JIVE TALKIN’: Something beautiful is happening in fashion this season and it all has to do with movement.
JIVE TALKIN’: Something beautiful is happening in fashion this season and it all has to do with movement.
While sitting at the Paris shows in March, thinking about what I wanted the magazine to say about the upcoming trends, it occurred to me that perhaps I wanted to say something deeper: Is fashion a socioeconomic reflection of pop culture and the “drag” we dress ourselves in every single day?
The glitter and sparkle (read: Gucci and Alexander McQueen) trailing across the red carpet, to me, became more than embellishment and fine handiwork—it reflected positivity, happiness and a certain party spirit.
Skirts that fly (Stella McCartney) and flow (Hermès) reminded me of the graceful movements women made as they hailed a cab, or glided up grand staircases—where all you saw were folds of expensive fabric softly gathered around their ankles.
Dresses that flutter as a gust of wind picks up the gentle silk pleats (Bottega Veneta and Marc Jacobs) are reflected by ladies who stroll hand-in-hand with their lovers across the bridges that traversed the Left and Right Bank in Paris—creating their own Marilyn Monroe moment, so to speak.
This fall/winter, women can feel carefree and confident in clothes that give their body freedom. In a season of intense change, with many creative directors playing musical chairs, the one constant for fall was the idea of fluidity and flow. Valentino did that best with a lyrical collection that was one part dancer-off-duty and one part forest nymph.
It was all in neutrals and earth tones, so everything felt very organic and free from ostentation.It took great confidence on the part of Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri to just give customers what they want to wear, season after season—no tricks or gimmicks. At first glance, it felt like a Black Swan moment...
Crossed with the 1937 musical extravaganza, Shall We Dance?, starring Fred Astaire as a ballet dancer who falls for Ginger Rogers, a tap dancer. But stylistically speaking, perhaps the Valentino duo took reference from the 1948 movie The Red Shoes. Soft layers of tulle in nude paired with ballet flats looked eccentric in the movie then.
But today, add in the glitz and glamour from the ’30s and meld it with the darker energy of Black Swan, and Valentino’s collection immediately becomes modern and contemporary—reflective of modern dance as we see today. Movies have such a huge impact on dance and how we view fashion today.
Countless dance movies have spawned seismic changes and waves in fashion because they harness the spirit of youth, of street culture, and of music, translating all of that into a sartorial equation.
Who can forget the enduring spirit of Jennifer Beals in Flashdance in 1983— her sweats, cut off at the neck and sleeves, so it hung sensually off one shoulder? Fast forward 33 years, her tough beaten boots and high-waisted jeans worn with a bodysuit, or cropped tee, have become the off-duty model uniform of social phenoms Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin.
Just check your Instagram feed. Or, how about all the Varsity jackets that hang off every mannequin in the windows of Gucci (made to order), Louis Vuitton (men’s) and Coach 1941, even at the fast fashion giants, Zara, Topshop and H&M? Could the designers there have collectively watched Bring It On, Westside Story and Grease?
These dance films lit so many teenage hearts and eyes from Australia to Alaska. Everyone wanted a cool Varsity jacket then—and after you watch those films again, you could well be tempted to make a quick trip to the mall to revisit your collegiate days.
Perhaps Miuccia Prada was watching Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 iconic first hit movie Strictly Ballroom for the corsetry, flamenco and Baroque references for her own hit fall/winter 2016 collection. She tied in all her fall offerings with ’90s ballroom razzmatazz, brocade overload and tons of glitter and shine.
Of course, we hear of Christophe Chemin’s artful collaboration as a source of painterly inspiration, but I can’t help but wonder if a little Aussie flash tipped the scales in the mad and wonderful world of Prada? Movie magic, fashion frivolity and dance dramas make the most lyrical combination this fall.
If all it takes is a pair of ballet flats to turn you to Twinkle Toes, head to Repetto for a little Tinseltown stardust on your feet—if anything, they will help you glide that much smoother across the floor. Call it your killer move.
