Avant-garde fashion refers to experimental and innovative fashion designs that push the boundaries of traditional fashion norms. Avant-garde fashion designers often use unconventional materials, shapes and colours to create garments that challenge the status quo and provoke new ideas about fashion.
Avant-garde fashion has its roots in the early 20th century, when artists and designers began to reject the traditional forms of clothing and began experimenting with new materials and designs. In the 1920s, the Dada and surrealist movements introduced radical new ideas about fashion, and in the 1960s and 1970s, designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo brought avant-garde fashion to the mainstream.
Today, avant-garde fashion continues to evolve and push boundaries, with designers such as Iris Van Herpen and Alexander McQueen creating cutting-edge designs that challenge our perceptions of what clothing can be. Avant-garde fashion is often seen on the runway, in editorial spreads, and in avant-garde boutiques and galleries and is often worn by fashion forward individuals who are unafraid to make a statement with their clothing choices.