Is Fashion Still Fun?
One moment you are delighting in getting dressed, the next you are creating a mind map of designer appointments and missing the next micro-trend...
This week's newsletter was going to be about the creative director changes at leading luxury fashion houses. As Loewe, Balenciaga, Gucci, and Versace were the latest to announce major alterations, I set out to find the fashion pieces that encapsulated each designer’s tenure (and therefore made good investments now). I was also going to write about what is expected to happen next in the Great Designer Shake-Up of 2025. But then I listened to one too many podcasts, read two too many articles, and came across a diagram of the latest changes, and I decided I’d experienced enough for now.
I have found joy in fashion from a young age, since I went through a stage of wearing my ‘party dresses’ to bed every evening. While I don’t remember this, I do recall the thrill of being able to shop for the first time (at Pumpkin Patch), where I chose a soft white tee with a small green flower at the ‘bust’. Then, in my teens, came my love for fashion magazines, and I eventually ended up being the features editor of my favourite (in New Zealand) Fashion Quarterly.
Fashion is the link between my professional and personal life, but lately, it seems even those with a passing interest are expected to be across the latest industry news and fleeting trends. With commentators from Substack to social media adding to the conversation constantly, keeping on top of the news is demanding enough for a full-timer (now freelance writer) like me. Perhaps it is a desire for fashion (an industry valued at over a trillion) to finally be taken seriously – in a time where there are many other serious issues in need of our attention, too.
But whatever happened to fashion for escapism?
While we can discover as much as we like behind the scenes, the pure fantasy of fashion is found on the runways and in fashion photography. For several seasons, harlequin characters have created the most striking moments in experimental collections, from Elizaveta Porodina to Valentino. Having popped-up throughout fashion history, the ‘harlequin’ is not a trend but an alter ego – dressed in graphic diamond prints and skin-tight fabrications. How could you not have a (wry) smile when wearing this?
Like the court jesters that inspire them, these outfits appear to act the fool while hinting at a deeper truth: Fashion is pantomime.
We can bring this sense of humour and frivolity into our wardrobes with a knowing wink. The Argyle diamond pattern, which has been embraced by elevated ready-to-wear labels including Khaite and Ganni, is vibrant whilst still being in-check… Or, if you want to have the last laugh, wear an attachable ruffled collar.
So long as you are the one having fun!
Shop For All Seasons
Hold court in colourful designs for Spring: Ganni Harlequin sweater, Summer: Molly Goddard Freddie mesh top, Autumn: Kitri Susan Burgundy mini skirt, Winter: Cos polo jumper.
…Weekend Wonderings…
Perusing –
The London Original Print Fair is held this weekend in London’s Somerset House. It’s an opportunity to see (and perhaps buy) original prints from top international dealers, publishers and studios – all in one glorious setting. See up-close work from well-known artists, including Picasso, Matisse and Tracey Emin, as well as new names to know. After a preview this week, I visited the Courtauld Gallery across the courtyard. Its LVMH Great Room is my favourite in the world for its impressive Impressionism collection. In the adjoining rooms, the ‘Goya to Impressionism’ exhibition shows in-conversation paintings from Switzerland’s Oskar Reinhart Collection. I loved the Cezanne Still Life (pictured above) as well as Renoir’s Confidences of two young women. But it was Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s painting of The Clown Cha-U-Kao that inspired today’s newsletter. NB: While the intimate exhibition is booked out for the next week, you can still sneak in if you opt to become a Member of the gallery.
Reading –
The most shared online article this week is My ‘Facial Dysmorphia’ Destroyed My Ability to Be Free by Daisy Schofield for The Cut. The term Facial Dysmorphia has been gaining traction on social media. It describes having a warped perception of one’s own face, and some of the women interviewed reported being so perturbed by their own visages that they wouldn’t go anywhere (including on trips with friends) where they knew their photo would be taken, and they wouldn’t be able to control the lighting or the filters. It’s a sad story, but I’m glad it’s a topic that is now being discussed openly as we start to see the effects of long-term social media exposure. I’m sure there will be follow-ups.
Watching –
Like many in the UK this week, I watched Stephen Graham’s new show, Adolescence. The actor was inspired to write the show (with co-creator Jack Thorne and Boiling Point director Philip Barantini) after reading about two cases – on either side of England – of a boy murdering a girl. Each episode is filmed in a (technically excellent) single shot for an immersive (and very uncomfortable) viewing experience. The aim of the series is to start a discussion about the radicalisation of young men, and how society needs to work together to address this creeping issue. For this reason, the show focuses on the perpetrator’s world – but I was left wanting to know more about the young women in this story (and so many like it). Expertly timed, Stylist’s latest issue explores ‘What It’s Like To Be A Girl In 2025’. While the answers are scary, too, it’s uplifting to see lifestyle journalists do what they do best – covering important topics in a medium that is a safe space to do so.
What do you say? I’d love to know your thoughts on this week’s instalment.