Glamorous Expectations

Vogue writer, Jessica Bumpus commented on John Galliano’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection at Paris Fashion Week, stating that ‘there was something Miss Havisham-meets-Sunset Boulevard about the collection.’

There certainly was a spooky charm about this show – as Galliano toyed with the old versus the new in an enchanting assortment of clothes, there was an essence of time stood still. Galliano states that: ‘It was inspired by a trip to LA visiting fabulous houses and imaging who'd live there’.

When Pip first meets Miss Havisham at Satis House, in Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations he notes: ‘But I saw that everything within my view that ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes.’

Galliano’s models incorporate the childhood beauty of Estella whilst also conjuring up the disintegrating waxwork appearance of Miss Havisham. This clever intermingling of the Dicken’s characterisation is illustrated through motifs and symbols that are reminiscent of the uncanny relationship between Miss Havisham and Estella. The pathological effects of Miss Havisham’s heartbreak control the events of the tale, in the same way that they structure the clothing in Galliano’s collection.

The collection displays laced embroidered dresses worn with strings of pearls, elegant little gloves and antique jewellery that still has its price tags attached. The smoke billows from the stage shadowing the rainbow coloured bubbles that playfully bounce off the runway. The set of contrasts that Galliano draws suggest light-hearted fun that once dusted off reveals something far more sinister – his glamorous models look like perfectly painted dolls whilst their smudged eyes suggest more sorrowful undertones.

There is an eerie nuance to the whole collection, a mustiness to the clothes and a darkness to the diamonds. The fragile, floaty dresses are contrasted with intricate black lace, and the little girl socks worn with big girl shoes suggest a rupture in time – aspects of a childhood sweetheart show through the mournful composure of the ominous and the old. Bunches of decaying roses sit gracefully in the models hair, some carry pocket watches; others, bags of make up wrapped up in transparent newspaper print.

This evokes a bygone era – a point in time, a sequence of events, a tragedy that is still being clutched onto. The models look sombre, yet there is still a playful demeanour in their poise, a sense of the supernatural in their ambience. It is as if time has become detached from reality – and Galliano is illustrating to us the broken pieces of a ruptured existence. This collection demonstrates the innocence of childhood in distinction to the melancholy experienced through growing up, and therefore extends upon the metaphor of Miss Havisham and brings it bang up to date – into the homes of the rich and famous in LA.

Memoirs of an Eco-Icon.

Environmentally friendly. Pah. Who cares?

But, as per, Westwood shows us how to go ‘green’ in style.

Entitled Planet Gaia Westwood’s Spring/Summer 2010 show hit the nail on the head at Paris Fashion Week at the beginning of this month. This collection, like all Westwood’s work had a political point to it. Using her clothing – and essentially her art as a vehicle for change she calls out for our public to interact. This co-operation takes the form of the ‘DIY – Do It Yourself’ concept.

The dire state of our planet is an issue at the forefront of ethical and political debate. An issue that is being fundamentally ignored. However, Westwood’s manifesto is not expensive or unattractive like many eco-friendly designs currently on the market. Westwood implores with her audience to join the fight to save the environment by pinning your own graphics to your t-shirts; ‘a collage, a picture of your boyfriend, a newspaper cutting’.

The collection models sported environmental slogans ripped out of magazines and attached to the outfits in plastic wallets. The fabrics raw and sculptured, the models delicately beautiful; organic chunky knits were worn in contrast with pure shredded silks - the clash of natural textures gives the outfits a haphazard but elegant sense of the natural world. Consequently, the collection encapsulates the paradoxes of the environment to a tee.

There is certainly an oriental ambiance about this show. Hair backcombed and fiery, set against the delicate white faces of the models gives a Geisha appearance. Yet, the theme incorporates darker undertones as one model carries a shiny green apple in her hand – a clear representation of Eve, the fallen woman. Therefore, a distinction is drawn between the disobedient Eve and the dutiful Geisha.

This metaphor maps onto the issue of global warming: some choose to pick the apple from the tree of knowledge and create the fall of mankind – thus, they carry on using their electrical appliances and material products with no care for the subsequent fall of the environment – into a possible underworld state. Others however, involve themselves and play an active role. They have a part to serve in the conditioning of the planet, helping it keep its beautiful appearance akin to the stunningly unspoilt Geisha girls.