STYLE: FASHION : Modern Translations

We all know a classic when we see one: The ’57 Chevy.

The Eames armchair. The Waring blender. From the synthesis of style and function spring instant icons that constantly redefine each object. It isn’t any different in the fashion world, where no self-respecting closet would be without a white shirt, a navy blazer or a trench coat. For men, there might be a denim jacket and a pair of high-tops stashed alongside; for women, a little black dress and a string of pearls. But if fashion classics are, by definition, always in vogue, it’s partly because they actually endure by evolving. Each season, designers play with shapes, fabrics and details as they reinterpret wardrobe essentials of the past to fit the present. And in the spirit of creative experimentation, easy Velcro fasteners replace buttons and zippers, sturdy vinyl and Lycra sub for leather and knits, and seams and other structural underpinnings turn inside out to serve as decoration. Who says you can’t make a good thing better?