FASHION GOT THE PARTY STARTED
LOOK BACK IN HISTORY and you’ll see that, often, the darkest and most uncertain political times trigger a surge in creativity. As election campaigns battled on and terrorism fears grew in the West, the fashion industry responded with optimism, colour and fun.
As the press gathered to see the S/S ’17 shows, the mood was different somehow – celebratory, in spite of everything. It started in New York – 15 years on from the 9/11 Twin Towers attacks – where Rufus Wainwright sang in the models at Michael Kors, willing everyone to ‘forget your troubles, come on, get happy’. In a London still reeling from the Brexit vote, street-cast models in fluoro princess dresses started a rave at one end of Molly Goddard’s catwalk, while Henry Holland marked 10 years in the business with a marching pack of cool girls in updated versions of the cheeky slogan tees that first launched his career.
The party spirit had spread to even that most established of fashion cities, Milan, where Dolce & Gabbana’s show began with a troupe of back-flipping street dancers and ended with a scrum of grinning, bopping supermodels. And in Paris? Less than a year after a series of terrorist attacks shook the city to its core, fashion’s fighting spirit was strong. Stella Mccartney’s laughing, dancing models raised a middle finger to those who would threaten this vibrant cultural centre. It’s been a tough year, yes – but in the world of fashion, you can always find a reason to smile. Or even better, dance.