Avant-garde
ah-vahnt-GARD
/ˌævɒŋˈɡɑːrd/
Favoring or introducing experimental, radical, or unconventional ideas and styles.
Refers to art and design that purposefully pushes boundaries, challenges social norms, and anticipates future trends.
The story behind the word. Originally a French military term dating to the Middle Ages, the 'avant-garde' was the vanguard—the brave front line of soldiers marching ahead of the main army to scout enemy territory. In the 1820s, French political writer Olinde Rodrigues repurposed the term to describe artists as visionary leaders guiding society toward the future.
Word relationships
- experimental: Experimental implies testing new ideas; avant-garde specifically implies radical artistic leadership ahead of its time.
- groundbreaking: Groundbreaking highlights novel achievement, whereas avant-garde focuses on provocative, unconventional aesthetic concepts.
- conventional: Conventional designs adhere strictly to established traditions and mainstream expectations.
- traditional: Traditional reflects historical norms rather than radical boundary-pushing.
Commonly confused with
- Trendy: Trendy describes what is popular right now; avant-garde describes radical concepts far ahead of current popularity.
Collocations
- avant-garde fashion
- avant-garde design
- avant-garde movement
- decidedly avant-garde
Example sentences
- "The designer's avant-garde runway show featured dresses constructed entirely from recycled optical fibers and wire." Runway Review
- "In the early twentieth century, avant-garde movements like Futurism completely disrupted traditional painting." Art History
Memory hook
AVANT-GARDE: the ADVANCED GUARD leading the front line of bold new fashion. The front line of radical design.
When not to use
Avoid using for simple, mainstream, or traditional designs that follow existing rules.
Fun facts
- Designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons famously created avant-garde dresses with intentional lumps and asymmetric bumps, subverting conventional ideas of human body shape.
Related words
Explore more words
vanguard, cutting-edge, subversive, innovate, pioneer, unconventional
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