see now, love now
Is fashion finding a balance between art and commerce? Tradition, meet tech
Tradition meets tech, as the digital world makes its mark on fashion.
The digital revolution has a lot to answer for, at least in regards to its impact on fashion: livestreamed shows, virtual-reality presentations, see-now-buy-now (now, NOW) collections available online the split second they step onto the runway. And that’s before we drill down to the technical advancements made in fabric and construction (3D-printed Prada, anyone?).
Somewhere along the way, though, it’s possible the focus shifted off the clothes while we were busy readjusting our Google Glass. But there’s a guard of designers who aren’t about to let bits and bytes overshadow heart and soul. Early this year, John Galliano showed there’s still a case for the craft of clothing design with his second spring collection for Maison Margiela’s couture line Artisanal. Returning from fashion exile after his public, smart phone-documented meltdown, the creative director known to still scour the Paris flea markets used collage to develop a collection marked by raw swathes of pieced-together fabric. Elsewhere in Paris, man-of-themoment Demna Gvasalia fashioned grandma’s rose-printed plastic tablecloths into aprons at Vetements, Isabel Marant stayed true to her bohemian roots, referencing the colourful textiles of Rajasthan, and Valentino looked to Africa.
But don’t think for a minute these creatives aren’t moving with the times. Whereas Galliano was once inspired by the great couturiers, now he looks to “normal, casual clothes”. Sitting with his assistant, he digitally toys with colour variations. For last year’s show makeup, he drew inspiration from a printer glitch.
It’s a heartening thought that there’s still a place for the lovers and the dreamers in an increasingly high-tech world. But the best of this season’s fashion combines the spirit of both. And if that means rich texture, opulent embellishment and boho tassels served up alongside laser-cut tailoring, nanofabrics and VR headsets, then sign us up.