Minimalism vs. Maximalism: The Battle Lines are Drawn (or are they?)

There are two distinct camps in fashion; those who believe “less is more” and those who think “more is more.” The Row, Narciso Rodriguez, Jil Sander, Joseph are among the labels synonymous with pared-down minimalism. Gucci’s Alessandro Michele and Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing hold the torch for maximalism.

That being said, the battle lines are not completely drawn. While there are designers who are known for their unwavering commitment to one over the other, more often than not, they waver between the two; sometimes going back and forth within the same collection. Even the most minimal might sometimes ‘resort’ to whimsical flights of fancy and vice versa.

If you look at the list of this year’s CFDA award nominees, it seems almost equally divided between those who embrace minimalism and those who identify with maximalism. The same can be said about the honorees. Eileen Fisher, this year’s Positive Change Award recipient, could not be more spare and minimal both personally and with regards to her label. Carine Roitfeld, who is receiving the Founder’s Award, is the epitome of Parisian chic; “je ne sais pas quois” unforced glamour incarnate.

On the flip side of the coin is Eugenia Sheppard Media Award Honoree Lynn Yaeger, known for her out-there highly eccentric style predicated on piled on tulle petticoats, Comme des Garcons frock dresses, vintage jewelry, and her identifiable red bob and kewpie doll cheeks. There’s nothing minimal about Bob Mackie’s sexy, sequined, colorful iconic designs which garnered him the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Award. Or J.Lo’s unabashed exuberance, which afforded her this year’s Style Icon Award. Also, I would hardly label Sarah Burton’s magical designs for Alexander McQueen as minimalist. The British designer is the recipient of this year’s International Award.

Minimal and Maximal are not only two words that are constantly bantered around in fashion; they are the title of a new exhibition at The Museum at FIT which opened this week and runs through November 16th. Organized by Melisssa Marra-Alvarez, curator of education and research at The Museum at FIT, this is the first exhibition devoted to the historical interplay of minimalist and maximalist aesthetics as expressed through high fashion beginning in the eighteenth century up to the present.

To best illustrate that there are (at the very least) two different ways of looking at everything in fashion, I selected one item from the recent runways and showed the minimal, stripped down version alongside its maximal, more decorative, highly embellished, form.

The Pleated Skirt

The Fisherman Knit

The Trench Coat

The Little Black Dress

The Cotton Duster

The Fur Stole

The Camel Coat

Denim

The Black Leather Jacket

Leopard

The Wedding Dress

Minimalism or maximalism: what side are you on? It’s a matter of personal preference and one is not inherently better or more viable than the other. It’s all subjective. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a personal preference. I credit the new Halston documentary with gifting me with a renewed appreciation for the modernity of pure lines and simplicity. But, who wants a steady diet of just one thing? There’s a time and place for everything and the changes and surprises are what make fashion, and life, so interesting!