Fashion takes its influence from many different areas; Museums, costumes collections, libraries, people, places, smells, sounds, colours, the past, crafts, art work, parties, food, industrial aspects, other designers, the theatre, interior design, social events, magazines, fashion forecasts markets, books, Pret-a-Porter and Haute Couture shows.

There are also many more places where fashion takes it’s influence from but there are just too many to name as everybody sees inspiration in different things. The trickle down effect shows how fashion is taken from one influence and then made into a mass market production by changing factors such as the material, seams and most importantly, the price.

Designers such as Vivienne Westwood look to the past for their inspirations an then they parade their collections along the catwalks, other fashion companies will then watch the show and note down the key trends which they think will be set to hit the stores the following seasons. They will then work out how to make the garments cheaper and how to put them into production.

A shop like Primark would look at High Street trends in shops such as Topshop and Burton and then create their own remake to sell in their store at a much cheaper price. In the long run, more of the cheaper garments will sell as opposed to the dearer ones but the quality will more than likely be of a much lower standard.

When I look for inspiration for my own personal projects, I get inspired by other designers and things such as music, countries, colours and clothes which the general public are wearing in the streets.

If you look at different subcultures, such as the Harajuku’ scene or the Trendies’, there are clear dividers in what certain factors influenced the individuals. Trendies’ get inspiration from the High Street fashions and catwalks where the Harajuku’ scene gets its inspiration from Superlover stores and the Tokyo fashion scene.

There isn’t just once deciding factor that you can pinpoint to say where fashion gets it’s influence from as each individual has a different way of viewing and drawing inspiration from things in every day life.

The past is probably the best place for fashion to take influence from because, without the past, we wouldn’t have the future fashions. If we didn’t have such great past designers such as Else Schiaparelli, we wouldn’t know the best way to make garments fit nicely by cutting on the bias. Or what about Christian Dior who brought a whole new meaning to woman’s fashion with the outburst and controversy of his New Look’ which stirred up the fashion scene and brought about the timeless Hourglass’ figure along with padded shoulders. I think that anything can trigger off inspiration in your mind depending on how you look at it. For example’what do you do with 85 car parts, a wind tunnel, one model, one photographer, a charity, a car designer and one internationally renowned dress designer?Grab the headlines with the latest fashion accessory to hit the Ka-twalk. Fords designers and Bruce Oldfield have created a vision of beauty in the shape of a stunning Streetka dress’. (http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-ford-streetka-dress.htm). Something as industrial as a car can spark off an inspirational streak and modified in the correct way, can make a fashion forward, bold statement.

General trends can affect fashion greatly, judging by what sort of trend is going to be big is the most deciding factor on where to draw inspiration from, with the release of Memoirs of a Geisha’ for example, oriental prints and Chinese culture became the forefront of fashion.

I think that to get inspiration from something, you have to analyse it from different points of view and look at all aspects that go with it, mood boards and trend boards help people to take influence from different things and then work with that idea to modify and improve it.
The Trickle down and Bubble up effect shows where high street stores get inspiration from.

Trickle down effect:

Exclusive high culture; movie and pop stars
Those who associate with them, early adopters
Magazine and newspaper readers.. Independent shops first copies
Middle marker goods available in the high street
General public and low culture goods widely available

Bubble-Up effect:

Expensive versions appear in exclusive shops
Fashionistas demand special versions
Magazines, newspapers and TV notice the trend
Middle market gives trend a name
Street fashion and low culture groups

Fashion expresses the zeitgeist of the times and therefore mirrors the changes in society. In their search for inspiration, designers must learn to keep their eyes and ears open; to visit shows, shops, clubs, cafes, galleries and films, to read magazines, newspapers and novels, to party and listen to music, and above all, to people watch.

A good designer mirrors the times.I never party, but I watch people and I read about how peoples lives are being dominated by technology, for example and I’ll respond to that’. (Designer Joe Casely-Hayford)

In conclusion to where fashion takes its influence from..there is no one simple answer because fashion is all around us, we just something have to look deeper to see potential.