Menu

Fashion Observed


Trend observations with a sociological eye from afar...

by Darryl S. Warren  

Follow  on Twitter:         @FashionObserved
              on Instagram:   @fashion_observed_ 
              on Facebook:      /FashionObserved
              on Pinterest:      /FashionObserved

Couture Kicks To The Future

While 2014 Pre-fall was still trickling out, the 2014 Spring/Summer Couture collections were released. These shows are where the most luxurious of materials and highest quality workmanship by hand merge with unbridled creativity that is encouraged. For any aspiring designer, reaching this level is the pinnacle of career achievement. Heads of state and the cream of society are the clientele, and these collections have a history of setting the tone for the fashion world. It is due to the excellence of manufacturing and sophistication of equipment available to the larger industry coupled with cheap labour centers and changes in how fashion trends are disseminated to the masses that have allowed  the ready-to wear collections (AKA pret-a porter) to compete within similar arenas and upset the once-traditional leadership vein that couture long enjoyed.

That is the evolution of our culture at work. It is something that couture cannot compete with or conquer for now. It is a vehicle for marketing that upholds status rather than the financial mainstay of a designer label. Few designer houses can enter this costly realm, and doing so is more an investment in image that how it used to be before.  The grand sweeping skirts and ballroom silhouettes are a vestige of a bygone era that romanticizes fashion. It is one that, unfortunately, also cannot remain as we enter a new century. For couture to remain viable, it has to also move with the times.

And so the shock factor was not in cuts or shapes per se. It was the modernization and embrace of the new couture client represented in the utilitarian and functional aspect of its product. Of course there will always be a place for gowns that sparkle and shine; romance isn’t dead. It’s just that the couture client is no longer a woman who has nothing better to do than waste away lounging at parties with languid ease. The couture client is increasingly one who has come from a more functional upbringing enjoying the standard of living our economic divide allows.  The client is out and about and mingles with the world, and her wardrobe must be able to function as well as compete with the higher-end pret-a-porter items that help her carry through the day. The couture client shops everywhere, and the couture business recognizes the democratic environment has those who may not have been traditional denizens of the exclusive world but can afford to indulge in the exclusivity. The world is open now to those who aspire and, to survive, couture has learned to adapt by accommodating rather than ostracizing those who normally aren’t a full-time resident of that world.

Designers that once created the mystique are now being asked to update and revolutionize this line to meet the needs of the modern woman. To continue its survival requires concessions of relevance as a compromise. Thus couture is moving away for the traditional, and appealing to the newer generation.

Alexandre Vaulthier , Atelier Versace and Giambattista Valli aimed squarely for youth with short hemlines . Maison Martin Margiela and Vionnet aimed for modern expressions in their evening wear that elevated the minimal architecture prevalent in most collections today with a foundation of exclusive materials balanced with modern simplicity. In fact, Vionnet knew what it was doing by bringing in Hussein Chalayan to design the couture collection as his vision is forward thinning, leaving the classical behind to lead their clientele into 21st century relevance.  Armani Prive, Bouchra Jarrar, Chanel, Christian Dior, Schiaparelli and Viktor & Rolf all had collections that were more in line with the utilitarian aspects of pre-a-porter that provided function. Above all, these were modern and wearable, and although one could see by materials and fit that would denote the wearer’s affluence, the cuts and silhouettes allow the person to at least connect with the greater population via common trend associations that transcend along various classes of collections. The couture client is allowed to upgrade towards relevance within a luxury framework.

That trainers were included in a Chanel couture presentation was no accident; Karl Lagerfeld made a measured statement that not only nods to the 80s influence in fashion that continues to linger but also has made a declaration of what kind of woman the couture client is shaping to be for this  century. She binds her self-control in corsetry that Chanel herself once rejected, and yet has clothes that still allow for active movement, her footwear confirming this status.  And seeing Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy collaborate with Nike on releasing a collection of luxury trainers recently further emphasizes which territory luxury’s creative are aiming to claim.

Looking at these collections that denote simplicity, streamlined design approaches and utilitarian aspects all suggest that the new 21st century woman will not be bound by luxury to function. Rather, her choice will be in the details that come with experience and familiarity of the world she is from. And as much as the Gibson Girl hinted at the eventual sportswear that would come to hallmark our transition out of restrictive and impractical clothing of the 19th century, these collections are hinting of the changes we are making towards who the 21st century woman will be. These coming years lay the foundation for whoever reaches of age to make inroads and take us to through the next century. These collections will be that key person or persons’ influence, and  so what we see this season that is a departure from the norm is perhaps more important than one might initially have thought. That realization is worth kicking around when contemplating fashion’s future.

Go Back

Post a Comment
Created using the new Bravenet Siteblocks builder. (Report Abuse)