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1 + 1 = 3*

Luxury, Fashion IndustryFiled under 
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Laurel & Hardy

*A theory from Bernard Werber exposed in “The Encyclopedia of Absolute and Relative Knowledge“ in 1993.

I have repeatedly seen how opposites seem to attract. A form of osmosis perhaps? You have what i don’t? Never a dull day? Whatever the reasons, I always find the results create an interesting “new” melange. Let’s take old examples of what was: converse tennis shoes worn with a party dress, a tall, blond blue-eyed man with a short olive skinned woman, a conservative with a liberal or sweet and sour cuisine. At one time, these mixes were “new”, fresh, different and out of the ordinary which then led to even more “new” and innovative ideas. I believe that the sum of the talents of two people is greater than their simple sum of their addition. A wonderful domino effect of sorts.
John Galliano Spring-Summer 2006 © Greg Kessler
In a society where everyone looks the same, does pretty much the same thing and originality lacks in everyday life, I find it exciting to see diversity, variance and the “new”. I believe as a designer/creative person, I am here to stimulate and to be stimulated towards variety and diversity. I am naturally attracted to opposites: wood with metal, dark with light, soft with rigid, shiny with matte and what fascinates me are the “new” creations that happen on a regular basis with common everyday pedestrian items. For example, clothing made out of recycled plastic, water used as fuel, hot chili peppers as the main ingredient for a sumptuous dessert. Doesn’t this sound interesting to you?  It does to me. In my mind, it takes some off the wall and wacky thinking to place two opposites together to make 1 “new” unique thing.

JohnGallianoSS2006-2John Galliano Spring-Summer 2006 – photos by Greg Kessler

Life should be creative. Are you creative? Do you try to mix different things together to come up with something “new”? I am and i am always looking for an unconventional wacky way of thinking when it comes to my designs. I find that necessity always pushes me to create some “new” form of thought and therefore, a “new” idea and ultimately the product. Since we cannot stop evolving and we are surrounded with so many opportunities to think outside of the box, it would be beneficial to look at the infinite melange of two opposite things that make something original. How can you take an image from a different perspective? How can you mix the music using totally opposite polarities to come up with a new genre of music? How as a fashion designer, can two opposite materials create a new style and product? Why not use ordinary corduroy fabric to make an elegant little black dress? I have seen makeup artists use feathers as false eyelashes and orange peels for eyebrows. Pushing our creative imagination ripples into our common everyday life and will have an effect on the society as a whole. This is what I believe drives mankind forward. That desire to break down the walls of convention and break the mold.

I see it this way; “new” ideas keep us flexible and open to the possibilities, while stagnation dwarfs our growth allowing the status quo to remain intact and unchecked. By allowing diversity, variance and difference in our everyday life, we become more tolerant  to “new” beliefs, ideas and cultures. In today’s fast changing world, this is a very powerful thing.

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