I dress often reflects how I feel inside. I am definitely looking fly if I am feeling so bright on the inside and on heavier days, my choices may be more subdued, sometimes it has to do with the colours I pick out. Yet many people suppress this honesty. They dress to project an image rather than to express their truth.
I vividly recall a time when I was always putting on casual clothes with dark shades and I would feel so comfortable and confident; and as time unfolded, the shades of clothes I’d put on became brighter and it became a bit difficult for me to put on some of those clothes with darker shades which simply shows the growth from heavier days to lighter days that I personally experienced. It wasn't about colour alone, but about comfort, resonance, and truth. The garments that felt right were the ones that reflected who I truly was in that season.
In honest fashion, poetry lies and it is not performative, it is beautiful. The tender brush of the fabric on the skin reassures us within ourselves of who we truly are. Different shades of emotion, some bright and some dark reaffirms what we genuinely feel and when words can’t serve, clothing plays an immense role.
This is my vision and this is my understanding of fashion. This is the philosophy behind my fashion label, KasMartē: making my conviction known through my craft and showcasing my understanding of tones through designs and pushing an understanding of self-belief through messages and every piece created.