GO BAROQUE
THIS SEASON WITH JACQUARDS, VELVETS, GOLD AND EMBROIDERY.
n ow is the time to shine like a rare pearl.
All things baroque — the name derives from the Portuguese word barroco for irregular pearls — are taking centre stage this festive season.
Among the adjectives for the style: sumptuous, extravagant and ornate, but also strange, complex and dramatic.
And that’s just what fashion is serving up for the holidays, a chiaroscuro celebration of brocades, jacquards, velvets, embroidery, beading and florid patterns, with gold the metallic of choice. On the runways, Exhibit A would be Dolce & Gabbana’s extravagant gold embroidered capes, inspired by Sicilian religious imagery. Then there were Lanvin’s exaggerated jewels in ornate settings and Balmain’s extraordinary pearl-beaded ensembles. On the red carpet, Jessica Chastain went regal in
a gold-embroidered Alexander McQueen gown fit for a 17thcentury queen, albeit strapless. And in the shops, brocade pants, gold lace and lavish embellishment abound. Dynamite made a statement with its tapestry-patterned sequin dress. And for the strange and dramatic, look no further than those extreme platform shoes. Or Prada’s decadently decorated eyeglasses, followed by Italian rococo queen Anna dello Russo for H&M.
The term baroque was coined in the 19th century to refer to art of the 17th century, said Angela Vanhaelen, a professor of art history at McGill University whose specialty is 17th-century Dutch art. But neobaroque is one of those styles that never goes away, she says. “There is always an interest.”
What we see in fashion today is a modern makeover of 17th-century designs, suggests Thierry Loriot, curator of the Jean Paul Gaultier show, which premiered at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and is now touring the world. (With more than 700,000 visitors so far, it is the most viewed fashion exhibition ever, he said.)
Sometimes, it’s just a detail that recalls the style. Stella McCartney, he pointed out, embossed a tapestry-inspired pattern on a white neoprene skirt.
It’s normal for fashion to refer to artistic styles from centuries earlier, Loriot said.
Gaultier reinterpreted paintings by the Flemish master Breughel for his Virgins haute couture collection of 2007, while Carven this season replicated details of the Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch.
The interest in the baroque period was in anything that was strange or bizarre, Vanhaelen said.
“The most prized things were the most unusual,’’ she said, noting this was when the Dutch discovered the allure of the tulip, originally from Turkey, and were particularly entranced by the irregular flame-tipped variety.
“They thought about it in terms of nature being playful — these being the jokes of God,’’ she said.
“It might be a bit like today. There’s always that desire in terms of fashion of wanting something different.”
In the 17th century, people were interested in the notion of identity as a work of art, Vanhaelen continued. “You see yourself as something that is fashioned. Especially in court, you’re always playing a role, always wearing a mask, presenting yourself in a certain way to look witty, graceful and educated.’’
The baroque style is also very connected to religion, Vanhaelen added, noting the ornate interiors of churches like St. Peter’s in Rome.
After the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church deployed this style to astound people, she explained. “You go into these gold interiors and have a vision of heaven.
“It is supposed to really move the viewer on that emotional level — you are overwhelmed. Part of the aim is to convert people.’’
Baroque is often contrasted to classical style, which is all about harmony, balance and rules. “The baroque tends to break the rules so it is something more exuberant and playful.’’
Think of Caravaggio’s raking, dramatic light to highlight faces and hands, with the rest of the canvas in dark shadows, or the stark contrasts by Rembrandt. “Classical art would be more evenly lit and balanced,’’ Vanhaelen said.
Among other aspects of baroque style are the open form, with drapery, billowing folds and movement so things look dynamic rather than static. And using the most expensive materials to create something spectacular or awesome is designed to transform people, too, Vanhaelen added.
Today’s lavish styles, with their stunning embroidery and craftsmanship, come from the tradition of couture, where everything is handmade, a piece of art, Loriot said. And haute couture is thriving, he added, because of fortunes being made in emerging markets like China and India.
Yet those pieces, whether from couture or the more expensive ready-to-wear lines, with prices to make you faint, are copied virtually intact by retailers like Zara, he said.
“It’s a question of social status. Couture (is) about being exclusive, about wearing something unique. That’s why you see it on the red carpet,’’ Loriot said.
“Everyone wants to look like the rich and famous. Fashion is created to dream, it’s about your image. Everybody wants to look like a star.”