ONE OF fashion’s greatest qualities is its ability to transport its viewers and wearers into another world, transcending reality and all its troubles. Yesterday, at the Maison de l’UNESCO in Paris, Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson did just that. While other designers chose to rally behind issues like climate change and the absurd turmoil of Brexit, Anderson’s message was a far simpler one: breathe. Just breathe, and smell the (intricately embroidered) flowers while you’re at it.
Relatively pared-back in its palette but exquisite in its fabrication, his 45-look strong collection was stunning in every sense of the word. Sheathed in ethereal sheers and flouncing volumes, models traipsed down the runway, a serene sight among rotating plants, amethyst geodes and undulating curtains.
First of all, there was lace. Lots of it. Guipure, chantilly, marguerite lace were moulded into a million different forms. Ruff collars on flared shirts, sinuous tunics and handkerchief skirts. Multiple floor-length numbers, which, due to their puff sleeves and exaggerated sailor collars, looked like they belonged in a Victorian novel. A gauzy, drop-waisted and pleated piece that you could imagine on a modern song siren like Lana Del Rey.
Oh, and the showstoppers: lace dresses constructed with dramatic, mantua-like waists, modern interpretations of something you would pluck out of a 17th century court painting. While lace in white and pastel hues usually evokes overtones of innocence and naïveté, Anderson’s use of lace was anything but. Instead, it was soigné and subtly sexy.
These lighter frocks were balanced by darker and stronger pieces that conjured up more witchy sensibilities. Capes were cut with billowing sleeves alongside trench coats that flared expansively from just under the breast bone. Leather was fashioned to wrap around the body in a fit-and-flare dress, while tops were finished with fringe and beading that cascaded around the shoulders and down the back. Black tulle shreds were sewn in a skirt and criss-crossed around the body like bondage gear. Again, its effect was a quiet sensuality.
Anderson has always been devoted to promoting craft, with his initiatives like the Loewe Craft Prize and his collaborations with artisanal basket weavers. This collection exemplifies such a commitment. Its reduced simplicity belies its careful construction, one that puts the skill and workmanship of the Spanish maison at the forefront.
Dreamy, poetic and superb in its delivery, it is a collection that has wowed fashion audiences and that will draw in the art-world crowd that compose most of the brand’s clientele. There’s no question about that. But we need to know, what dreamworld will Anderson enchant us with next?
by Kay Ean Leong