To some, fashion is passing superficial decoration. It is novelty and nothing more. Art on the other hand has a great number of supporters who argue that art is an expression of truth. Neither fashion or art are consistently worthless or sacred. They are creations of forms that serve for value expression. Fashion however is normally placed the furthest from virtue. That is, with the exception of Chanel.
Chanel is an iconic label for a number of reasons but Chanel is the negotiation of the aesthetics of truth for one reason. We return to Chanel, again and again, because within this label is the ultimate opposition - black and white - signifying good versus evil and also the written word, where all points of view are balanced by "the facts."
The ongoing dialogue of black and white every season not only secures Chanel's timeless appropriateness, but it is why the label is the focus of so much fashion contemplation. Chanel represents the opposition of all values.
This is the essence of fashion - a meeting place of aesthetic consciousness. Lagerfeld's designs for Chanel communicate the tensions of collective consciousness. He successfully maintains classic forms, while dismantling the new and reviving the ancient. He exposes our postmodern consciousness but without invalidating absolute truth.
We always know what to expect from Chanel, and yet there is always some element it will offer that we cannot predict. Reliable strength that always delivers, yet pleases more than we can ever imagine on our own, is the essence of truth.
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