Respawn of Fashion

 

It's been a minute.... Why?

Because, the last decade hasn't been 'that' inspiring as fashion became mainstream fighting for the views, likes and fast sales. It has became hectic, sad, boring, disappointing and even cheap. As I write this, I wonder. 

Do people even read anymore? 

Is 37 words too much writing without any engaging images? Let's treat this as another article lost in overwhelming amount of information. But if you are here,  lets catch up!

(Dior)

Why come back after a decade? Well, it seems that fashion, music and even movies are taking 2026 as a road down the memory lane and a major nostalgic moment for the millennials. Coming out of Devil Wears Prada 2 there was a happy/sad feeling. Very happy to see how the movie highlighted that modernity and technological progress are attempting to overtake human creativity and how sad the world will be if we let it happen. Right on the key of latest MET drama, when public realised that Jeff Bezos sponsored it and in turn sucked all the soul out of it.. The sad feeling came from missing the wonders of the fashion industry. I've been tucked away in tropical paradise where mangos are sold by the boxes, but unfortunatley fashion is made out of polyester. So no wonder I was uninspired! 

Let's consider what a fashion 'Bible' meant a decade ago. The heavy, glossy, perfume-filled issue of Vogue came out monthly and it was the main source of inspiration for the self proclaimed fashionistas. The beauty of the physical world meant that after obsessing over the beauty hidden within those glossy pages, each person was able to play around with their wardrobe to get closer to the looks which were proudly presented to the general public (as a law student I was definitely a dreamer those days, so lets leave the rich & wealthy to another story). So what did we do? We hunted!!! There were no 30sec reels that had links to the dupes of the latest YSL bomber or Dior heels.  There was a magical sense of playfulness when as our individual styles were created. 

(YSL, Nike, Chanel, Mango, Dior, Zara)

How glorious was that! This personal creation and imagination allowed designers like Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen to become so important in fashion history. Why? Because people who loved fashion didn't strive to look the same. Individuality has morphed into brand and aesthetic types. Remember the autumn time (around 2007) when there was a bunch of beach-wave girls wearing those suede over the knee boots, with jeans and a those wide-brim hats? Then it was the black leggings and leather jacket, and now it's the wide jeans and white top that feels like a glitch in the Matrix. 

From 12 Vogue issues to 8 doesn't seem like a drastic change. Until you consider that Vogue releases articles and posts, on daily bases on multiple platforms in 28 countires. Fashion houses now have 'drops' apart from their seasonal collections. The PR works wonders and those new colourful LVs from Pharrell as creative director do look yummy. The customers have also evolved. Instead of saving up, there is now an option to try and become viral, so the free time which was spent on literature... and life are now filled by scrawling, filming and editing. Considering the amount of budget allocated for gifts to influencers, no wonder the prices have gone up!

Is there HOPE for Fashion? Defiantly!

 When growing up, I saw the fashion evolving, growing, taking risks. In the past few years I am seeing a major boom in the 'archival looks'. You would think that with soooo many options and new designers, celebrities  and their stylists would choose the 'fresh fits'. Consider, why archival Galliano or Gautier or McQueen are so hot right now? Because fashion was art rather than a retail machine. It was expensive, but not to the point where I kick myself for not investing in Chanel 10 years ago. Therefore 'vintage' isn't only a fairly obtainable option (not for special peaces of course), but it is also a sound choice when it comes to quality. The LV speedy 10 years ago is still going strong, the new ones... At least my fashion hoarding is being rewarded as majority of uni outfits are so IT again!

It is no coincidence that Devil Wears Prada 2 relied on archaical looks a lot more than tin he first film. The big fashion houses are finally noticing that quiet luxury and timeless peaces are more important than being covered in logos from head to toe. There has been a lot of traffic in the positions of creative directors for Gucci, Dior, Fendi, Bottega Veneta and even Chanel. Cannot resist but share the latest highlights from those changes in Chanel and Dior.

(Schiaparelli, Dior, Fendi, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gabriela Hearst, Loewe, Bottega Venetta) 

The head-to-toe branding will not disappear as it is too lucrative. However I am looking forward to elegant, timeless as well playful fashion that has finally decided that we need something to cherish. The feeling of falling in love with a coat or a dress or a bag and refashioning (up-cycling) it, is a lot more fulfilling, compared to the disposable dressing of 'looks' that require the constant and wasteful rotation of fast fashion. 

(Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Dior)

So fall in love, splurge, use and re-use that item, because playing with looks to include that special peace is what fashion is about.