What does fashion mean?

A friend of mine (Louise Aquilina) is reading for her Masters in Fashion at the moment, and she has just shown me a preview of an article that she's written on the definition of fashion. Having recently read the introduction to 'Masters of Fashion Illustration' by David Downton (contemporary fashion illustrator) and also having come across a list of famous quotes by top fashion designers in Marie Claire magazine, I've noticed the word 'superficial' come up quite frequently.

Indeed individuals who are 'fashion-obsessed' are often considered to be shallow and superficial (amongst other more positive comments of course) but what goes on in the mind of a fashion designer? According to my friend, fashion is 'truth' 'a way of thinking' 'a way of looking at and approaching the future'. It's about culture, about the world around us. Yes there is more to fashion; fashion does have meaning, but then it is contextualised and adapted. What am I going on about? Well reading this article struck a chord with me. As much as I love drawing women in a 'fashion illustration' sort of style, to me, they are just studies, because they don't have any sort of meaning. I enjoy exploring different postures, curves and exaggerated garments and fabrics, but this feels no more than technical practice that sometimes happens to look pretty good. When I do want to create something meaningful, I try to give it a story, a context. And that brings the whole drawing to life. 

Below; my continuous exploration of cats and their relationship with humans.