“I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows in the ’80s,” designer Virginie Viard recalled in today’s Chanel show notes. (The front-row seats were still prized in fashion’s hierarchy, but generally gave one a fantastic view of the back of a photographer or a supermodel’s nostrils.) According to Reuters, “deafening rock and roll rhythms by Madonna accompanied models as they tore off black vinyl trench coats to expose sheer mesh catsuits.” Was this lineup, with its tulle skirts, Boy-Toy-style plaques, and layered jewelry, Lagerfeld’s “Like a Virgin” turn? Whatever the case, it’s indisputable that Lagerfeld was able to turn just about anyone into a “material girl”-regardless of zip code.Back at the turn of the 1990s, as listeners to the podcast In Vogue: The 1990s will discover, supermodels came bounding down the high, raised runways exuding joie de vivre as they twirled and vamped for the photographers who had jostled for prime position, not only in the mosh pit at the end of the runway, but all along its length. Mon dieu!įall 1991 has often been referred to as Lagerfeld’s “hip-hop” collection, but perhaps it’s time for a reappraisal. Quilted biker jackets and boots were paired with tulle ball skirts. (Lagerfeld told a wire service at the time that the models were adorned “just like a Christmas tree.”) More provocative still were the seamed fishnet stockings, BDSM-lite dog collars, and camelia pasties attached to a mesh body stocking. Vogue photographed Karen Mulder looking like a million bucks in the designer’s artfully frayed denim mini, curve-hugging pink tweed jacket, and white T-shirt worn with a number of the layered chains and belts that appeared with headline-making profusion on the runway. In this environment Lagerefeld’s twists on tradition had a certain level of shock value. (A model in this show carried a spoon with which to stir her teacup hat.) It must be remembered that this was not an anything-goes moment in fashion rules existed and breaking them offered a certain frisson. To bring youth and interest to the brand-as well as to underline the many recognizable and covetable brand icons, like the camelia, gold chains, quilting, tweed, etc.-he channeled them through of-the-moment filters in unexpected, and sometimes camp, ways. Do share.īack in 1991 Karl Lagerfeld was still in the process of rebranding Chanel into a modern luxury house rather than one known as a go-to destination for well-to-do matrons. These shows might be pre-internet, but they contain many Instagrammable moments. They honor the memory of Karl Lagerfeld, a giant and prolific talent, who designed them, and speak, too, to the 2010s’ obsession with all things 1990s. Editor’s Note: Vogue Runway is closing out the decade by adding six archival Chanel shows to our collections archive.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |