'Fashion has entered a state of pure postmodernism where anything goes and nothing means anything anymore, argues Eugene Rabkin.'

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-ed-whatever-how-fashion-lost-its-meaning

Fashion has always been a mirror of culture, reflecting the imagination and originality of its time. Yet, as Eugene Rabkin recently argued in Business of Fashion, we may now be living in a postmodern era where “anything goes and nothing means anything anymore.” He points to the rise of streetwear, endless product collaborations, normcore, dad sneakers, and the ugly‑made‑pretty aesthetic as signs that fashion has become unmoored, losing its original meaning and concern for quality. Once, fashion was defined by its masters — Coco Chanel and Christian Dior — and its impressionists like Yves Saint Laurent and Cristobal Balenciaga. It had its avant‑garde in Vivienne Westwood, Jean‑Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, and the Antwerp Six. It had pop art in Versace and Moschino, minimalism in Jil Sander and Helmut Lang, deconstruction in Martin Margiela and Rick Owens, and provocation in Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. What united them all was a clear aesthetic direction, a theme, a story. Today, however, the industry feels fragmented, with consumers still buying what they are told but no longer marching to the beat of the same drum.

At Holland Street London, we believe fashion still has meaning. We produce beautiful, classic, and well‑made silk items, each print designed with a unique concept, carefully edited, sampled, and produced in a variety of colourways before being completed and sent for production. We find value in this process and pride ourselves on four guiding principles: creativity, connection, relaxation, and love. Creativity sits at the forefront of what we do, and within our business community we are keen to document the journey, keeping our audience up to date with the process. By clicking on PRINT in our website menu, readers can explore the inspiration behind each collection, and by joining our mailing list they can receive regular updates that bring them closer to the story of our designs.

We see ourselves as part of a counter‑movement to the “samey” design industry, where originality and flair are often sacrificed for mass appeal. Our gingham coordinates, for example, reimagine a fabric often dismissed as quaint or chintzy into something fresh and modern, with wavy, textural effects created through experimental mark‑making and digitalisation. This is the kind of innovation we believe fashion needs — rooted in heritage but pushing forward with individuality.

The broader industry may be struggling with imagination, but at Holland Street we remain committed to producing work that is thoughtful, meaningful, and enduring. We invite our community to reflect on the state of fashion today: have you noticed a lack of originality when browsing online or in store? What excites you, and what feels tired? Share your thoughts with us, and help us continue to build a brand that values individuality and flair in a landscape that too often feels bland. Fashion may be in flux, but we believe it can still tell stories, spark emotion, and connect people — and that is the vision we carry forward at Holland Street.