Fashion fantasy of a woman in the rain
PARIS: Fashion designers love the rain. It’s romantic and mysterious and makes them swoon. They love the idea of a woman caught in the rain, perhaps while walking through a noir cityscape or a tangled country garden.
The woman in their head is wearing spectacular clothes impervious to rain. In fact, she is wearing clothes that somehow look better after they’ve taken a beating in the elements. Her hair is sopping wet. And this is good.
The idea of dressing in a way that is so effortless – connected to the environment, expressing the beauty of imperfection – is intoxicating. That was the idea behind Sarah Burton’s spring 2018 collection for Alexander McQueen seen at Paris Fashion Week this week. She situated her models in an English garden, creating a runway of ceramic bricks and adorned with floral canopies draped over rustic gazebos. And she made them look as if they’d been caught in a downpour.
Her models walked out dressed in memories and history. An embroidered ivory dress, fit for a bride, was draped over a pair of black trousers; black and white blazers are tailored for a business day; corseted party dresses exploded with ruffles.
The collection mixed precious dresses with nubby sweaters. Everything looking a little tattered, a little off, but still beautiful, with the craftsmanship presumably never fading. They are the kind of clothes that exist in their own universe instead of being attached to a trend or a whim.
They are not disposable. A little rain won’t hurt them, it will only make them better.