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Five Things From Fashion Week…
Another season, another fashion week. Here’s the thing, I always get tired by the end of New York fashion week, London goes by way too fast to register, and by the time Milan comes round it’s all a blur. And Paris… oy vey! But I love fashion week, I love the drama of it all; the collection, the press, the reviews etc. As always with fashion week we find ourselves in familiar territory, the debates remain and them some. Between race relations and weight concerns, the talk was all there, as it was all there before. But let’s not get into that because having the same conversations with little actions is akin to crazy even if the conversations should not stop until changes are made.
Kitsch is Cool: I never thought I’d care much for fashion shows with props but turns out, when done right it brings the clothes alive and its an elevation from the bog standard runway show. In fashion we need something more because right now its a bit of a bore, people feel that so we need something to keep our attention. At Alice & Olivia we were treated to just that. Very pretty clothes in a stunning backdrop, but maybe prettier. It takes the show from Anya Hindmarch a few seasons before, from the cereal boxes to the whole kitchen and then some. It’s like the D&G ad set in the West Coast.
We are not having fun anymore: every show should have Lesley Jones sitting front row because it appears we take ourselves way too seriously to have any fun, to show any reaction to clothes as they come round the runway.
New School and the Old Masters: each season I always wonder what the new school will bring and at the same time whether the old masters would live up to their hype of days past. I love the work of Masur Gavriel, the young brand have come a long way from bucket bags. Their approach to this collection is refreshing and understated, absolutely well thought out. It is not entirely unique, reminds me of Delpozo, McCartney but it still maintains their signature sharp and cool aesthetic. The old school did not disappoint either Marc Jacobs turned it out as did Madam Herrera but we did not expect anything less. Marc’s show was the most memorable of the week, with his soundless colourful, and energetic collection of clothes that magnified trends and amplified the sound in the quiet.
Fashion week and its significance; as always the conversations, amongst others, turn to fashion week and its relevance to the designer or the consumer, or both. I’d like to think it is, but the truth is that its not for every brand, not every collection should be a show, pandemonium or some extra, extra production. For one shows are expensive and there is hardly any ROI, a hashtag lasts for the moment and then we move on in most cases. For the old school masters, its a matter of tradition I would imagine and to maintain their relevance but for the newer brands, its costly and they get lost in the melee of the week.
Which brings me to my final point, Change, much change, is needed in the fashion industry, from top to bottom left to right, in and out. Except for a few websites that have been able to engage our attention as a fashion loving audience, there is a sense of staleness about the industry. Especially at the top where much power is concentrated without variety or excitement. Its time to move us along.