The pace depends on what goes on around the world, and partially depends on who is buying what. That is the final democratic component that takes precedence from time to time. This also happens more often when the economy is strained and the populace has to make practical choices over fantasy.

News of the economic crisis in Europe and a drop in consumer confidence recently reported by WWD is not to be underestimated. At the height of creativity in the late 80s there was a lot of popping sounds as various economic bubbles burst the world over. The clothes had a lot of ideas but not as much utility, and many lines were competing for a smaller demographic of high-income earners that can only buy so many clothes. Even if the budget exists, the prudence of scaling back helps save those dollars (or your currency here), and less conspicuous design choices tend to be worn when mingling with a beleaguered public.

At present it is like waiting for the shoe to drop and yet we have the incredible ability to cultivate the sense of denial. While not recommended, this coping mechanism keeps our sanity in check until we can muster the strength to take the truth in. So while there is conventional expectation that hemlines reflect our economic expectation (something mentioned in a previous post) , the proliferation of high hemlines almost begs us to show it to economists to say that their barometer can’t be wrong.

Back in the late 80s, there was a similar sense of denial despite the recognition that a recession would reverberate to other countries, especially as there was more dependence on an increasingly failing American economy at the time. Countries like Japan that depended heavily on exports felt this in a hard way when the USA launched a “Buy America” campaign in an attempt to halt the economy’s descent. The entire process seemed false, almost deceptive.

As fashion has the ability to turn social interpretations in the same manner as other art forms, we can find the code in how materials are chosen and utilized. Our century has been one of progressive development into uncharted waters regarding design convention, but it’s the latter half where we have seen the elevation of this exploration, and really the 80s onward that we were able to really go forth in accepting radical cuts and techniques in the quest for creating a modern voice. And like our architecture, there has been more to work with as technology has advanced our material and the way we can cut and assemble them. This allows for the artistic latitude to better translate our mood and felling with more detail, and the modern aesthetic allows for more abstract representation.

While the world was riding on the fumes of economically unsustainable bubbles in the late 80s we saw this expression play out.The use of transparent fabric or other fabrics such as mesh and tulle in secondary proportions is apt metaphor for the idea that there are two truths: the “truth” and the truth. The creation of a different layer with different proportions and creative overlays was present in collections form the likes of Willow, Temperley London, Francesco Scognamiglio, Alexander Wang, Daryl K, Armani, Givenchy, Mugler, Marchesa, BCBG Max Azria, Ports 1961,  and Rag & Bone.

Another way to play with absolutes is in the hemline; by playing with length it can better convey the mixed messages when n the cusp of economic uncertainty. Uneven hemlines that border on artful deception are another way to throw predictors off the traditional track. There was artful cut from McQueen, Givenchy and Kevork Kiledjian.

We need the truth and to be grounded, but we also have a capacity limit. It is human to defer the entirety when the size or degree of impact is a lot to digest, and sometimes we are too proud to admit our limitations. But while it’s admirable to keep a stiff upper lip and etiquette trains an individual to keep one’s presentation restrained and under control, it’s also healthy to declare our infallibility and admit where we are in order to take control and move forward. It’s one thing to have illusion in our design, but another to have it in our lives. And when we get there, our clothes will reflect that as well.