There Is No Such Thing as

FASHION FORWARD
With a child-like excitement to indulge in what my new September issues had to offer me, I
compared the different content across three different magazines; Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire
and ELLE. After fifteen minutes of flicking through, it was growing difficult to avoid something. It
was like a raspy itch at the back of your throat; youre trying to cough it out, but it just wont budge.
Then, after flicking back once more through the magazines, I saw what was monotonously, and so
boringly chiaroscurist, tainted over numerous pages: Neo-Victorian style.
Beginning with Marie Claires feature page titled Nouveau Victorian. Presented with a cut-andpaste layout kookiness, totally unrelated to the style, it praises this seasons muse with going back
centuries to find inspiration. I cant help but scoff at the sense of desperation and lack of creativity
that the title exudes. The only saving grace is the last two words: modern twist. Ill tell you why: in
the past decade, designers have been known to be inspired by the archaic and whimsical aesthetic
of the older eras, incorporating details and beauty in garments that you usually see in woodenframed oil paintings of museums. Take Dolce & Gabbana, for example. I remember last years A/W
2014 Collection, the regality of it all was simply mesmerising . . . and so cruelly ancient. It was as if
I was sitting, front row, of a coronation in 1600 England. Despite it being on every social media
platform, it lacked excitement because of the sickening pining and attitude of admiration that the
industry held towards it. We get it, a lot of gold mosaics and jewelled head-wear with a
breathtaking elegance; whats new?
Im going to stick to the radically innovative concept of Nouveau Victorian and why it has been the
cause of my eye-rolling recently. The colour black is timeless, versatile, and every womans best
friend. Naturally, there is no issue with black, until you overdo it. Head-to-toe black paired with
Victorian embellishments and corsets the entire thing is so blas, not at all impressive, and Im
looking at you Givenchy. My eyes fell on an ad of Givenchy models posing stiffly, donning the
doom and embodying the very essence of tragedy. The entire setup was a tragedy. The leg slits of
the dresses were Riccardo Tiscis humorous attempt at modernising the garments, along with the
masculine silhouettes that lacked a touch of effervescence. The contrast between the garments
and background confused the mood and atmosphere, and didnt market the products in any shape
or form. Perhaps my view is a little biased seeing as I am not exactly their target market, but if I
was a mentally disoriented, mourning Victorian looking for a flashy outfit to a funeral, this would be
my exact pick.
Moving onto Chanel (its campaign pages printed in both ELLE and Marie Claire). Ive got to admit
that this was a little more thrilling to experience. Yes, alright, head-to-toe black but this one had
dimension, innovation and a specific aura. It, however, did present that inevitable archaic burden,
but its abstract element superseded its dragging bore, conceiving a much more enticing and
elaborate outcome. Even the way the model was posed showed quality editorial content,
something that made me stop, stare and admire with a gaping mouth. Her outstretched arms flaunt
the beauty of the coat, its patterns texture varying in the lighting. We see an amalgamation of
Nouveau Victorian, with thrown in postmodernism and the entire ensemble is wholly contemporary.
Only Chanel can bring out the best of black (Im sure Anna Wintour would agree, despite being an
avid protester of all black outfits). I identify the short, choppy hair positioned wild and scruffily
androgynous; something that I hoped the fashion industry will take to the catwalk more often. Also,
the smoky charcoal background centers the attention on the clothing while subtly expressing an
ominous and certainly au courrant disposition.
When people ask me what I like the most about the fashion industry, I say its the unfailing nature
of constantly producing innovative ideas. But when I take to the magazine, occasionally I end up
dumbfounded when I struggle to discover evidence of idealistic future trends. Do you think
Nouveau-Victorian is an adequate example of modern style? Whats your opinion on fashions
tomorrow?