R
ick Owens was looking for a way to ‘think in broader terms’ for his Spring/Summer collection. The solution? Put on an unanticipated avant-garde showmanship featuring African-American Step dance teams, with the 40 plus-size dancers replacing models. It was a provocative statement that killed two birds with one stone: race and size, the two issues that continue to plague the fashion industry today. The timing couldn’t have been better as the show fell right into the hands of the Diversity Coalition led by Bethann Hardison, Naomi Campbell, and Chanel Iman. The show was a visceral production with the geyser of energy palpable as the dancers stomped and clapped with ‘grit faces’ on; a mean scowl intrinsic to Step dance to intimidate the opposing team. The clothes in the collection proved to be functional as they accommodated the heavy choreography, and remained faithful to Rick’s aesthetics and colour palette. It wasn’t a surprise then to see ubiquitous short videos peppered on Instagram documented from the front row, or witness the debate about how authentic his message of inclusion is, via Twitter, with rare mentions or appraisal of the core products. What about the clothes? Is performing arts in fashion displacing attention away from the clothes? It is all becoming a circus?
from left to right: Rick Owens Spring/Summer 2014 show; Christian Dior Spring 2007, Alexander McQueen Fall 2009 show