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What Is Minimalism?
Yuqi Yuan
Integrated Seminar II
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Minimalism refers to the movement in diverse forms of art and design where a piece of
art exposes the essentials, essence or the identity of a subject through the elimination of all
non-essential forms and compositions so that the final work looks simple and often uses invisible
closures.1 Minimalism is adopted by artists that seek to have a unique way of expressing ideas or
a certain theme. The term simply entails the use of minimal materials in the creation of the
desired effect by an artist. VanEenoo points out that a minimal artist is synonymous with using a
limited combination of colors that enables the artist to come up with a simplified geometric
design.2 A good example of a minimalist artist that uses minimalist aesthetics is Phoebe Philo
whose designs took became eminent in the fashion industry.3 Apart from Phoebe Philo, there are
a lot of artists in the fashion industry that successfully applies minimalist aesthetics into their
designs. Different designers are known for their major influences to minimalism; Calvin Klein’s
classicism, Jil Sander’s simplicity and exquisitely, Yohji Yamamoto’s avant-garde, Christopher
Lemaire’s functionality and practicability, Raf Simons’s colorful, cultural and musical touches
and Phoebe Philo’s Simplicity.
The inception or the initiation of the minimalist movement happened around the 1960s.
The movement was not only visible in fashion, but incorporated diverse fields of art and design,
for instance, in music and visual art. Nevertheless, the minimalist ideology didn’t merge into the
fashion industry until the 1990s.4 In this period, people in the fashion industry became bored and
wanted a change from the glitz and glamor that characterized the 80s fashion. Different designers
1
Gracia Ventus. “Defining Minimalism in Fashion.” The Rosenrot. August 22, 2013. Accessed April 19, 2017
Cedric VanEenoo. "Minimalism in Art and Design: Concept, influences, implications, and perspectives." Journal
of Fine and Studio Art 2, no. 1 (2011): 7- 12
3
Gracia Ventus. “Defining Minimalism in Fashion.” The Rosenrot. August 22, 2013. Accessed April 19, 2017
4
​Sirui Ma, “Minimalism and Fashion.” Accessed April 22, 2017
2
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took the challenge and designers that had specialized in the minimalist aesthetics took the
challenge and began producing minimal designs. Minimalist aesthetics was synonymous with
Japanese designers, but the prominent one was Yohji Yamamoto who added a different angle
and concept to the movement.5
Calvin Klein’s designs have a touch of classicism, a factor that make his designs
minimal. Calvin Klein is the founder of Calvin Klein Inc., which is an American fashion house
with headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York. In 1968, Klein started a coat shop in the
York Hotel; he joined the fashion world with a line of understated coats and dresses for the
youth.6 This was after he got an inspiration from the fresh style of American urban youth. He
later followed them up with designer sportswear, high fashion, blazers and ladie’s lingerie. As a
minimalist fashion designer, Calvin Klein entered the men’s underwear market in America in the
early 1980s and changed the trend.7 He also designed masculine bikinis that took women
underwear fashion to a different level. In brief, Klein transformed underwear market in America
in a trend that moved across the world. Calvin Klein did not stop at underwear as a minimalist
designer; he added swimwear, trimmings, hosiery, and eyewear in the 1990s. With his trademark
minimalist designs, he entered the home décor market by designing bath towels and beddings.8
Apparently, Calvin’s classic brand’s minimalist is what makes a case for putting on his brands.
For instance, in his designs, Klein never infuses too many colors in his designs and known for
the use of neutral tones to give them opulence and richness.9
5
6
​Sirui Ma, “Minimalism and Fashion.” Accessed April 22, 2017
​Marsh, Lisa. 2003. ​House of Klein: fashion, controversy, and a business obsession​. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley.
​Marsh, Lisa. 2003. ​House of Klein: fashion, controversy, and a business obsession​. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley.
P. 48
8
​Ibid, 1
9
The Famous People, “Calvin Klein Biography.” ​Accessed April 22, 2017
7
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Jil Sander designs are known for their outstanding durability with a critical focus on the
minimal concepts. Jil Sander is a German designer that stands out for her luxe purity, and her
fashion label is used to popularize the minimalist aesthetic. She launched the women’s
ready-to-wear line on the Milan runway in 1973 that set forth the minimalist aesthetic. Sander
became internationally acclaimed for her minimalist approach to women's collections in the 90s.
The Jil Sander brand has been outstanding for decades and to demonstrate that excellence, the
brand has withstood different corporate owners for decades now.10 Apparently, her concept of
minimalist aesthetic has been incredibly durable and proven to be unique and above all
fashionable. Her design explores different types of shapes, in addition to dress designs that she
has explored.11 The primary point that her designs have demonstrated is how durable a minimal
approach could be and outstanding. To be precise, Sander's collection are engaging and to
pinpoint her minimal concepts, her jackets have slightly nipped-waist that can be worn with boxy
shorts and loose white cotton top.12 Moreover, her plain summer dresses have slightly spherical,
in addition to elbow-length sleeves. Overall, Jil Sander’s minimal designs are characterized by a
clear idea regarding the women's fashion. Other factors that marked her minimal approach
included simplicity, exquisitely crafted and tailored, and unadorned garments that were made
using the high-quality cloth.13 Since the early seventies, Jil Sander has been an outstanding
​Horyn, Cathy, “Jil Sander: Minimalism With a kick.” New York Times, September23, 2012. Accessed April
22, 2017
11
​Horyn, Cathy, “Jil Sander: Minimalism With a kick.” New York Times, September23, 2012. Accessed April
22, 2017
12
​Ibid, 1
13
​Iris Braun, “Northern German Icon of Purism and “Queen of Less”. Spring/Summer 2014. Accessed April 22,
2017
10
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designer that has used her uniqueness to bring a pure and minimalist style to fashion.14 In the
other words, her designs have brought back the fanciness and the frenzy of the 80s.
Yamamoto inserted the avant-garde elements into minimalist aesthetics, which was
outstanding and an eye opener to different designers across the globe that saw value in the
simplicity of the design movement. Yohji Yamamoto, a distinguished Japanese fashion designer
with base in Tokyo and Paris has won noteworthy awards for his outstanding contribution to
fashion. Although he is a law graduate, he developed his tailoring skills while assisting his
mother in her tailoring business.15 His interest in fashion design was enough to make him study
fashion design that saw him graduate with a degree from Bunka Fashion College. As a
minimalist designer, Yamamoto is prominent for his unusual but innovative tailoring that
features designs high on Japanese aesthetics, for instance, his kimono-inspired trench coats and
shirts that demonstrated loyalty to the Japanese traditional clothing.16 This avant-garde spirit
Yamamoto has enables him to fashion designs that do not conform to the current and
conventional trends.17 He is famous for the outsized silhouette that has drapery fabric that has a
texture that shows minimalism, for example, his “​Vintage Yohji Yamamoto unstructured blazer
with tuxedo tail features.”18 His designs are principally made in black which is a color he
considers modest and at the same time arrogant. According to him, black color apart from being
mysterious has the character of being lazy and easy. Yamamoto has a commercially successful
​Ibid, 1
​Senker, Cath. 2012. ​Fashion designers​. New York: PowerKids Press., p. 15
16
Cruz, Elyssa. Miyake, Kawakubo, and Yamamoto: Japanese Fashion in the Twentieth Century. ​Accessed April
22, 2017
17
​Polan, Brenda, and Roger Tredre. 2009. ​The great fashion designers​. Oxford: Berg Publishers, p. 179
14
15
18
​Blogger Armoire. Avant Garde: Yohji Yamamoto Drape Blazer. Accessed April 22, 2017
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main line, Yohji Yamamoto for both men and women and Y's that enjoy unrivaled popularity in
Tokyo and can be accessed at his stores in New York, Antwerp and Paris.19 Most high-end stores
stock these fashionable clothes, and Yamamoto’s other fashionable designs that include shoes
and sunglasses that have adopted a minimalist perspective.
Christopher Lemaire ​style is a representation of simple, elegance and natural. He​ is a
French designer. ​Christophe Lemaire is known for is uncluttered, poetic style, in addition to a
minimalist approach to fashion. Minimalism is his current design style and his primary core
philosophy of Lemaire’s design is minimal, practical, but stylized, and has a Parisian twist.20 As
a minimalist designer, Lemaire emphasized on the pared-back design and added a touch of
minimalism. His designs consist of creative design touches that flourish, for instance his ‘​Merino
Pleated Skirt​’ aimed at establishing practicalities of life by making self-care priority and have a
fashionable appearance.21 The minimalist aesthetics pioneered by Lemaire strike a balance
between something that an individual needs and what the person wants, more particularly a
design that integrates aspects such as functionality, ease, comfort, and desire. Moreover, the
design is extremely exciting and contains taste, quality, and refinement, and according to
Lemaire himself, the design is acknowledged as ‘a little poetry'. What characterizes his design, is
a touch of elegance that adheres to the certain quality, weight, proportion and volume among
other significant factors that results in a unique design, but brings out the touch of reality that
people fancy.22 Lemaire tries to bring out something that helps people remain confident and he
​Benbow-Pfalzgraf, Taryn. 2002. ​Contemporary fashion​. Detroit [u.a.]: St. James Press, p. 725
Victoria Moss. “Christophe Lemaire for Uniqlo - the fashion collaboration everyone is waiting for.” The
Telegraph. October 05, 2016, Accessed April 19, 2017
21
Ibid, 1
22
Ibid, 1
19
20
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asserts that he makes all this easier through the use of a cozy and good looking knit, for instance,
in his ‘​Merino Pleated Skirt​’ and the ‘​Cashmere Turtle Neck Sweater’.23
Raf Simons’ minimal approach to fashion significantly emphasize on the youth and the
music ​culture, a factor that has made him popular among the youths. ​He is a disputable Belgian
fashion designer that has made a name for himself at the international fashion scene. The
designer was born on 12 January 1968 and launched his menswear label in the year 1995.24 Now,
Raf Simons is the creative director at Calvin Klein, which is an American Brand that is
acknowledged for its minimalist aesthetic approach to fashion. Initially, Raf Simons began his
career as a furniture/industrial designer, and he continually incorporated these elements into
fashion design. Moreover, early minimal aesthetic integrated the youth culture from different
sources, and at some point, his style incorporated in the Gabba youth culture, which refers to the
predominant culture from Belgium and the Netherlands with closer ties to hardcore techno
music.25 Music is a signature approach that Simons brought into his minimal design with a lot of
references to a great number of the musical figure. Besides, it is apparent that after sometimes
Simons shifts from this design and started producing clothes that were colorful sexy bustier and
shimmering ballerina skirts, for instance, the Twill bustier and skirt.26 All these labels were
clever, playful and very wearable. These are some of the signatures that characterize his modern
minimal designs.
23
Ibid, 1
​ isher, Alice, “Raf Simons: ‘I don’t have to be the avant-garde kid now.” The guardian, September 19, 2013.
F
Accessed April 22, 2017
25
Ibid, 1
26
​Ibid, 1
24
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Philo Phoebe redefined women wear with her designs that had a touch of simplicity and
practicability. Phoebe Philo is a Briton born in Paris, educated in London where she attended
Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, graduating in 1996. A winner of several awards in
fashion and design, Philo joined Chloe as an assistant in 1997, becoming its creative director in
2001. It was under her guidance that Chloe as a brand was a commercial success as a result of
Philo’s efforts in the creation of fashionable feminine bags like the Paddington. She resigned in
2005 but became the creative director of LVMH's Celine.27 It is at Celine that Philo’s minimalist
aesthetics came to be evident. She redefined women wear emphasizing clean lines as well as the
tonal color palette in a way that made fashion insiders look out for the label. Her efforts
resuscitated Celine, recasting it to be part of the Paris fashion experience each season. Her
aesthetic outlook to fashion entailed a return to a more reality-based approach in which the
clothes were strong and beautiful but driven with a feeling of real life. Towards this, she
incorporated fur as a distinguishing factor to her designs, for instance, in the “​Phoebe
Philo Runway Black Shaggy Fur Coat”, ​since she joined Celine.28 While her designs were simple
and did not have the romantic aura, they had a simplicity that made the wearer imperceptible by
merging easily into the surrounding. Therefore, such characteristic of her designs was not simple
but was as a result of absorbing technology that accompanies minimalistic designs; the wearable
technology that gave a different look to the designs. These are designs that boast of consistency
that direct women to more classic but practical dressing that remain trendy over a time. The
clothes make a comfortable wear and remain attractive without making a big statement.
Rissman, Rebecca. ​Women in Fashion​. Minneapolis, Minnesota: ABDO, 2017. ​Discovery eBooks​,
EBSCO​host​, p. 67
28
‘Rare - CELINE by Phoebe Philo Runway Black Shaggy Fur Coat Jacket.’ Accessed April 22, 2017
27
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To conclude, the minimal approach to fashion owe itself to the unique mindset and the
urge to stand out from the rest of the fashion designers. Over the years, the minimal artists have
made a mark in the fashion industry since the 1960s. Artists such as ​Yohji Yamamoto, Phoebe
Philo, Christopher Lemaire, Raf Simons, Jil Sander and Calvin Klein have proved that
minimalism is alive and its uniqueness has been a case of debate in the fashion industry for
decades, the debate has centered on aspects such as the design's identity, features, and longevity.
The analysis has demonstrated ​different types of minimalist designs that for years has allowed
these artists to sustain their market segment. ​The presented different designers brought diversity
in the design, distinguished by elements such as ​avant-garde spirit, simplicity, functionality and
practicality, classicism, and cultural touch from the rest of the mainstream designers.
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Bibliography
‘Rare - CELINE by Phoebe Philo Runway Black Shaggy Fur Coat Jacket.’ Accessed April 22,
2017
Benbow-Pfalzgraf, Taryn. 2002. ​Contemporary fashion​. Detroit [u.a.]: St. James Press
Blogger Armoire, “Avant Garde: Yohji Yamamoto Drape Blazer.” Accessed April 22, 2017
Cedric VanEenoo. "Minimalism in Art and Design: Concept, influences, implications, and
perspectives." Journal of Fine and Studio Art 2, no. 1 (2011): 7- 12
Cruz, Elyssa. Miyake, Kawakubo, and Yamamoto: Japanese Fashion in the Twentieth Century.
Accessed April 22, 2017
Fisher, Alice, “Raf Simons: ‘I don’t have to be the avant-garde kid now.” The guardian,
September 19, 2013. Accessed April 22, 2017
Gracia Ventus. “Defining Minimalism in Fashion.” The Rosenrot. August 22, 2013. Accessed
April 19, 2017
Horyn, Cathy, “Jil Sander: Minimalism With a kick.” New York Times, September23, 2012.
Accessed April 22, 2017
Iris Braun, “Northern German Icon of Purism and ‘Queen of Less’.” Spring/Summer 2014.
Accessed April 22, 2017
Marsh, Lisa. 2003. ​House of Klein: fashion, controversy, and a business obsession​. Hoboken,
N.J.: John Wiley.
Polan, Brenda, and Roger Tredre. 2009. ​The great fashion designers​. Oxford: Berg Publishers
Rissman, Rebecca. ​Women in Fashion​. Minneapolis, Minnesota: ABDO, 2017. ​Discovery
eBooks​, EBSCO​host​.
Senker, Cath. 2012. ​Fashion designers​. New York: PowerKids Press.
Sirui Ma, “Minimalism and Fashion.” Accessed April 22, 2017
The Famous People, “Calvin Klein Biography.” ​Accessed April 22, 2017
Victoria Moss. “Christophe Lemaire for Uniqlo - the fashion collaboration everyone is waiting
for.” The Telegraph. October 05, 2016, Accessed April 19, 2017