Even more exciting are the design trends in today’s culture. Seemingly nothing is off limits. It’s all about expressing oneself and incorporating design ideas that define the individual. Never before have multiple pattern schemes looked so well together, simply because it’s all about defining your personality. If you doubt that, pick up any of the latest design magazines. Stripes and gingham, pink and red, and contemporary and traditional all come together in ways that were once considered design faux pas.
Still, we usually discover our own tastes seldom vary. That can work to our advantage, but it can also become stale. Some prefer the classic and stately looks in our homes, similar to what was found in movies like ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' and ''Rebecca,'' those grand movies from the 1940s and 1950s; while others prefer the contemporary looks for their homes, using design methods from some of today’s reality television shows as their inspiration.
When you think about it, our homes should reflect safety and comfort. When we come home after our extended work days or family activities, what does home mean to us? It means we’re sheltered from the outside world. It’s the one place we can close the door and lock the world away. It’s where we are less vulnerable: where we pull our hair up, don the sweats, and let our guards down. It’s where we rest our souls, nourish our bodies in our kitchens, and raise our families. It’s all about environment. When you are able to consider it in this light, you’re able to strip away all outside influences and go with what our instinct tells us. After all, that should be where we separate the design trends from personal taste.
These same thought processes should be what determines our wardrobe as well. Many don’t feel as safe expressing themselves in dress the way they do in their homes. Clothing choices speak volumes of the person who wears them; yet, we are far more vulnerable since the world sees the total package on a daily basis. Our homes, well, that’s different. We can choose who we allow into the intimate settings of our homes; but our wardrobes? Ah, the world sees that. There we tend to become more cautious, and for some, clothes tell of a person who wishes to not call attention to themselves.
But what if a creative and dedicated person steps into our lives and finds a way to encourage us to step outside the box, to take even a slight risk and allow a fresh color or trend be incorporated? And what if this person had the ability to convince us to go with a shorter hem or to scrap the starched white button-down for, say, a pale yellow? And in the process, what if a new attitude toward fashion emerges and we find ourselves more willing to break our predictable molds? What would we think? Well, it’d be one of two things: we’d just found a genie in a bottle, or we’d just discovered a truly talented designer who clearly has the touch. This is exactly what defines an excellent fashion designer.
Very few careers offer what the design field can. In a world where we’re expected to follow the rules in our daily jobs and to stick with what works, those creative souls who are fortunate enough to find themselves in the design world are encouraged to run with that gut feeling, to trust instincts, and to push the envelope. Again, a lot of this can be credited to the wildly popular design shows on reality television. In fact, design trends have now crossed over into the kitchen. Beauty and presentation is as important as the quality and taste of the foods that are being served in restaurants.
A good designer can walk into a home, can take in what the homeowner envisions, and can combine the homeowner’s ideas with his or her own and create a breathtaking living space. A great designer can do it, all the while allowing the homeowner to think it was his or her brilliance that allowed it to come to fruition. The same holds true for fashion design. Clients sometimes will take what they’ve found in design magazines—whether it’s a new haircut or color, or the latest on Paris runways—bring it to their hairdressers or designers, and have high expectations. The final product is a flattering ego boost to the client. Success simply won’t be found in this career line without a bit of humility and the rare talent of sharing the spotlight when the final product is unveiled.