The Quiet Child & The Creator: Threading Trauma into Art

The mind of the fashion designer appears to be a complex organism in which creativity becomes a medium for self-expression, ultimately shaping the fashion industry as we know it today. For decades, designers have shared insights into the intricate process of creation, the challenges, inspirations and mental strain experienced before, during and after designing. Research suggests that this creative journey follows a distinct progression, often marked by profound, almost mystical mental experiences. To better understand this phenomenon from a psychological perspective, this article explores the developmental and emotional influences on the cognition and creativity of fashion designers, drawing from their own words and experiences.

This piece specifically aims to connect the mental experiences of fashion designers with the cognitive and creative processes that drive their work. Through this research, designers may gain deeper insights into the design process, while readers can develop a greater appreciation for the complexity of the creator's mind and the mental challenges that often give rise to unforgettable moments in the industry.

Early Childhood

To understand the creative process of a fashion design, one must look back to a creator’s early years, exploring how their experiences shaped a desire to escape reality, seek protection, and nurture creativity. Insights from various autobiographies of prominent designers reveal that this need for escape often emerges early in childhood, prompting the mind to construct a safe space where they can feel in control of their surroundings and not feel lonely.

This understanding is evident in the reflections of designers like Dior, who, during wartime, was often left alone. He recalls moments from his early childhood, stating, "we hardly saw anyone" (Dior, 2007, p. 178–183). Similarly, Coco Chanel was described as “an abandoned child” in an orphanage (Picardie, 2010), while Elsa Schiaparelli was sent to a convent incapable of communicating with anyone on the outside, making her feel “horribly lonely” (Schiaparelli, 2010, p. 17-20). Even in more recent years, designers like Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen have experienced similar isolation, with all describing instances of bullying due to their sexuality and the inability to “talk (to anyone) about it” (Thomas, 2015, p. 15; Drake, 2007; p.11).

This feeling of isolation from the outside world at a young age, whether physical, or mental isolation due to bullying, has big complications in the development of a child. According to Cacioppo et al. (2011), social isolation produces intense distress because the brain processes social rejection much like physical pain. However, it is not necessarily the physical aspect that impacts designers in their developmental process. Instead, it is the mental frustration resulting from such isolation that seems to have a more significant effect.

Almeida et al. (2021) found that increased loneliness during childhood and adolescence is associated not only with a greater risk of depressive symptoms but also with other psychological challenges, such as anxiety and guild. They further note that isolation can impact the acquisition of foundational skills such as speaking, writing, and reading, which in turn can negatively affect academic performance (Almeida et al., 2021). This lack of skills necessary for academic success is evident in many designers who struggled in school, not due to the physiological effects on the individuals, but rather through their descriptions of the experience within school and academic environments.

To be more precise, many designers coped with early feelings of isolation by retreating into rich inner creative worlds, especially during their formative academic years, which hindered their academic success. For instance, John Galliano described escaping “into (his)…daydreaming” world (Thomas, 2015, p. 15), while Yves Saint Laurent would repeatedly tell himself, “One day (he’ll) be famous,” as a form of revenge against those who doubted him (Drake, 2007, p. 11). Alexander McQueen, rather than focusing on classwork, “kept drawing garments” at every opportunity (Thomas, 2015, p. 66), and Louis‑François Cartier’s teacher lamented that “his head (was) in the clouds,” unable to pay attention because his imagination carried him elsewhere (Brickell, 2021, p. 36-37). Finally, Gianni Versace “an indifferent…student, escaped in his mother’s workroom” and eventually quit school to work with her (Blanks, p.12)

This pattern is evident among many of the greatest designers and founders of the fashion industry as we know it today. All of them seemed to struggle with academic work and thrive in a traditional school environment. Additionally, they each found a way to escape through art, particularly fashion, and by creating imaginary worlds of fiction. For this reason, this is a fundamental step in understanding the process of the fashion creative’s mind. This could be due to the rules of the academic system or their personal lack of early developmental skills which lead them to be unsuccessful of uninterested in school.

From a developmental psychology perspective, Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development suggests that development occurs within a social context, not in isolation, and depends on interactions with others (Yusof, 2021). However, the lack of interaction observed in the examples of the isolated child seems to result in creative solutions. Although social withdrawal during early childhood may lead to a preference for solitude and possible rejection by peers, research indicates that this inclination towards solitude can actually foster creativity and innovative thinking (Rubin, 2009)

This need to discover a solution for both their solitude and academic challenges can be explained through Adler’s Compensation Theory, which posits that individuals “compensate to hide their weaknesses by doing something else well” (Psychologs, n.d.; Hoffman, 2024), often redirecting their focus toward achieving success. This suggests that an individual who may not achieve academic success or receive praise from teachers and the school system might seek alternative ways to gain recognition and approval from their environment.

Among fashion designers, this drive to excel in other fields often stems from the challenges they faced within the traditional academic settings. The need to succeed elsewhere manifested itself within the expression of creativity and the imagination of a better future for the self as seen by the example of Yves Saint Laurent, who envisioned of achieving greatness as a form of vindication against those who had bullied him. This notion is also reflected in the autobiographies of various other designers who, as highlighted in the passages above, transformed their academic struggles into creative strengths, which ultimately positioned them as “top of the class” (Brickell, 2021, p. 36).

Evidence suggests that this artistic approval from peers and teachers encouraged them to explore the world of fashion, inspiring many to learn every detail about the captivating world of design. This idea aligns with Skinner's theory of Positive Reinforcement, which posits that when a behaviour is followed by a positive outcome, it increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated (McLeod, 2025). This is particularly evident in the study of Rafe et al. (2020), who demonstrated that positive reinforcement strategies, such as praise and constructive feedback, not only enhance students' self-efficacy but also motivate them to pursue learning with greater enthusiasm. Furthermore, research suggests that in academic settings, feedback delivered from a positive perspective plays a crucial role in the shaping of the appropriate student behaviour (Miltenberger, 2008, as cited in Diedrich, 2010).

From the statements above, it becomes clear why specific designers chose to pursue the arts and fashion from a young age. As their behaviour had been shaped to focus on the aesthetic aspects of their studies, an area that were consistently praised by their teachers. In this way, their personality traits could have been shaped by their environment (Baltes, 1997, as cited in Roberts & Wood, 2006). Consequently, their professional journeys mirrored this early focus, following a pathway which aligned with the self-perceived identity, which was ultimately shaped by the approval of those around them. Thus, the encouragement they received from their teachers within the academic setting, seems to have been a pivotal influence in guiding their career journey as adults.

However, their behaviour also aligns with Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory, which posits that an individual's belief in their ability to perform a specific behaviour influences the likelihood of achieving a positive outcome (Bandura, 1989, as cited in Maltby, Day, & Macaskill, 2013, p. 83). When combined with Positive Reinforcement Theory, these concepts illustrate how the designer's confidence in their creative abilities, reinforced by positive feedback, enabled them to excel in their artistic activities. This shift in focus, allowed them to rise above their academic struggles and overcome the negative effects of peer bullying, as their sense of self-worth became increasingly tied to their artistic praise.

The idea of escaping the minimisation of the self through bullying by focusing on the positive aspects of one's skills as a tool for future success is supported by the notion that individuals strive to establish themselves in a high social position within their community, thereby projecting social power and value among their peers (Roberts & Wood, 2006). Again, the positive reinforcement from teachers further elevated these individuals, positioning them above their bullies and fostering a sense of validation and self-worth. This encouragement enabled them to envision a future where their skills would lead to success, granting them higher social status not only within the educational system but also in the broader world. This concept is particularly evident in Yves Saint Laurent's mindset, as he consciously believed that the negative experiences of bullying would one day be transformed into the positive outcome of his own creative success.

All the principles mentioned above suggest that, as children in the school setting, fashion designers shaped their behaviour and personality traits toward creativity, not only because of genuine interest but also because they received praise for their artistic skills. This recognition helped them establish themselves as top students in classes in which they were previously perceived as uninterested in. Eventually, the positive reinforcement from an otherwise challenging environment encouraged the repetition of artistic behaviour and deepened their interest in the arts, motivating them to learn more about the subject.

Furthermore, Groos and Baldwin (1901) argue that play, particularly imaginative play, serves as the crucial mechanism through which the self prepares for the adult life. According to their theory, children engage in play as a form of rehearsal, developing the physical, cognitive, and social skills essential for future adult roles (Nilsson & Ferholt, 2014). As they put it, children are essentially “practicing for adulthood” through play (Nilsson & Ferholt, 2014). This framework can be applied to understand how the creatively gifted child, who has demonstrated exceptional imaginative abilities during their early academic years in comparison to their peers, may channel this early creative superiority into a successful career within the field of fashion designing.

However, another common aspect observed in the developmental cognitive processes of creative fashion designers is the experience of activating violence during childhood. This includes not only instances of bullying and exposure to wartime environments but also deeply personal traumas. For example, Alexander McQueen was sexually harassed as a child and witnessed his sister being physically abused by her husband (Wilson, 2015). Similarly, John Galliano navigated threats of violence during his school years, strategically planning which trains to take and which carriages to ride in to avoid being attacked by other boys (Thomas, 2015, p. 15).

For both designers, imagination became a crucial coping mechanism which allowed them not only to process the violence they experienced daily, but also to create a mental retreat from the stress and trauma they endured. This imaginative escape provided them with a sense of control and safety, transforming their inner worlds into sanctuaries where creativity could flourish despite the external circumstances they were experiencing. This creation of imaginary worlds is evident not only in their artistic works but also in their biographical accounts, where they were describe as possessing of two distinct natures one reflecting their real, often shy selves, and the other manifesting as bold alter egos (Thomas, 2015).

In the specific context of an abused child using imagination as a means of escape, Baumeister’s (1991, as cited by Shireen et al., 2022) Escape Theory offers a useful framework. Although the theory primarily addresses behaviours like eating disorders, it broadly suggests that individuals may engage in self-stimulating or absorbing activities to avoid confronting painful emotions and threatening situations (Shireen et al., 2022) In the cases examined, during their early years,  the individuals did not escape through binge eating or similar behaviours, as originally outlined in the theory, but instead through excessive use of their own creativity.  In other words, Galliano, Saint Lauren and McQueen all retreated into their own rich inner worlds, using imaginative expression as a coping mechanism to distance themselves from the fear and trauma of their external reality.

This escaping behaviour can also be described as dissociation, where an individual responds to stress or trauma by disengaging from the stressor as a coping strategy (Allen, 2021). Dissociation can function as a passive coping mechanism, involving withdrawal from the stressful situation, or as an active mechanism, where individuals deliberately seek to escape the stressor (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988, as cited in Allen, 2021). In the specific cases discussed, the child/creator appeared to use an active mechanism, deliberately escaping the stressful situation through their imagination. However, it remains unclear whether this was a conscious choice, or a passive cognitive process automatically triggered by the mind to protect the child from the stressor.

Building on this understanding of imaginative escape as a coping strategy, it is important to recognize how such early adaptive mechanisms can shape the creative cognitive processes of these individuals into adulthood. Their ability to retreat into a deeply personal imaginative world, which served as a sanctuary during their difficult early years, eventually transformed into a distinctive creative perspective which allowed them to flourish within adulthood. For fashion designers like McQueen and Galliano, their creative achievements appear to be profoundly influenced by these past experiences of trauma. The imaginative worlds they developed as children not only provided emotional refuge but also laid the foundation for their innovative vision and artistic expression, demonstrating how early difficulty can fuel extraordinary creative potential.

Conclusion

The combination of psychological and cognitive developmental theories reveals only a thin layer of the complexity of the creator’s mind. However, it becomes clear that one is not necessarily born with such a creative mind, but rather must adapt throughout life, shaped by the difficulties of their personal experience. This adaptation is not always driven by the pursuit of happiness or joy, but often by the need for survival. Thus, the creative mind of the fashion designer appears not to be simply a product of innate talent but is deeply intertwined with psychological coping mechanisms which not only generate immaculate creative outcomes, but also construct a protective barrier around the feared and fragile inner child.

Early childhood experiences appear to play a crucial role in shaping how individuals engage with the world and express themselves through fashion. Within the personal inner sanctuaries, they created designers like McQueen, Galliano, and Yves Saint Laurent transformed social rejection into a positive force, which eventually allowed them to become part of an accepted social norm on their own terms. These inner worlds are reflected in the uniqueness of each designer’s work, where creativity dominates structure and fabric; ultimately shaping the McQueen, the Galliano and the Yves Saint Laurent world.

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