Fashion has always been reflecting the changes in society, perhaps sometimes anticipating them. The insatiable hunger for life after the great war, simple desire to be beautiful in 50s, women empowerment in 70s, pride and self love of 21st century, all these events were translated into clothes that predetermined or perhaps confirmed inner impulses of people. Relying on past experiences, critical aggressive environments prove the activation of sleeping creative thinking, inspiration for radical experiments and innovation boost.
Sometimes that thin tempting breeze of innovation is not followed by revolution in technologies or mindsets. Sometimes, it is simply about the ability to stop and look back. The beauty of history and heritage is in experience. Good or bad, it teaches, inspires and makes you wonder.
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Few days ago the fashion industry closed its first fashion month after a pandemic. Ironically, the wave of lockdowns paralized the world exactly during fashion month in February 2020. The world that happened to live the uncertainty made a tender step towards beauty. The industry with an ability to sense social metamorfoses so delicately showed its vision of the future. In all these metres of silk rusling in the thin light of soffits the presentment of transformation was subtle yet evident.
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The collection of Giorgio Armani presented during Milan fashion week was held with closed doors this season as well. Somebody would call it extreme precautions, but the zest of that event was in exploring the concept of inspiration that has a direct influence on future innovation. The catwalk was broadcasted on TV, like it used to be in the 80s. Although, democratisation of fashion is not a new phenomenon. In 1961 the world saw Audrey Hupburn eating her morning croissant in front of Tiffany’s in black dress that every single person could picture immediately. The dress was designed by Hubert de Givenchy and it was the very first showcase of Haute Couture for the incredibly large TV audience.
Social distancing and inability to travel triggered different kinds of inspiration. Closed doors and that particular, almost forgotten feeling of inaccessibility increase desire and introduce innovative approach in communication, that is based on heritage re-elaboration. Democratization of fashion in this case would work all the way around, placing the brand in a higher level of aspiration.
The work of any designer is originally innovative, since preparation for the season means to start all over again. There are no odds for revival without prior burnout. “The world has changed and we have changed” was the mantra for the team of Donanella Versace, who showed her first collection after the lockdown during Milan fashion week too. Bright summer catwalk was a metaphor of Atlantis that drowned to give way to “new reality and to people who have undergone a deep change”.
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Donatella found her inspiration in family archives, taking “tresor de la mer’’ collection of her brother Gianni Versace for Spring 1992 as the main reference point. Deeply connected to family company roots, after 30 years the collection for spring 2021 shown to company employees with closed doors, explored the notion of innovation in an extraordinarily positive way, cherishing the past and taking the finest ingredients from it.
