A very modern tribute to millennials’ princess
EARLIER this year, the Duke of Cambridge revealed that his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, had once arranged for the supermodels Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell to surprise him when he got home from school one day. Last night at Paris Fashion Week, and more than two decades on, Campbell was back with another Diana-related surprise as she closed Off-white’s modern tribute to the Princess. Off-white was started by Virgil Abloh, the American designer and DJ known for creating cult, luxury streetwear for the social media generation. So, you may ask, why would he choose to celebrate the Princess in his latest collection? The 20th anniversary of Diana’s death has thrown the millennial generation’s obsession with her as a style icon into sharp focus. Cleverly, the show – entitled Natural Woman – was not a straightforward rehash of Diana’s most iconic looks, nor an imagining of what she would wear today.
Instead, Abloh took some of her most recognisable visual signatures – sharp blazers, cycling shorts and mismatched gloves – and blended them together into new, sleeker silhouettes.
One of the most playful moments was when pastel-hued skirts suits were worn with sports socks and trainers while the models carried matching heels, combining Diana’s Versace and Chanel “public engagement” wardrobe with her off-duty gym look.
Clutch bags in the shape of People and Life magazines’ logos were a tongue in cheek reference to her complicated relationship with the media.
Off-shoulder crop tops were reminders of Diana’s infamous 1994 “revenge” dress, a pie-crust collar neckpiece was pure “Sloane Ranger deconstructed”, and a fuchsia dotted jumpsuit nodded to the day dresses made for her by Catherine Walker and Jasper Conran.
You didn’t need to know much about the Princess to love this show. But if you did, it will have made all the sweeter.