We Asked Celebrities and Designers: What Is Fashion?

01 of 16

Diane von Furstenberg

Fashion is l'air du temps. It's a very mysterious thing that makes everyone go for it, and it's unpredictable and you never know where it goes. Otherwise, it's an industry. It's this very mysterious thing, which in French we call l'air du temps, which happens and nobody can really understand why. There's fashion in food, there's fashion in human behavior. Why all of a sudden do young girls wear combat boots? It's mysterious. The designers don't decide on fashion. The designers take it from the streets and then, everybody is inspired by the streets. It's a very mysterious thing.

02 of 16

Derek Lam

"I think fashion is a reflection of what is this moment we live in. It's as simple as that."

03 of 16

Rita Ora

"I just honestly love the process of it. I don't think it's all about sticking to one style and only having one signature. I think that's what fashion isn't. It should be about wanting to explore and experiment."

04 of 16

Anna Gunn

"I think it's being comfortable in your own skin and just owning whatever it is that makes you you. Owning your own personality comes through in fashion."

05 of 16

Emmy Rossum

"Creative expression. Everyone should just feel free to go for it. I would be happy if Google told me that."

06 of 16

Diane Lane

"Well, I think fashion has the ability to morph us into whatever we are feeling, and to help us to fend off whatever we don't want to feel. Whether it's hiding a flaw or whether it's accentuating something you're confident about or whether it's changing your mood with the color or fighting your mood with a color. I don't know. It's another way to be expressing one's individuality."

07 of 16

Jackie Collins

"Fashion means doing what you want to do. I think we should not be dedicated followers of fashion."

08 of 16

Rebecca Gayheart

"It's interesting. I have a lot of fashionista friends, and they make fun of me because I am not a true fashionista. Actually, that's not true. I love fashion. I don't have the time to do it perfectly. So my fashion is…it's got to be functional. It's got to be something that I love. I love beautiful things. I love beautiful clothes, clothes that fit well. But I do have these children to take care of, and they come first. My friends come second."

09 of 16

Jordana Brewster

Jordanna brewster — Steve Granitz/WireImage

"Fashion means, to me, it's like a means to make yourself, to express yourself really."

10 of 16

Soleil Moon Frye

"For me, I just want to… be able to carry my kids around and going to pick them up from school. So basically whatever is comfortable. "

11 of 16

Roksanda Ilincic

"I've never been asked this question before. I think fashion is an expression of who we are, what we like, what are our personalities and what we love in life. It's a complex question, actually. It's also a mix of culture, references, feelings, questions, dialogues—all of that is combined into fashion."

12 of 16

Colbie Caillat

"It means expressing yourself and however you're feeling at that moment, that day or whoever you are in general."

13 of 16

Bella Thorne

"So for me, fashion means you get to express yourself and the person you are and the person you want to be, in just your clothes. You don't have to say a word. You can just wear an outfit, and somebody can know exactly who you are."

14 of 16

Ashley Madekwe

"I try to treat it as fun more than anything else, I think that's important. I don't try to get too hung up on what's 'it' in fashion or what's in trend. I like, that is what's good to me."

15 of 16

Jamie Chung

"Fashion to me, is having fun. And fashion, to me, is giving you a boost of confidence. Like you're confident with or without the clothes, but as soon as you put on something amazing, it gives you that extra boost. And I feel like fashion changes all throughout from the wee toddler years to your teenage years, to your twenties and your thirties, it's always changing, but it's always growing. And I feel like I'm in my thirties, and I'm in the best position because I feel like women in their thirties are so confident. You know yourself. You know what fits you. You know what fits right. You don't have to necessarily go with the trends. You really, truly dress for yourself."

16 of 16

Zac Posen

"Fashion is a way to express yourself through clothing and personal dress."