You've seen the photos. A model walks the runway with a birdcage on her head, dripping candles hanging off her shoulders, or an outfit that looks like it wandered out of an intergalactic battle scene.
And you know exactly what the comments say: "This is fashion?" "What was the designer even thinking?" "Who would actually wear this?" Cue the laughing emojis and the smug certainty that "fashion has completely lost touch with reality."
Here's the thing, though. Those comments — as loud and confident as they are — reveal far more about the person writing them than about any supposed pointlessness of fashion.
High fashion isn't what you buy at the mall
I'm not here to lecture anyone, but let's not confuse two completely different things. High fashion pieces are absolutely fair to critique — in fact, they're practically made to be talked about. But before we talk, let's be clear about what we're actually looking at.
First of all: no, these clothes were never meant for the office. In the world of haute couture and high fashion, the goal is not for a garment to feel comfortable next to your morning coffee or to pair nicely with a gray suit.
The extreme pieces you see on the runway aren't functional clothing. They're works of art — in exactly the same way a surreal painting or an abstract sculpture is.
That's why asking "who is ever going to wear this?" misses the point entirely. Nobody stands in front of a Rothko and asks, "but would it match the wallpaper in my living room?" We accept that it holds value — because we understand that isn't the measuring stick.
The striking pieces that appear on the runway work the same way. They carry a message, express a feeling or an idea, and often respond directly to what's happening in society, politics, and culture.
Fashion is a language — not everyone speaks it
To truly grasp what you're seeing at one of these shows, you need to know fashion's history, its iconic figures, and its web of references. A silhouette, a choice of fabric, or a color combination can nod to another era, an art movement, or a social issue.
It's a visual language, and like any language, it has to be learned — the same way we learn to read film, music, or literature.
That doesn't mean everyone has to understand it. You don't have to care about contemporary fashion at all. But mocking your own lack of understanding — and laughing about it — isn't criticism. It's just surface-level noise.
When someone writes "the world has gone mad" under a runway photo, what they're really saying is: I don't understand what's happening here — and I have no interest in understanding it. Sometimes they even seem proud of it.
Fashion — especially its more artistic side — hasn't cut itself off from reality. More often than not, it reflects reality right back at us. From the climate crisis to body image, from social inequality to questions of gender, countless real themes walk down that runway.
You just have to see the layers, not only the surface. And that's not easy — which is exactly what makes it valuable.
If fashion isn't your thing, that's completely fine. You can simply keep scrolling. You're not obligated to weigh in on everything — least of all on things you don't understand. Because a dismissive comment says far more about the person who wrote it than about the designer who created the piece being laughed at.
Why do runway outfits look so unwearable?
Because they were never designed to be worn day to day. Like a surreal painting or a sculpture, these pieces exist to express an idea, a feeling, or a cultural message — not to be practical.
Is high fashion the same as what I see in stores?
No. Haute couture and high fashion are separate from the ready-to-wear clothes you find at the mall. Their purpose is artistic expression, not everyday comfort or convenience.
Do I have to understand fashion to have an opinion?
Not at all — no one is required to care about contemporary fashion. But mocking something purely because you don't understand it isn't real criticism; it's just superficial.
What are runway shows actually trying to say?
They often respond to what's happening in the world — from the climate crisis and body image to social inequality and questions of gender. The message lives in the layers, not just the surface.
