During the month of fashion shows, which finish today in Paris, there has been a lot of style news – but not much of it has been about where designers stand on hemlines or the catwalk’s prevailing wind towards knee-high boots. Instead, we have talked about pink pussy hats and slogan T-shirts, Ralph Lauren and Melania Trump, retail’s tussles with Ivanka, sexist dress codes, headscarves and the drive toward diverse model casting.
Well, of course we have. But it would be stupid not to look at the fashion content of the catwalk collections as well. Stupid is a strong word; I use it deliberately. Yes, this feels like a moment for direct action, and therefore slogan T-shirts resonate. But the fashion that happens on the catwalk – shifts in silhouette and mood and tone; opaque references and obtuse proposals about what to wear – is how fashion engages with the world around it in a more subtle sense. And fashion has more to say about the female experience than you can fit on a T-shirt.
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