One of the reasons that designers have incentive to revisit retro looks is due to their vintage availability. If a period is available then a designer can’t really maximize their profit as savvy consumers can find looks with the same cut and colour palette available at a fraction of what is being sold in stores.  Hence, when the 60s became an influence in the 80s, the cuts were completely different. With more volume and different colours, wearing a vintage piece looked just that, vintage, and didn’t fit with modern cuts.

As the 90s rolled around, the bulk of the population had purged their closets of anything 70s but it was still possible to find in vintage stores, so anything that was 70s influenced came in (besides more palatable textiles) it was delivered in altered silhouettes. Again, wearing anything vintage was too recognizable to fit in with what was being manufactured, a natural deterrent for the consumer.

So now we have a 90s revival when we really haven’t left this or the creative exploration of the 80s to begin with. However, it isn’t easy to find many 80s cut clothes (unless you go to Ottawa, Canada; it’s still being worn without any consciousness of irony) and so we have a return of the experimentalism plus the volume play. Some of the pieces that have been out are dead ringers for late 80s fashion, with greater volume, structure in textile and the experimental flair the 80s cultivated with wild abandon.

The vibe of fear (remember, the apocalyptic concerns still hover in much the public’s mind and the media’s reptoire) and materialistic entitlement still pervades our culture, so reminders of this still manifest in design that go beyond the volume, shoulder accentuation , wide pants and focus on luxe such as the proliferation of fur. We have kimono cuts from  Alexandre Herchcovitch, Yifang Wan and Josie Natori; deconstructive flourishes from Behnaz Sarafopour, Luke Brooks (distressed leather), Imitation of Christ (collar stretched to accommodate an arm as well), Miguel Androver (pretty much everything), and Threeasfour (use of the Chaos Theory patterning resembled industrial gears fixation of the 80s); and even handkerchief hems from Willow.

But what about the 90s? In the quest to be on trend with a decade that resonates with austerity (and the crush of sameness eerily similar to when there was a supersaturation of designers in the late 80s/early 90s), many labels are bringing back updates , subtle variations of elements that those living in the middle of fashion will fondly remember. Outside of the fact that many labels seem to be “inspired: by 90s Prada, Anna Sui or Helmut Lang, we have:  laser cutting (Alexander Wang) and cutouts (Todd Lynn); 70s multicolour yarn  (3.1 Phillip Lim, Tibi); fur scarves   (Altuzarra, Vivienne Tam); clean grunge  ( A Detacher, Chris Benz, Clements Ribeiro [dresses over leggings], Timo Weiland); boho  (Altuzarra, Issa); Carnaby Street  (Anna Sui [well, this is her niche] , Betsey Johnson, Giuletta, House of Holland, Karen Walker [just a touch and more modish], L.A.M.B. [pop art prints]); arts & crafts  (Araks doing crochet, Yulia Kondranina doing macramé); strips and string details (Carlos Miele, Catherine Malandrino [the most creative use of textile on sheer, by the way], Helen Lawrence, Felder Felder);  shrugs  (Araks);  boots with gowns  (Band of Outsiders), external hardware  (Alexander Wang, Dean Quinn, Reed Krakoff, Topshop Unique), jumpsuits  (Malene List Thomsen, Christopher Raeburn, Clements Ribeiro, Issa, L.A.M.B., Rodarte, Zero + Maria Cornejo); midriffs  (Emilia Wickstead, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Simone Rocha, Topshop Unique, Vivienne Tam [a side exposure]); trains on skirts  (Narcisso Rodriguez); clinical lab looks (Philosophy); Chaos Theory patterning   (Threeasfour); laminated textiles (Alexander Wang); apron dresses  (Topshop Unique); and an examination of nature expressed in print (Calla with wood and granite, and Monique Lhullier with a timely and apocalyptic lava).

There is a lot more to talk about (I just finished looking at 138 collections, including the nineteen in one sitting from Central St. Martens so believe me, I have more to say) and yes, there is relevant newness amidst everything that is before us but, after going through the nuances of memory lane, I am exhausted and plan to take a rest stop. That is, until next week, when we pour through London. And folks, this road trip goes though Milan and Paris as well. It’s going to be a long month of reminiscing and I hope you like looking back as much as looking forward; we will be doing a lot of both!