Can they? Really? Can they really look that bad, or am I just missing something?

These questions first came to mind when I attended a random multi-designer runway show. I saw the crowd clap and cheer as things that slightly resembled clothing moved across the runway and thought to myself: ‘Surely they’re just being polite’.

In the spirit of not being a complete asshole, I will not share the details of the show. Partially because, despite obviously missing the mark, these people still worked hard on their collections. And partially because wrapping the show in ambiguity and making it a metaphor rather than a real-life event will allow me more honesty and, sorry, but this time, more criticism.

I don’t just want to contemplate on these still-can’t-fully-call-them-clothes clothes but on the question as a whole. Can clothes really just look bad? Or is there a space for everything in this world? A way to make them look good or a person who finds things that I find downright disturbing incredibly pretty?

The looks kept coming one after another, and I was seated in confusion. Should I not have clapped? As someone who always tried to support people (even strangers) in their creative endeavours, I wanted to show up, but as someone who loves fashion, I was almost offended by the people who tried to pretend these were good-looking and good-quality items. The issue here may lie in the debut aspect of the show. I am all good at criticising recent collections of established brands and frequently share my opinion on them with little to no reservation, but when it comes to a first collection, that make-or-break moment, I don’t want to discourage someone from pursuing their passion, even if their passion is quite fucking weird looking. Nevertheless, an idea for this story was born at this very show, so maybe I’m not as nice as I imagine myself to be.

After the fourth designer presented their collection, I thought, maybe there is something others see that I don’t. Perhaps there is an elevated fashion realm that I have not yet reached. I often consume fashion material that closely resonates with my own style, so maybe I missed something. I tried to figure it out, and instead of looking at the clothes as a whole, I thought of different ways they could be styled and elevated.

My mind immediately went to Wisdom Kaye, an icon, a fashion supreme—someone who really can’t style a bad look even if he tried. I thought back to him styling skinny jeans (which, btw, are a slay on some people), meggings and the Galaxy Wolf hoodie. He found a way to make all of these previously tossed aside and labelled as ugly items look good. Not just good, but amazing, sophisticated, and unique. Looking at the insanely creative and elaborate ways he puts outfits together, you can think there is no such thing as bad-looking clothes, just an unimaginative way of styling them. Styling is a big part of putting an outfit together anyway.

I imagined how he would style these items. Would he find a way to make it work? Honestly, probably. But I am no Wisdom Kaye, so I was really out of my depths. I saw a couple of skirts and possibly a top that could work with a certain type of outfit for a specific event. That’s about it.

Still, looking at it from a perspective of pairing weird and disturbing items with cool looks raised another question: Is it the clothes or the styling? Yes, the clothes did look unfortunate, but they were also quite poorly styled. So maybe if they were put together in a more fun way, maybe if the designers or the stylists just played into the bit and created outfits that highlighted how outrageous the clothes really are, I would have walked away with a different impression. If nothing else, it could have been taken as a social commentary on the current state of all-over-the-place fashion. In our day and age, you can always turn something bad-looking into a social commentary if you lean into the ridiculousness fully.

Then again, I know the designers wanted to showcase all the clothes they had made, so adding bits and pieces that were not designed by them or creating purposefully daring outfits would have defeated the purpose of sharing their creations.

Right about now, you might be wondering how bad these clothes must have been. Well, let me try to explain in the most chill way possible. I have rarely, or maybe even never, walked out of a movie; I have listened to shit music releases and tried to find meaning in them; I have attended galleries with art that one could struggle to call art and still stayed to try to give the artist the time their hard work deserves, I have also sat through fashion shows that were definitely not my style and appreciated looks that seemed bizarre to me knowing someone put effort into them. All that is to say I have a fairly high tolerance and deep understanding as far as appreciating someone’s work, even if it’s not to my taste, is concerned.

After the fourth or fifth designer at that show, I walked out. I was sitting close to the door, and I did so quietly and during a time when no new designer was presenting, no model was walking, and no photographer was taking pictures. But I still walked out. Respectfully.

Deep into the show, I lost faith not only in the fact that clothes can look good but also in the genuineness of humanity. Did these designers have no honest friends by their side? No one could tell them: ‘Listen, babe, I love you and your work, but this is just not good; maybe switch some shit up’. So I left, and an idea was born. I always try to take inspiration from events centred around creative expression, so I guess, in some twisted way, my goal was achieved.

So, back to my question: Can clothes just be bad? I think they can. Honestly, after what I’ve witnessed, I’m sure they can. But can bad-looking clothes be given a new life through styling? Also yes. It just takes one really cool person (Wisdom) to get a great idea, and they can breathe again, beautiful and reborn.

I also must acknowledge the trend of styling ‘ugly’ items that have been all over social media in recent years. Ugly/weird shoes are made into cherished collections, and items that have been universally viewed negatively are reshaped into outfits that shine in their irony. This trend makes traditionally unappealing designs the focal point of a look and recontextualises them. In their new context, the ‘bad’ looking items become a new fun thing, an original idea, a secret that only those who get it can know. With the right outfit and the right caption, any bad item can become iconic. Especially in an age where the boundaries of style are constantly dared and redefined.

Before wrapping this rant up, I feel compelled to ask another question. A bit of an Uno reverse, if you will: Can good clothes look bad through styling? I think we all know… Yes. I went to a party recently where a theme was ‘space’ or ‘futuristic space-related costume’, something in that vibe. I saw pieces that by themselves would have looked amazing but awkwardly put together; they felt like they were slowly losing their light, crushed by the weight of each other. It felt like pieces of a puzzle that were forcefully shoved next to each other in places where they didn’t belong. You can’t see a full puzzle. Instead, you are left with a shadow of what could have been.

I believe in the creativity of styling, but I still think there are certain guidelines that need to be followed. Not as much universal guidelines as those you set for yourself and your own look based on the multitude of external and internal factors. Without them, it feels like you are alien to your own clothing. And trust me, that’s not a good feeling.

Then again, confidence is everything. So, if you’re wearing something that others would consider bad with your head held high, you will make it work. In the end, I think it is very individual. Even though I showed pictures of the clothes that upset me so much to all my friends, who immediately agreed with me, maybe there is someone, somewhere, who will love them and make them work. There was a whole room clapping, and I am sure at least a couple of people did so genuinely.