By Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun – Collection of the prince Ludwig von Hessen und bei Rhein, Wolfsgarten Castle, Germany., Public Domain
“Can a Christian be a fashion designer?”
That question was put to me recently after I taught a session on worldview and life work to a group of young Christians in Chile. The young inquirer told me she loved to design clothes and wanted to be a fashion designer. Could she do this as a Christian?
My immediate response was Yes! Why not? In fact, as I said, if that is God’s call she should pursue fashion design. But it will not be done without difficulty. As she already knew, the fashion industry has its own culture, often vulgar and debased. Some fashion focuses on darkness and death, some on the commoditizing of women, and some on the sexualization of children and teens.
On the other hand, the culture of the kingdom is characterized by Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. So does God want that culture brought into the arena of clothing and fashion? Yes, certainly! The light of the gospel is to penetrate all of society.
Cultures are either moving towards light and life or towards darkness and death. Many factors in the culture contribute to that movement. The arts are especially influential. Yet the whole idea of a Biblical worldview enters here. The gospel must infiltrate every area of life through our work. Thus it naturally follows that someone needs to design clothing that is beautiful, modest, and celebrative of life.
Followers of Christ should take the lead as kingdom fabricators of God-honoring apparel. They will need to work thoughtfully. They will have to avoid simply following fashion trends. Christians of all vocations need to think biblically about their work. As we ground our work in the cultural trinity (Truth, Beauty, Goodness) we bring God’s nature and character into the workplace.
The morning after talking with this young woman, I read Eric Metaxas’ BreakPoint message, God’s Comic: Believers in the World of Stand-up. He makes some of the same arguments I shared with this young lady.
I enjoy teaching every year at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) base in Puerto Rico. Yarley Nino, the director, understands the importance of a Biblical worldview. What is more, many young artists find their way there.
A few years ago during my week at that base some of the students approached me with what I call “righteous discontent.” Here’s what they told me.
Do you realize that when people go to the mall to buy clothes, the clothing available is designed by people with an agenda? Their agendas may be to sexualize children, commercialize people, promote an androgonist (uni-sex) culture or promote drugs and death. Why do we have to choose clothing that promote other peoples agendas? There is a need to create a line of clothing that is beautiful and that promotes moral modesty and life.
Needless to say, I was excited to hear their vision and encouraged them to pursue their dream. Brennan Manning has caught the vision when he writes:
Send in the artists, mystics, and clowns. Their fertile imaginations pours the new wine of the gospel into fresh wineskin (Luke 5:38). With fresh language, poetic vision, and striking symbols, they express God’s inexpressible Word in artistic forms that are charged with the power of God, engaging our minds and stirring our hearts as they flare and flame.[1]
If you have a heart to be a stand up comic, a designer of clothing, a playwright, an opera singer, a singer/songwriter or a dancer, pursue it with a passion. You can make a difference in the world, a difference for good.
– Darrow Miller
19 Comments
Ben
November 12, 2012 - 9:58 amThis a related article I saw awhile back:
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/09/23/evangelicals-are-becoming-new-face-brazilian-fashion/
admin
November 12, 2012 - 10:16 amThanks, Ben. Very interesting and encouraging!
Elizabeth Francis
October 21, 2013 - 6:14 amso happy and blessed to have found this article….love your perspective, as a fashion designer myself and a christian i endorse your statement that we should take the lead in setting a new trend towards God honouring apparel, and sharing the bibical culture of truth , beauty and modesty.
Darrow
October 21, 2013 - 4:31 pmHi Elizabeth
Glad you found us. We have a heart to see Christians be the church on Monday and consciously engage as Christians in their vocations. Elizabeth, may “your tribe increase.” Please pass this on to your friends who might find this helpful. Fashion design may be considered as one of the arts. You may find some other encouraging stories about artists on our site.
Thanks for writing,
darrow
Brenda Musa
January 14, 2014 - 12:26 amThank you so much for this …… Am a christian who wants to go into fashion designing bt wondered if its right,as a christian
admin
January 14, 2014 - 3:45 pmBrenda
Glad you were encouraged.
darrow
Julissa
February 4, 2014 - 1:55 pmGod Bless, I am a Christian Fashion Designer, Just last year God showed me that i was going in the wrong direction, I have to glorify God with everything I do, The industry of Fashion is contaminated as you mentioned, we have go shine the light in the Fashion Industry.
Please support my website. God bless!
admin
February 5, 2014 - 4:44 amDear Julissa
Congratulations with realizing your childhood dream. I am glad you found the post on fashion design to be an encouragement. Continue to pursue a line that is beautiful and excellent.
Darrow
Samuella meskora Amoussou
November 22, 2014 - 3:56 amI’m so encourage by this topic, I love fashion and I always wanted to be a fashion designer, but I was scare that it would be right according to the bible standards. Thank you very much for this topic
admin
November 22, 2014 - 5:46 amDear Samuella
Glad you have found this topic to be an encouragement. We are to glorify God in our vocations. Some are called to create clothing that glorifies God. May the Lord give you the creativity to design beautiful, modest and unique kinds of clothing.
darrow
grace
December 14, 2015 - 2:17 pmThanks very very encouraging n inspirational
admin
December 15, 2015 - 10:15 amGrace, So glad to hear you were encouraged by this piece. I have met a number of young Christians who have a heart for fashion design. My you find great fulfillment in your calling.
darrow
Patience Peters
March 20, 2016 - 2:43 amJust meditated on exodus 28:2-3,and I wanted to see if there is a family of godly people who God has given this wisdom to create garments to God’s glory and then I came across this.am so blessed,thank you for this truth to stir us up in the line of fashion.
admin
March 21, 2016 - 8:25 amGood for you, Patience! It’s great to hear this new from you.
Gary Brumbelow
Dana Jenell
August 13, 2016 - 7:08 pmI am a aspiring Christian bridal designer. I needed to read this article thank you so much!!! God bless you!!!!
Julissa
October 9, 2016 - 2:29 amWell check this out http://m.newstimes.com/business/article/Modesty-a-big-part-of-Danbury-fashion-9180092.php?cmpid=twitter-mobile
admin
October 10, 2016 - 5:09 amJulissa
Thanks for making this connection. So glad to see what you are doing. The blog on God’s Fashion Designers has been one of our most popular. So it seems that it has struck a chord with people. Have you seen our blog of a couple of weeks ago on Modesty? It is here: https://darrowmillerandfriends.com/2016/10/03/return-virtue-modesty/.
Your work is inspiring me. Hope you find encouragement in what I have written. May you continue to follow the what the Lord has put on your heart.
Darrow
Piet Molefe
January 4, 2017 - 11:52 pmI’m encouraged, I have always wanted to persue fashion and I’m still scared to take the first step. I’m glad to have crossed this aticle I feel motivated now. Time to bring back modesty in the way we dress. Time to make christian fashion popular.
God bless you and a blessed 2017
admin
January 5, 2017 - 7:17 amYes, Piet, be encouraged.
darrow