"There's always some kind of hidden logic"
About this Quote
Design isn’t magic; it’s a conspiracy of choices that only looks spontaneous. When Christian Lacroix says, "There's always some kind of hidden logic", he’s puncturing the romantic myth of inspiration as a lightning strike and replacing it with something more exacting: aesthetic pleasure is engineered. The word "hidden" matters. Logic isn’t absent in the riot of color, embellishment, or theatrical silhouette Lacroix is famous for; it’s simply tucked behind the curtain, doing its work quietly so the audience can feel wonder without seeing the scaffolding.
The intent reads as both defense and dare. Defense, because fashion is routinely dismissed as surface. Lacroix insists the surface is a system: references, proportions, material behaviors, historical citations, and the body’s movement form an internal grammar. Dare, because "logic" implies accountability. If a collection feels off, it’s not bad luck; it’s a broken rationale.
The subtext also speaks to how culture consumes luxury: we crave the sensation of excess, but we need it to be legible. Even maximalism has rules. Lacroix’s 1980s and 1990s moment - when fashion oscillated between power dressing, opulence, and postmodern sampling - trained audiences to read garments like collages. His work made baroque references feel contemporary not by toning them down, but by organizing them into a coherent visual argument.
Hidden logic is what separates costume from couture: one overwhelms, the other persuades.
The intent reads as both defense and dare. Defense, because fashion is routinely dismissed as surface. Lacroix insists the surface is a system: references, proportions, material behaviors, historical citations, and the body’s movement form an internal grammar. Dare, because "logic" implies accountability. If a collection feels off, it’s not bad luck; it’s a broken rationale.
The subtext also speaks to how culture consumes luxury: we crave the sensation of excess, but we need it to be legible. Even maximalism has rules. Lacroix’s 1980s and 1990s moment - when fashion oscillated between power dressing, opulence, and postmodern sampling - trained audiences to read garments like collages. His work made baroque references feel contemporary not by toning them down, but by organizing them into a coherent visual argument.
Hidden logic is what separates costume from couture: one overwhelms, the other persuades.
Quote Details
| Topic | Reason & Logic |
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