Part of observing fashion this closely is to see which trends have a shelf life. Some, such as the move towards comfort have found themselves to be more mainstay, especially as the economy continues to play with nervous heartstrings. It makes perfect sense to produce something that has a perpetually desirable quality such as comfort. Who doesn’t want soft fabrics and a forgiving fit while retaining a stylish disposition? We have seen better incarnations of this wish with each successive collection, in thanks partly due to better technology that helps meet the more technical aspects of this quality.
But not all trends last. Some have a shorter staying power, failing to harmonize with public sentiment when played in past manners that would have before guaranteed success. And yet some of these very trends that don’t seem be as accepted in mainstream fashion are given second chances in our climate of hybriding multiple influences.
As covered in May 27, 2011 article “Garden Party…At East Egg or Collingwood Manor?” the possibilities of deciding which decade resurgence (i.e. the 20s or the 70s) was discussed in anticipation of Baz Lurhmann’s remake of “The Great Gatsby” in the face of some disturbing data released showing similarities between economics of The Great Depression and what was happening at that time.
The connection to fashion was so obvious that the fashion world leaped on-board, and collections came out anticipating a huge Deco-mania that failed to materialize when the film got bumped into the winter, killing the momentum that would have accompanied the hype (see “Festival Over Party” July 21, 2013 article). It was reported that the more Deco-literal collections bombed in retail, and one look at what played out on the streets seemed to confirm it.
That apparently hasn’t stopped the trend from coming back. The hard lines and angles of geometry have stayed with us as our defensive edge continues unabated. Most collections have some form of hardness and edge expressed in hard cuts and sharp geometry spanning the Big Four. But what was worthy to note was how many still incorporated Deco-isms into their collections. These were seen in collections from Anne Valerie Hash, Louis Vuitton, Manish Arora, Julien Macdonald, Emilio Pucci, Bibhu Mohapatra, Brandon Sun, Cynthia Rowley, Dennis Basso, J. Mendel, Ohne Titel, Peter Som, Rodebjer, Sass & Bide, Zimmermann, Badgley Mischka, and even Calvin Klein Collection (20s swing in the fringe string detail).
Along with geometry and design expression, the drop waist also showed itself in places amidst collections from ACNE, Balmain, Lanvin, Manish Arora, Sharon Wauchob, Felder Felder, Richard Nicoll, Simone Rocha, Topshop Unique, MSGM, Versace, Araks, Cynthia Rowley, J. Crew, Milly, Philosophy, Sophie Theallet and Victoria Beckham.
It was mentioned in the September 15th Article “Internationalization” by one of the editors from Style.com that they noticed the deco-isms and how there was an inside joke of the collections hinting at a centenary similarity, as if we are gearing for a new wave of influence by nodding to the last dramatic impact that kicked off our last century . Much as the Deco period ushered in a new mindset that cleared away the prior century’s old views, so there is reasonable expectation of the coming decade doing the same. It’s old news in this blog (see article “The Future Is In the Eye Of The Beholder” March 11, 2012) that perhaps is finally registering with the existing talent, communicated through references such as those before. This awareness will be more acute in the coming years as the future seeks to find itself.
Of course another possibility is how the economic picture with surges of hyperluxury markets booming and the top one per-cent having as much wealth as in the 20s perhaps being a source of inspiration as well. Just as in the 20s, the level of consumption in the face of potential economic instability is quite apparent, and it’s devil-may-care attitude plus its questionable sustainability is not far different from that period, either.
The question is whether we will have to continue to look at jumping points from a century ago to leap forward. And if you look at the talent that has yet to come that will change the direction of fashion, they are too young to take a measured view required at this time. But we have some years to go, and some time to look for the signs. In our connected world with instant hype and quick attention spans, the new future may be no news when it finally comes. The again, given the exponential pace of technology, it could be a surprise we have yet to even fathom. Until then, we’ll just have to amuse ourselves with cheeky references of what has passed while waiting for the next “in” thing. The whole matter of how we are thinking about it could turn out to be the punch line itself.