WHIMSICAL ISOLATION

STYLE: MARIA VITALE, HALEY POAG & BARAKA MACHARIA WORDS: BARAKA MACHARIA PHOTO: ISAIAH JOHNS GLAM: OLIVIA SIMONE & 8 VIM MEGAN HEMSTREET

The pandemic and the consequential emotional distress has made the desire to put on an outfit or even change clothes seem pointless altogether. Whether one finds themselves wearing the same pants and T-shirt everyday or rotating seamlessly between the clothes they wore to bed or class, it might be worth resisting those instincts and getting dressed.

For the past four years, society has been able to mitigate the pervasive global and national turmoil through meaningful distractions. Going to the movies, seeing friends and throwing parties: these things which made living spontaneous are no longer options for distracting ourselves for the foreseeable future. Amidst the current pandemic’s disarray, getting dressed offers a great sense of escape from the monotony of daily life.

Fashion has always been disconnected from reality. Many of the most soughtafter fashion items are not practical but rather small tokens of status, selfexpression and aspirations. However, the magic of fashion lies in a designer’s ability to channel an abstract thought, outward inspiration and subliminal meaning into wearable work.

Throughout history, a handful of designers reference the disconnection between fashion and reality to let the minds of their audience wonder. In the 1930s, Elsa Schiaparelli founded her eponymous label in Paris. Though her name is no longer recognized within the fashion zeitgeist, throughout history, Schiaparelli is often regarded as a trailblazer who blurred the lines between art and fashion. With her designs worn by societal elites, Schiaparelli was highly connected through intellectual circles and frequently collaborated with surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Dalí’s “Lobster Telephone” inspired one of Schiaparelli’s most notable absurd and graphic works, the “Lobster” dress, a silk organza dress with a giant pink lobster printed on the side.

Elsa Schiaparelli passed away in 1973, but even after her death, her influence over the fashion industry lives on through British designer Jonathan Anderson. Known for his visionary designs, Anderson has explored several themes that disregarded conventional fashion since starting his label JW Anderson in 2008. For the designer’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection as creative director of Spanish luxury house Loewe, Anderson delivered wearable yet experimental pieces. With pheasant-printed tops and fuzzy angora sweaters worn with plastic plants and crumpled transparent trousers, the collection was informed by the theoretical idea of not making clothes. Although Anderson’s illusory approach is not unprecedented, his work is an excellent example of fashion’s capacity to transcend ordinary modes of existence.

As the world has grown to be more practical than playful, the fashion industry has followed suit. In the 1990s and early 2000s, fashion shows evoked escapist feelings through otherworldly experiences. For Dior’s Fall 2005 collection, designer John Galliano transported spectators to a dreamlike Edwardian garden. Everything from the black horse-drawn carriages to the poofy gowns were constructed to serve a purpose within the world Galliano created. It was a theater. It was escapism—creating a parallel fantasy world upon which the concerns of fashion barely affect reality.

Today, the escapism and imaginative designs of the past appear to be on a downward trend. Abstract construction has been traded for clickbait attire with outrageous price tags. Even in established houses like Dior, current creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri has positioned the house in stark contrast from her predecessors’ whimsical designs to somber and uniform-like merch. Like the world, the landscape of fashion is undoubtedly changing.

While at home, many have grown accustomed to muted hues and layered-up looks. Some days, it’s hard to get up, take a shower and change into something other than loungewear. Although fashion thrives off exclusivity, not accessibility, anyone can find inspiration from the world of fashion. Try changing things up with bright, vivid shades and eye-catching silhouettes—be it larger-than-life ruffles or slouchy tailoring. All of this can uplift the somberest of moods and let people escape from the current reality.