Vive la Mode - Notes from the catwalk
If this isn’t the first edition of this newsletter you’ve received or read, you might be wondering how we went from “Inside the Bubble” to “Vive la Mode”… The question is relatively simple. Thanks to Fashion, and more precisely to Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, social media algorithms and the networks themselves have become a more welcoming and inspiring place than they were before. At least, that is my firm perception.
As we have seen before, we all live with imposter syndrome, even Marc Jacobs… Lately, mine has been tormenting me with the possibility that in this space I am giving too many personal perspectives…
Still, there is something I learned this week, attending a lecture at a high school for Visual Arts students. You can start from your own perspective and experience, keeping in mind that this does not turn into an ego trip. Having the “I” as a starting point and being careful to give the “other” something that adds to its metaphorical lexicon. Our humanity is what ensures that we do not fear AI and that with critical spirit and emotion, humans will be human, and they need Fashion, to dress their body and soul.
Fashion and the politics of wealth
From Dana Thomas to Amy Odell, Schiaparelli's proposals are seen as perpetuating the "torture" of male designers towards the female body... But let's be clear, Elsa Schiaparelli was not exactly the designer in the history of fashion known for working towards female comfort.
On the other hand, Haute Couture is not exactly designed and conceived for the end consumer, but to create advertising and promotion for the brand.
They compete for the money of very few and the attention of many, or practically all of us.
I am no less a feminist for admiring Roseberry's corsets, stays and structures. For me, the threat is not there, it is in all the women who use their vote freely to risk the rights that women already have.
Combining Amy Odell's opinion with the information from the Daily Mirror, Chanel could be appealing to the rich girls at Mar-a-Lago... Well, if society put us here, the brands make money from it. And they don't create enough enthusiasm to drown out the Trumpist talk.
Alessaandro Michele reportedly went to the Valentino archives for his first Haute Couture collection. Some people say critically that Michele was inspired by the Elizabethan era and that the collection gives the idea of costumes and not Haute Couture. Well, in the case of the first premise Elizabeth I of England facing the society of the time, and in some way feminist. Secondly, the designer stated that he was not a couturier and had always had a great interest in costume design.
I believe that at the same time Fashion places a mirror in front of us. Is that where you come from? Is this what you want to be?
Money hasn't changed sides, the values of those who have it have been legitimized. And for these people, they don't need storytelling to buy. Flaccavento is right, all you need to do is show off your wealth.
Jacquemus brings Haute Couture, and all the references from its golden era in the post-war period, in 1947 with the creation of The New Lool until the Space Age of the 60s. Simon offered a masterclass on how to be inspired by Fashion itself, keeping the identity of the brand for which it is created very present. At the same time, it adds a touch of humor, which can be interpreted as a social critique of a world going bananas with banana prints.
I already know what you're thinking, I seem to be contradictory. If I can criticize certain directions, I can also consider that it is saving us and giving us the dopamine we need so much. We must try to balance the understanding of Fashion with its growing dimension of entertainment and its technical component and know-how that gives it shape, such as modeling, draping, textile manipulation, crafts and sewing itself.
Building what walks the catwalk
I don't know if it's a designer's flaw, but I've always been fascinated by the process that leads to what goes down the runway, like the video shared by Simon Portes de Jacquemus on Instagram of the fit of look 7. It's worth adding to everything that's already been done. As was said about Jacquemus, it is important to remember and refer to the excellent modeling of the chosen materials.
In Schiaparelli, it is necessary to glimpse that all the splendor presented has behind it an entire process that only human beings can create: the application of rhinestones in embroidery, the exaggerated layers of ruffles, the corsets (which you have to look at and see that, in fact, many of them are presented “falling”).
Yes, Dior introduced crinolines, crinolines with stunning textile craft applications. Yes, a feminist can enjoy working crinolines, not wanting to take away women's power, but to confront us with the ones she doesn't yet have. And taking inspiration from childhood universes, won't it be through the creation of beauty that we confront so many caged childhoods?
Copenhagen -Notes on independence
Design in its purest form, for me, is about independence. And this independence was glimpsed in Copenhagen in those days.
However, algorithms and insiders favor the French capital… Something that is also enhanced by the overlapping calendars. Haute Couture week in Paris took place between January 27th and 30th. Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, the shows took place from January 27th to 31st.
While most of the names that present their ideas in the historic Gallic city are widely renowned, this is not the case in the Danish capital. It is important, even if we do not focus on each collection, to mention all the brands and designers present.
This calendar was composed by: ÓperaSport; Forza Collective; Birrot; Binnotje; Alectra Rothschild; Masculina; Stel; A. Roege Hove; Nicklas Skovgaard; Stamm; Deadwood; Won Hundred; 66º North; Rolf Ekroth; Alis; Aiayu; Herskind; The Garment; Skall Studio; Karmo; MKDT Studio; Henrik Vibskov; Caro Editions; Bemer Kühl; Baum und Pferdgarten; TG Botanical; Munthe; Filippa K; Marimekko; Fine Chaos; Gestuz; Han Kjøbenhavn Rotate and Stine Goya.
Being independent from those who see and write about fashion often forces us to see the collections through screens, and this study format often comes with glimpses of the words of those who attended the fashion shows in person. In this case, they are Emily Chan and Lair Borrelli Persson, both correspondents for the Vogue app.
In the Danish capital, neutral tones contrasted with bright colors and several touches of bubblegum pink. It's proof that famous models in the days of social media don't just orbit around Haute Couture, Lindsey Wixson opening the ÓperaSport show.
Neutral tones were complimented by textures, textile manipulation and brushed mohair at The Garment, Binnotje and A. Roege Hove. In the latter, the styling will have helped to make the collection more sustainable, with a considerable number of looks with few pieces per look. Neutral tones and black were combined with streetwear with a grunge energy and several hints of Kurt Cobain.
Nicklas Skovgaard brought a chromatic vibe to neutral tones and black, the blue practically Klein, the bubblegum tone, with hints of almost kitsch that were very exciting. Although colorful and eagerly energetic, the Caro Editions collection creates an internal conflict in me in terms of perception, not whether I feel more attracted to the whole that is presented to us or to what the models are wearing.
Stine Goya makes us question the limits of the garment and its extension to the dressed body and its relationship with nature.
The aforementioned Fashion correspondents (when so much is said about War correspondents) remind us of intangible values that make our ideology (not just industry) beautiful. As for Borrelli Persson, the youthful spirit in the system must be contagious, like the one he recognizes in Nicklas Skovgaard. As well as the fact that Fashion must speak to everyone and in different places, in a broad spectrum, as the decentralization of Stine Goya's presentation reminded him. Emily Chan was moved at the Rolf Ekroth show when she was reminded of the resilience needed to be an independent designer and that it is necessary to weigh up all the difficulties, these are the professionals who most love the work they do.
If I had feedback from both my Portuguese teacher and my English teacher from high school on these essays, they would both say that I don't have a good structure in advance for these texts and that's why they never have a proper conclusion.
In fact, I've always hated conclusions, which is why I don't make them. So, the non-conclusion of this week is the following: never stop believing in the power of Fashion. Fashion never surrenders.
Hi Vera, which city do you reside in? The crinoline and concept of corset in a modern society is playful and fun... so much to explore , especially with new 3d printing technology and new textile shaping materials.