NOWADAYS FASHION AS STYLE Fall/Winter pret-à-porter collection in Milan, Paris, New York and London

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1 NOWADAYS FASHION AS STYLE Fall/Winter pret-à-porter collection in Milan, Paris, New York and London 1 Introduction We are all breaking the rules mixing sportswear with workwear, the old and the new, crossing traditional gender divides, leaping between the proletarian and the elitist, juxtaposing the natural and the artificial, mating the vulgar and the respectable... deliberately sending out confusing, even contradictory signals. And why? Because we don t want to be categorized to become just a stereotype. Because the world we live in is itself full of confusion and contradiction. Because (as in our politics and everything else) simple either/or categories and labels no longer suffice. Because now that the god of modernism is dead, everything is possible. Because we re all on-line, plugged in to the global village. Because the past and the future have dissolved into the Now. Because what s clear, clearly isn t. Because we ve increasingly found that only personal appearance is capable of expressing where we as individuals are at in a kaleidoscopic and enigmatic world. This is what the sociologist Ted Polhemus wrote in 1996 in his book Style Surfing, and this social picture corresponds to the post-modern concept of Liquid society, described by sociologist Zygmunt Bauman. Confusion or con-fusion, intended as a fusion of different styles, of Oriental and Western dressing codes, opulent and minimal, big volumes and slender silhouette, long and short, dresses and skirts upon trousers, and so on. Con-fusion: - about ages: adults, teen-agers, and even children, dressed in a similar way - about gender, masculine-feminine - about dress-codes, putting upside down the traditional view on fashion, mixing and matching of contrasting, eclectic styles - about subverting geographic boundaries, mixing global and local - about fashion categories: PAP moving to the Haute Couture niche and Fast Fashion as a new PAP - about high technology or war time look from the past in fashion and artisanal manual techniques in design objects, - unpredictable climate, no seasons but, first of all, confusion as a lack of a clear view on our future social and economical structure: liberty and individualism, rejection of poor or social support in name of human dignity, high technology or back to preindustrial behaviour and lifestyle? East West: You have to embrace different cultures Last season Giorgio Armani presented a mix of traditional Japanese kimono with a typical western concept of men s wear: long trousers, laced boots, white shirt and tie. The colour palette reflected the inspiration of Armani from Japanese culture of neutral blue and grey. This season his inspiration for Armani Privé couture collection comes from Middle Eastern dresses over pants, colours and patterns, but his pret-à-porter fall/winter collection looks back to his eighties, with typical Western, elegant androgynous style. It is clear the influence of Indian taste in bright colours, such as orange and red, even in menswear. Bright colours, big embroidery, intense decoration come from Chinese tradition or from India. Africa is a continent to explore and to exploit...exoticism is casting its spell over the style world of late, as vanguard retailers like Barneys New York, mass marketers like American Apparel and designers as disparate as Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Frida Giannini of Gucci and Dries Van Noten embrace pan-african influences. It doesn t matter who you are or where you re from. People are incorporating bits and pieces into their wardrobes and their lives. ( For designers, Africa Is the In Continent by Ruth La Perla, The New York Times, January 18, 2010) We can t speak about trends anymore; we can t say: next year we shall dress in pink or yellow, we will wear long skirts or mini-dresses, we must buy this or that. Because the proposals we have seen on catwalk shows are contradictory.

2 What determines the styles offered by different designers and brands depends on their market, to whom they address their collections. The way of dressing always depends on lifestyle, which is very different for different countries and social classes. Economical and moral depression in Western Europe determines understatement, nostalgy about the past, research of durable materials and values, sober colours. New Oriental markets, such as BRICS countries: Brazile, Russia, India, China and South Africa, prefer showing off fashion, bright colours, big decorations, rich materials. Womenswear Bizantine opulence versus Hospital look Tom Ford, the maximalist: big fat embroidery even on boots, fur patchwork, bright colours. Crosscultural/multiethnic, Mr. Ford explaned the Chinese embroidered coats and lashings of decoration. I m so bored with minimalism, said Mr. Ford. His collection is addressed to the global universe where women have no interest in plain clothes and long to look dressed up and glamorous as witness the excited Russian clients. For those who want a fashion glam-glam, Mr. Ford is their man. (Suzy Menkes on NYT, February 19, 2013)...at the end, Tom Ford was a victim of his own success. By the end of next year, he l have more than 100 stores around the world. You simply can t stimulate that size of audience with the intimate, uber-controlled presentations... You need Flash! Bang! Wallop! (Tim Blanks, February 18, 2013, London, Another theme was an ecclesiastical wardrobe (McQueen). The high church, nuns, popes, angels, Virgin Queen. Calvinist culture, sensual but severe at the same time, Ms. Chiuri from Valentino said about ecclesiastical feel of collection inspired by Dutch Masters. Rich decoration opposite to plain fabrics The opposite to it was so called Hospital look presented also in London: plain fabrics, garbage bags used for pants (J. W. Anderson). The statement of intent on his program notes was:... achieve hyper normality... the new normal... how to glorify dullness through a stringent exercise of shapes. The current generation of It girls want simple, unpretentious clothes: sports-wear with a sense of fun. Sportswear or Romanticism Slender shapes, clean lines, sophisticated sportswear silhouettes in New-York: You ve got to be an athlete to manage in this city today, says Mr. Michael Kors, referring to Hurricane Sandy in late October. Sleek austerity : leather, American look, graphic silhouette, camouflage. No mermaid anymore, Mr. Michael Kors said. New Romanticism : every critical time in our history has seen the return to the past styles. Long, slim, covered-up dresses with long sleeves. War-time style, Anna Karenina s long coats, big skirts and narrow waist, not to expose too much flesh. Embroidery, lace, crafts, handmade. It is Repressed romanticism, as Mrs Prada said, I started with a romantic idea, but I censured it. It is not a time for romantic dreaming. The women in Milan were between melancholic and aggressive, dark, punk, with metal studs and pins, masculine fabrics, strong shoulders of jackets and coats and big boots. Global market style from Chanel represented by a gigantic globe with red flags showing the house s international distribution. It is the kind of fashion you can wear all over the world, said Mr. Lagerfeld. The show was all about fabrics. Fabrics and handworks. A big variety of textures, especially in Milan: herryngbone tweed, prince of Wales checks, dogtooth-check; heat-bonded and overprinted to create three-dimensional texture changing with the light. Revivals: 1950s, 1960s, 1980s. Volumes: big volumes in contrast with slim silhouette, big fur coats in contrast with slender tight fitting dress Trousers: slim fit Fabrics: because of linear cut and wearable shapes of outfits the fabrics play the main role 2

3 3 Animal prints Digital prints: less important than in summer collections A lot of fur: foxes, shaved mink, goat, breitschwanz, astrakan, printed fur, patchwork of fur Leather, shearling No seasons: because of modern lifestyle with travelling across different continents Gender bending and androgyny: trousers suit, masculine fabrics, pinstripe, tweed. Silhouettes: slim pencil silhouette or big volumes, squared shoulders. Colours: dark mysterious colours, typical for the crisis mood, total black, black and white, grey, beige, powder, with some red and purple. Shoes: flat or high thick heels, platform sole, heavy boots with chains, lace tights. Menswear Classic three pieces grey suit: jacket, vest, trousers, versus extravagance (from British and Japanese designers) Comme des garçons thinks about adolescence, sexual confusion, innocence, uniform of urban youth. Costume National: rebels from the 60s; no neckties; angry young man, David Bowie felt Fedora hat and skinny Jagger pants. Dolce & Gabbana: it s about their unique style, not fashion: real people, not models Unisex tunics, skirts for man Classic coat, similar to military cut, parka, duffle coat, trench coat Volumes: slim or big volumes, V-silhouette Fabrics: high quality wool fabrics, grey flannel or technological man-made fabrics A lot of fur, shearling, duvet Animal prints, printed big patterns (Versace), camouflage Checks, tartan Colours: a lot of grey, black, dark red, burgundy, purple, blue Leather coats, jackets, bombers Trousers: short, showing ankles, slim, with ironed pleat. High waisted, with soft pleats in front Jackets: small lapels, quiet short Vest: short, under the jacket More daywear and few evening wear, which means people are not going out night time as often as before. Shoes: heavy, big sole, ankle-boots, loafers, moonboots, metal studs, sneakers. Knitwear: strong colours, graphics, geometrical patterns Bags: backpack is back. Conclusion: Quality is better then quantity (Vivienne Westwood)

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5 MilanoUnica Fair: Spring-Summer 2014 Directions: 5 Be Bold! HIGHLIGHT, MAXIMIZE, ENHANCE Transformation of matter LUXURY-GLAM and ENERGY-FUN Creative indications COLOURS Chromatic synthesis of 26 colours FOCUS on: - Aristocratic Haute Couture materials - Openwork, mesh, lace, crochet, cutout - Think big motifs in large dimensions - Extra value of handcrafted items - Accessories as creative reinforcements

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