Serious Side toFrilly Flounces
A lot of fashion designers here got lucky. The romantic, soft spring clothes that have been wafting down runways may seem like just the thing to soothe jangled psyches. The fact is, even before the word “terrorist” became part of the daily discourse, spring collections were already tidily sewn up and the pale color palettes decided. Putting a positive spin on the carefree flip of a flounce, the innocence in wearing the purest white, or the outrageousness of unbridled creativity is just that--spin.
In private, it’s becoming clear that many already are questioning the future of fashion’s light mood. The comfort of a frilly blouse doesn’t last long when threats of war arise daily. Designers may be trying to pull the chiffon over our eyes, but a new self-awareness and global consciousness have helped us see through it. Newly sensitized, any reference to war or religion, however faint, seems jarring and inappropriate, but they’ve shown up anyway.
Though it may be their business to promote fashion, privately, international fashion observers here have questioned how women will adapt to a new look in fashion and a dramatic new mood in the world. Sheer clothes won’t offer modest Asian women enough coverage, said a fashion editor from Hong Kong. Dressing up like a rich peasant is part insult, part denial, said her Russian counterpart. The British and the Americans, are more optimistic. “I think living in fear and dressing in fear is a negative way of approaching [the future],” said Linda Wells, editor of Allure. Vogue’s Anna Wintour is counting on the feel-good quality of the clothes to edge shoppers into stores. “Right now,” Wintour said, “women aren’t going to want something dour and aggressive.”
Yet fashion history has shown that vulnerable feelings more often translate into clothes that offer a sense of protection--such as when simple, dark clothes replaced opulent ones after the 1987 stock market crash. The most successful collections so far this week have offered a combination of quieter luxury, serenity and sensuality. The worst invite offense and turn out awkward clothes, too.
Individually, the pieces in John Galliano’s Street Chic collection at Christian Dior were fine pieces. But they gained nothing when he dressed them up with tough cartridge pocket belts, bags and boots and army-style belts woven through frilly negligees. Galliano has long invoked military references, but he’s happier swirling dozens of ideas together; the more layers the better. Try Elvis in a beaded suit, Las Vegas showgirls in Mexican-print bikinis; hooded Middle Eastern blouses; cowboys in buckskin fringed jackets; cigar-box prints; and the now-familiar saddlebag and car upholstery purses. He hasn’t left tough chic behind, but maybe he should have. Home girls swaggered in baggy washed jeans and “tattoo” nude mesh shirts that spelled out Christian Dior in gothic script. And how much would you pay to look like a gang member?
At Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford soaked all the aggression right out of his wafting animal print caftans and softened, silky safari suits. With all the world watching to see if he’d start another peasant revolution, as his fall collection did, or if he’d move onto something entirely new, Ford had little room for error. So he escaped on a safari (in the Saint Laurent archives), gathered up some cheetah print chiffon tops and ran a thousand grommets and laces through leather pants and skirts. To modern eyes, his rows of golden hoops piercing the seams of suede skirts and bags mimicked the kind of earrings you see everywhere but on the ears. His animal prints will certainly be copied widely; they’re sturdy in a recession. Like every other designer in Paris, Ford let the unfinished edges of his chiffons fray for that intellectual-yet-delicate look that’s sure to grow annoying.
It’s easier to be critical of such impractical touches even though they’re consistent with the artistic themes of current fashion. But it’s time we readjusted our vision. Instead of aspiring to luxury, wealth or even trendiness, clothes should make us ache for their comfort and carefree innocence. Michael Kors said he likens fashion’s role to “an MGM musical during World War II.” Those classic movies projected a sense of a happy, better place, and so did his very likable Celine collection. Trim white crochet camisoles and skirts, beaded linen pants, or simple, flounced dresses reminded us that looking and feeling good can be easy. Just sash your head with a print that matches your skirt and head off on a Vespa to St. Tropez.
The simplest clothes will be the best clothes for uncertain times. Regularly, Veronique Branquinho shows how to subtly change the meaning of classic clothes, whether it’s a man’s tie blown up into a belt or ordinary gingham worked into a complicated, bias-cut skirt. The delicately pleated pockets of her safari jacket might make you feel tough enough to hunt a cup of coffee. More likely, you’ll want to relax over wine with a crocheted camisole and swingy skirt in easy-to-assemble monotone pairings of blue, black or white.
Strong, individual approaches make clothes stand on their own and outlast trends. Ennio Capasa’s Costume National collection remains a source for interesting black clothes, now in weightless gauze and stark white. But his wide, elasticized corset belts brought forklifts and safety shoes to mind, not obi sashes and cummerbunds, as he perhaps intended.
Designers who years ago originated many of the trends that are currently in vogue should be able to set an example for their imitators. With the ongoing ethnic references, deconstruction and menswear classics paired with soft skirts, this should have been a time for Jean Paul Gaultier to shine. Perhaps he was blinded by the spotlight and couldn’t see that bare-chested women with their nipples rouged might seem unnecessary or insulting.
As he poked about the ethnic and religious dress from India across to China, he added little to his clothes beyond a queasy sense of unease. Except for some cuffed mesh “pantyhose,” complete with baggy crotch, Gaultier didn’t reach much beyond his tried-and-true pinstriped suits and draped dresses. He’s long endorsed skirts or dresses over pants, a big Paris trend, and his were well controlled, but just as unlikely to be adopted today as they ever were.
When fashion is mimicking your look, it’s best to stick to your strengths, or else risk getting carried away with self-importance. Though no one makes a better lace shirt and big black skirt (now with ruffles), Valentino let his Latin American theme cha-cha out of control. With lace-trimmed corsets built into skirts and pants, and rows of ruffles winding up pant legs, down sleeves and around skirts, the many frilly looks could have been balanced by a few more of his famously correct suits. The accessories were better than ever, and probably pricier. The medallions of turquoise and coral on rich suede bags and bracelets were made from carefully matched semiprecious stones. But it’s easy to forgive Valentino his excessive ebullience. He’s a true believer in the power of beauty to make the world a lovelier place. Given the choice, dressing for a party seems preferable to dressing for a war.
