Individualism in Fashion looking through American Entertainers

Hi, friends of DSKUSSS! One of DSKUSSS members write about American individualism through the star's fashion. Let's look at the relationship between individualism in America and fashion too!

Individualism in Fashion looking through American Entertainers

 

Hyunji Yoo
Department of Global Studies
Pusan National University

 

Individualism is an image when people easily remind America, or Western cultures. This phenomenon is well found in the cultural sector using media. Looking at media, we can recognize the characteristics of the culture in America. United States itself defines themselves via individualism and the people also behave individualistically. I analyzed this through the fashion of American and the reaction of the mass people to the fashion. Focusing on the hot American singers’ fashion, we can find another type of idea, which is different from Asian cultures.

Lady Gaga is the first singer that comes up with when I thought about the U.S. pop star. Reputations on her are polarized extremely internationally. People tend to criticize her due to her styles and her way of commercializing herself. She enjoys exposing herself to people and designs she chooses seem outside the common knowledge. She is definitely individualistic. She does not seem to care of what other people judge on her. Reactions of American people mostly are opened to these kinds of fashion. Even though her way of fashion is subject of criticism of media, her creativity is well recognized by mass people. Through this phenomenon, we can see that American people’s lifestyle is fixed in “I don’t mind it at all.” Of course Gaga’s fashion is a hot potato there, but the difference makes people more pursue understanding of other “individuals.”

<Lady Gaga with her bubble dress>

 

I think that pursuing coolness is the result of individualism. It is connected to understanding other people’s difference and uniqueness in public. Looking at Lady Gaga, she is acknowledged as a singer-songwriter not only as a fashionista. Her fashion symbolizes her mindset and attitude and finally to her music world. Also, the understanding of American people contributed to developing individualistic art so that artists became free from stereotype and limit of society. In a sense, Gaga is the beneficiary of cultural diversity in America. “Whatever others do, it is cool.”