A few days ago at a consignment store in New York, an inconspicuous woman walked in with an oversized laundry bag full of “it” pieces for the shopkeepers to resell.
As she pulled out her treasures – a grey Balenciaga Papier tote followed by an Acne camel coat and Philip Lim’s embellished “Nueva York” T-shirt – shoppers formed a huddle around this Mary Poppins and her bag of fashionable goodies.
Just by looking at her norm core navy coat, black T-shirt and basic jeans, it was clear why was she happy to sell these pieces for a fraction of the cost (her $1,200 [Dh4,408] Stella McCartney purse was valued at $300 [Dh1,102]). Ms Poppins, like most of the fashion pack, was over her bag of trendy tricks.
Over the past 29 days, the fashion world came to a grinding halt for the four bi-annual fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris. The cities showcased a portfolio of their best fashion talents with one particular theme in common – an indifference to trend.
Unlike the explicit rules of 20th-century dressing (drop waists in the 1930s, flares in the 1970s and 1990s’ grunge), this season’s average designer was more of an anthropologist – studying the way women dress and producing garments they wanted to wear.
As the role of designers has undergone change, so has that of the consumer. Long gone are the days of “it-piece”-obsessed fashion frenzies, simply because there are now hundreds of must-have items from dozens of innovative designers.
And during fashion week, they showcased their own visions for autumn/winter 2015 with unrelated trends showing within days – if not hours, of one another: Marni’s raw, minimalist look in black, white and tan was followed by Giorgio Armani’s ethereal pieces in printed, painterly blues and bubblegum pink that same day. And within four short hours, one trend was nullified and another was born.
Observing the front row and street style over the last month, it is clear that our loyalties – and those of the designers – don’t lie with one particular trend.
The most obvious culprit is the Instagram-happy, online-fashion mania: the world wide web has a bouquet of looks to choose from and designers and consumers alike are quick to smell the roses (in all their different strains, of course).
The abundance of street style snaps has given us real people to be inspired by. As a result, cross shopping (mixing high street and designer pieces) is at an all-time high – women are done with being told what to wear by luxury labels.
As consumers become savvier, more and more designers are realising the need for quality, affordable clothing. Giambattista Valli launched his diffusion line, Giamba, last September with the idea of making it as desirable as his main collections.
Derek Lam’s 10 Crosby opened doors to its first standalone store in December. The lower-priced label owes its success to Lam’s ability to embody his eponymous label’s aesthetic without dumbing down the fashion factor – a concept that hasn’t yet sunk in for other brands.
What do we gain from having all these options? For starters, a diversity in body shape, personality and mood are taken into account, giving everyone a fair slice of the pie.
An array of hemlines, silhouettes and colour palettes are readily accessible to every whim and fancy – Raf Simons’ collection for Christian Dior alone was a benchmark of possibilities, with skirts starting at mid-thigh then working their way down to the knee and ending just above the ankles.
Delpozo’s dramatic collection was a kaleidoscope of offbeat colours: neon yellow, blush green, duck-egg blue, peach and crimson were mixed and paired to poetic effect.
If nothing else, the beautiful mash-up of trends at least leaves room for the faintest whisper of individuality.
The artists behind the clothes are also freed from the constraints of fashion norms. Take Riccardo Tisci’s vision at Givenchy. Tisci’s Victorian-meets-chola girl might not be what Hubert de Givenchy had in mind while dressing Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s, but the label’s incredible success might stem from just that.
Despite the benefits for the shoppers, the internet is both a designer’s friend and enemy. Within months, or even weeks, the latest fashion blogger/model/it-girl and bag/shoe/coat is replaced with a newer, cooler version. Similarly, our shopping choices need constant resurrection.
Some designers have already taken this on board. Following the online success of Moschino’s McDonald’s theme last year, designer Jeremy Scott capitalised on the label’s autumn/winter runway show by offering next season’s teddy-bear print jumpers, shoes, bags and dresses immediately on their website.
Ultimately, the fashion industry as we know it has transformed and will continue to do so much to the delight of its growing, diverse following. It’s a post-apocalyptic world for conventional trends and the results are magnificent.
artslife@thenational.ae