High fashion is known for its unattainable nature. An upper crust of fashion reserved only for those in the upper echelons of society: the nobles, the powerful, the celebrities. It is a world of fashion many of us can only gaze at in awe, so why do so many garments look like they were picked up off the street?

High fashion is a branch of the fashion industry that started in Paris, France in 1858 and is known for its extremely high quality, attention to detail, and craftsmanship. Houses like Versace, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent are some of the most well-known examples of these brands, taking the runway by storm with their forward-thinking and elegant designs. Up until the end of the 20th century, high fashion brands were known for their air of sophistication, with Dior’s Spring-Summer 1947 “New Look” collection and Chanel’s Autumn-Winter 1983 collection exemplifying this perfectly. This version of high fashion was however turned on its head as the world quickly approached the 2000s.

The 1990s was littered with political disarray. From the dissolution of the Soviet Union to the Los Angeles riots of 1992 to the impending anxiety of Y2K, the ‘90s were an extremely tumultuous time. While this was reflected in all forms of media created at the time, it was especially apparent in fashion.

The late Vivienne Westwood is commonly known as the mother of punk fashion. Starting her eponymous label in 1971, Westwood would ultimately change high fashion. Her background in fashion started with her being the designer and stylist for one of Britain's biggest punk bands, The Sex Pistols, as well as being the owner of her own clothing store, SEX. This would inspire her to bring punk motifs, distressed and deconstructed pieces, and even BDSM, bondage-inspired pieces to the runway. This created an environment that allowed fashion houses like Maison Margiela’s self-titled brand and Jun Takahashi’s Undercover to dominate the early 2000s with deconstructed and frayed pieces (like Undercover’s iconic SCAB crust pants). Although this trend would eventually fade from the runway, as seen with the return to minimalism and a “cleaner” aesthetic with brands like Miu Miu, its influence would remain.

It is no secret that at its roots, the punk style references the widespread poverty experienced by much of Britain’s youth in the mid to late 1900s, causing many to feel apprehensive about purchasing these brands’ products. High fashion’s status comes from its price point and exclusivity, so when brands start to adopt an aesthetic like punk, without having a proper tie to these sources, it comes off as fake, as if the brand is co-opting poverty as an aesthetic to be worn by the wealthy. Brands like Balenciaga and Magnolia Pearl have recently faced scrutiny for “glamorizing poverty” and pushing the “poverty chic” aesthetic, begging the question: can poverty be used as a source of inspiration, or is it unethical no matter what?

Designers like Maison Margiela and Coco Chanel both came from low-class backgrounds. Margiela started designing as a teenager by buying clothes from flea markets and altering them. Coco Chanel grew up as an orphan, which largely shaped her initial design choices. Using materials typically used for men’s underwear, Chanel created practical sportswear for a female clientele, allowing her to gain the notoriety that would eventually lead to Chanel becoming one of the biggest names in fashion. These designers’ backgrounds created the design ethos their brands were known for, even if they are not apparent at first glance. On the other hand, designers like Denma — who formerly designed for the satirical brand Vetements — have turned everyday objects into pieces of extremely expensive high-fashion accessories. Pieces like his $2000 version of the 99¢ Ikea carrier bag and the $1790 trash bag. These pieces have placed the designer under fire for pushing the “poverty chic” aesthetic under a layer of plausible deniability by calling it “satire.”

As easy as it is to say that these design choices should only be used by designers that have a direct connection to poverty (or cultures and design styles that are tied to poverty), it is also important to recognize that there are design choices that are so ingrained in the fabric of fashion that most people do not even recognize their ties to poverty. Ripped jeans and distressed garments come from the state of the clothes industrial factory workers used to wear. The rise of wearing brands like Carhartt and thrifting in the current fashion zeitgeist has become so popular and unanimously associated with being stylish; we often forget that thrifting was looked down upon not even seven years ago and was reserved for those who could not afford to shop at mainstream stores. As fashion continues to evolve and new styles and garments continually come in and out of style, it seems like it is almost inevitable that, to some extent, the origins of pieces and styles will become obscured.

Written by Zeeshan Khan, Photography: Mary Le, Design: Mia Still, Social Media: Megan Hall