Fashion and wine good fit
Lovane surprises at wine festival
Ever contemplated the possible connection between fashion and wine, or any other luxury drink, for that matter? Well, psychologists say there is a definite connection between wine and fashion, and more.
At the core, both wine and fashion are simply about aesthetics, meaning they are about beauty and appreciation of beauty itself. And both are similarly rich in colour, often attracting descriptive responses such as voluptuous, funky, bold, complex and elegant. Again, they have the capacity to induce self-confidence and lift the mood of either the drinker or the fashion wearer.
Since fashion is essentially a statement by the wearer about themselves or their mood, so does the choice of wine project the fashion style of the imbiber. Thus, judging by the clothes one wears, what one drinks is no longer a myth, according to psychologists across the world.
Asked by Wine Enthusiast magazine what wine suited his style, Giorgio Armani replied that it was Barolo, considered the king of Italian wines – all because his clothes give “a sense of charm, elegance and subtle seduction, all of which are the hallmarks of a finely crafted and well-aged Barolo”.
But it was Japanese designer Junya Watanabe who surprised with her answer, Pinotage, thus holding the South African flag aloft on the international stage by choosing our indigenous grape.
“Often polarising, Pinotage is both adored and questioned by wine drinkers. The same can be said of the designs of Junya Watanabe, whose avantgarde creations often look as though they sprung from an architect’s studio rather than a fashion atelier,” Wine Enthusiast said.
The Tops at Spar Wine Show that trumpets the association between wine and fashion is on at Montecasino in Johannesburg tonight, tomorrow and Saturday.
Elriza Theron, marketing manager of Spar, said: “Yes, the link between wine and fashion is uncanny. Both are rich in colour, often described using words like bold, complex, dramatic, timeless or elegant, and are known to induce just the right amount of chutzpah in the drinker and wearer.”
Looking at current fashion trends, it would not be difficult to tell if someone is a Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay drinker.
The dominant fashion styles categorising fashion lovers are “grunge, avant garde, athleisure, power-dressing and vintage”, according to Theron.
She described avant-garde dressers as rather over-the-top, choosing anything from satin and leather to chunky biker boots “with an elegant velvet dress in canary yellow”. This type is at home with a glass of bubbly at hand.
In the case of the “athleisure” kind of dresser, active wear is more fashionable.
This fashion-conscious health nut is most likely to fall for a Chardonnay.
Meanwhile, the Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival attracted the usual power-dressing coterie at Hyde Park’s Summer Place last Tuesday and Wednesday, all of whom exuded the understated elegance and sophistication that has become the hallmark of the show.
The event unveiled a few surprises, such as Lovane wines, the boutique wine estate that made its first appearance.