HOPE LIES IN TOMORROW’S HANDS
Wed 8 Mar
WORDS Mimma Viglezio
PHOTOGRAPHY Marc Asekhame
AS FOREBODING AS CURRENT GLOBAL CIRCUMSTANCES MAY SEEM, FASHION STILL OFFERS CAUSE FOR HOPE. RATHER THAN INDUSTRY TITANS, HOWEVER, A NEW VANGUARD OF INDEPENDENT DESIGNERS ARE LIGHTING THE WAY TO A BETTER FUTURE.
Fashion is, and always will be, resilient
Mimma Viglezio
In 2021, after a year of home confinement, fashion returned with an explosion of colours, accessories, sequins, half-naked bodies and party clothes. Tired of dressing for our own mirrors, in cosy casuals and sombre greys, we happily welcomed a new trend for all things in excess: either too little, causing an overexposure of skin, or too much, resulting in oversized, purposely ill-fitting trousers and jackets. Then the Y2K aesthetic came back with a vengeance, and the music got louder.
Fashion has this power – it finds inspiration in societal turmoil and transforms them into trends. Through creativity, fashion has the power to distract us from the darkness of the times we live in; to respond to events and anticipate desires.
And so, at the beginning of a new season – with war in Europe slowly becoming status quo; a raging cost of living crisis keeping swathes of the population awake at night; Mother Nature taking revenge by continuously subjecting entire communities to exceptional weather phenomena; and, more disturbingly, with democratic values being challenged by millions in countries across the globe – we find ourself embarking on a month of conversations about hem lengths and the next colour to take over from Pink PP. Be it consciously or unconsciously, I, too, will be distracted from the severity of these wintry days and the breaking (bad) news notifications on my phone by the upcoming fashion month. Welcome to AW23!
Still, while the entire fashion establishment eagerly awaits Daniel Lee’s debut at the helm of Burberry, speculates on what Sabato De Sarno will bring to Gucci, and looks out for potential changes as Delphine Arnault settles in on Dior’s highest throne – and Pietro Beccari on Louis Vuitton’s – I, for one, am far more excited for the guaranteed high level of creativity and ideas that we’ll see from a new class of designers. They will not be troubled by the politics of commerce and the policies of corporations, and their fresh, spontaneous creativity will remind us all of why, no matter what, fashion remains resilient.
If on the one hand, I secretly wonder how French fashion phenomenon Coperni will be able to keep up with expectations after the recent viral success struck by spray-painting a dress on Bella Hadid’s naked body, on the other, I know how much I will delight in deciphering their new ideas around the meaning of youth: what moves, inspires and troubles it. Coperni's approach is profound and intellectual: Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant’s references to the era of digitalisation they were born into seem, to me, less important than their dedication to the culture surrounding them – to the materiality of their world and the people in it. Their ability to ‘wander’ – very much in the spirit of the Modernist flâneur – comes alive when their cool parisienne confidently strides the runway in cutout blazers and mini dresses, holding bags that have become decorative vanity objects in times when our entire lives are on our phones.
Berlin-based Ottolinger has similarly proven its resilience, riding market highs and lows without ever compromising on its aesthetic and precise point of view: they create fashion with a powerful message! In fact, what could be more relevant than Coperni and Ottolinger’s respective irreverent reinterpretations of the ‘back to work’ trend, invigorating classic trouser suits with a bolshy sexiness? Though their particular approaches differ, they perfectly complement one another – the Coperni woman’s sweet confidence is only enhanced by the fierce attitude of the Ottolinger girl, who lifts a middle finger to the revival of the Y2K aesthetic while stomping into a better, albeit probably darker, future. These are not women clad in pink, exuding superficial optimism through naive smiles; rather, they are prepared to climb mountains of problems, challenges and doubts, continually affirming their own style as they go.
Today, the notion of ‘forever’ has become obsolete, replaced by ‘resilient’. After all, who wants forever when tomorrow is so uncertain? Living in such times, survival makes for an apt trend. I wonder if we shall see more autumnal greens and beiges – more camouflage jackets and army fatigues. Or perhaps we’ll see happier colours, vintage-looking clothes or futuristic, robot-style looks? In fact, I wonder how profound an effect the war – now having reached its tragic first anniversary – has had on fashion: will designers envisage bleak dystopia, or will they gesture toward a brighter future? I also wonder what we’ll be wearing next winter: will Europe be covered in snow or will children in Rome spend Christmas at the beach as they do in Sydney? If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that uncertainty will be a prevalent topic and trend for the foreseeable.
What does give me hope for the future before us, though, is in part the increased commitment to sustainability that we’re witnessing. Despite the vast resources – financial and human – that have been allocated by established conglomerates and brands to find solutions to create a less damaging industry, this progress is often counterbalanced by huge, year-round production remits, and the carbon balance of staging far-flung spectacles around the world. It is again a new generation of designers and small brands that are creating blueprints for meaningful changes, demonstrating innovative means to save resources.
(di)vision – a Copenhagen-based label that creates streety riffs on Nordic cool while demonstrating a genuine commitment to the environment – is just one example. With recycling, reusing and re-selling – words that a decade ago were simply anathema to fashion and luxury, but today are de rigueur for relevance and resilience – at the core of their business model, (di)vision has managed to fuel a desire for the old, renovating discarded clothes and fabrics to create something new and beautiful.
A similar sense of integrity is the foundation of the Belgian label Ester Manas, one of the few honestly inclusive brands operating today. For its namesake founder, size inclusivity is not a mere tick on a to-do list – rather, it’s the very reason for the brand’s existence. I still long to see more designers – established and new – follow a similar path, creating clothes that anyone can wear, and brands that anyone can believe in. Brands that cater to girls with a common goal – to strive after agency and freedom and to wear fashion that stands for something.
In essence, what I am looking forward to seeing during the AW23 season is simple. With the days getting longer, the trees in the London parks starting to bloom and, we hope, the war soon to be peacefully resolved, I will seek depth, genuine creativity and resilience in the new collections. More specifically, in London I especially look forward to seeing the unstoppable talent of the two female designers close to my heart, Nensi Dojaka and Molly Goddard, stride side by side towards planetary success; in Paris, I want to be once again surprised and amazed by Coperni and moved by Valentino; and finally, in Milan, I will inevitably ask myself: What would Alessandro Michele do?
Indeed, times are dark and hard, but that warrants the reminder that hope and proactivity are the tools we need to endure the negativity that surrounds us all. Fashion is, and always will be, resilient, as long as it remains creative and entertaining. After all, creativity is what pushes us forward, and what shapes our culture and society as a whole – in other words, it’s what makes us.
While offering collections with an abundance of futile frills and joyful colours is something brands will probably refrain from, they must still make strong statements that will force us to reflect and give cause for excitement for what’s to come next. The show must go on, and a good dose of newness and creativity will help keep the wheels in motion.