FLAWLESS
article / The Evolution of Fashion
88
The Evolution of fashion Dana Malaescu
When Coco Chanel said “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening” – she was foreseeing and emphasizing the very role fashion has had throughout time. Only a limited mind would suffice on the shallow appearance and label, fashion has to the less connoisseurs. Inspired by a rich and troubled past or inspiring social and cultural movements, fashion has never left the spotlight. Designers have always given us the best of their talents by looking not only into their souls but also into the legacy a past always comes with, if one seeks inspiration in it. The outcome could be infinite in terms of art and cultural movements, as it has proved so over time.
This exact 1950’s style, brilliantly depicted in today’s Mad Men series, has been a fan of inspiration for the 21st century fashion designers and big retailers. Remember Banana Republic’s last year’s Mad Man inspired collection? Are designers’ at a loss of inspiration and giving meaning to the adage “nothing is new but all is a cycle of trends and fads”?
For over 69 years art meets beauty, talent, hard work and glamour at Fashion Weeks. Having its debut in New York 1943, the 1st Fashion Week, called “Press Week” by Eleanor Lambert, was a response to the troubled and disastrous consequences of World War II in France. The success was immediate with Vogue turning attention to all designers not just from Paris, the rest being history as they say...
And it all goes on with the 1960’s hippy, rebellious, optimistic attitudes, the flower power and the street styles that were taking over and influencing the catwalks. It was new, fresh and reversed. It was the era of bright colours, psychedelic patterns, fresh innocent looks and plastic jewellery! Times were changing and people had a voice. They had role models. Joan Baez was the American folk singer that young people related to. Twiggy was the skinny model whose iconic look still inspires. History was being made right under our noses. The end of the decade had the Woodstock festival and a feeling of liberation and revolt. Nothing was shocking enough, nothing was censored. It was the Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll era, continued in the 1970’s with a triumph of bad taste. People no longer wanted to be just optimistic and smile high on flower power rhythms, they wanted to fight, to rebel, to stand out and make a difference. The 1970’s gave us a fresh Vivienne Westwood, the mother of punk. It gave us David Bowie who proved that unisex fashion did not mean only women could look like men, but men could were makeup and glitter all the way. Everything was allowed because the best taste was bad taste.
The truth is, fashion has always been a true mirror of its time, and in all honesty, if we were to peel off today’s eccentricities or glamour (which too have a social and cultural reason for existing) we’d find ourselves at the core of this art that adorns and soothes the eyes and body. We would also, quite pleasantly discover that throughout time fashion has been the result of history. The 1929 stock market crash had its consequences on fashion and instead of creating demure, poor styles it did the exact opposite. Women wanted to shine and look glamorous, so fashion was a simple luxury with clear silk cuts and functionality. After all... the 1930’s were spent dancing away the harsh times. Hollywood showed bare backs, cleavage, fur, pearls, legs… you name it. In this time of Crazy versus Function, Coco Chanel found inspiration in her lovers’ closets and liberated women, proving it was OK to wear male trousers, men’s blazers or even jumpers from your lover’s wardrobe. The era of bright colours, psychedelic patterns, fresh innocent looks and plastic jewellery! Times were changing and people had a voice. The 1950’s trend of showing off your modern household acquisitions, was very much reflected in a woman’s style. It was her duty to look modern and beautiful. Colour coordinated outfits, in place hair, fine cuts, jewellery, lipstick, nail polish, wool jackets, knitted skirts and chiffon dresses were all paired with the very dramatic and fashionable cigarette, and of course a husband who took pride in his well kept wife and modern house.
And it all goes on with the 1960’s hippy, rebellious, optimistic attitudes, the flower power and the street styles that were taking over and influencing the catwalks. It was new, fresh and reversed. It was the era of bright colours, psychedelic patterns, fresh innocent looks and plastic jewellery! Times were changing and people had a voice.
Time has marked designers’ styles, and, though we might crave for some history being made as we speak, it is probably the very repeating and reinvented quality that our times have, that is at the very core of today’s fashion. Much like Alexander McQueen once said: “It’s a new era in fashion, there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels and up-an-coming designers all together”. Just look at Fashion Week street styles, models, buyers, celebrities, bloggers, journalists and editors, they are all a fabulous chaos of all that was ever created, crazy and brand new. Plastic goes with gold, dresses go over trousers, ripped jeans 100 years old are perfectly paired with Prabal Gurung’s utterly expensive tops. Boots that pay a month’s rent are worn in summer and expensive sandals are donned in blistering cold. Fur, cellophane, denim, silk, plastic jewellery or diamonds are all in, and layered if possible.