Legs of leg do you want here, cascades of guipure worthy of the trousseau of the Countess Greffulhe, waists arched in neocorsets that Madame de Pompadour would not have denied, swollen hips taking up the baskets of the Comtesse du Barry and Watteau pleated trains similar to those of the favorites of the court of Louis XVI ... The spring-summer 2020 collections abound with references to historical costumes.
Balenciaga, spring-summer 2020-2021 fashion show Balenciaga
As we submit the photos of the last catwalks of Loewe, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Valentino, Xavier Chaumette, fashion historian and professor at Esmod, is adamant: “ On these different catwalks, I note winks at the end of the 18th century, the simplest and most widespread chronological reference because it was the most coherent in terms of fashion, but also of decoration, arts and taste in general. A few lines also evoke the outfits of the Second Empire and, here or there, touches characteristic of the Belle Époque, lace, Doucet dresses, etc. These silhouettes are constructed like patchworks of different eras, forming the base of the femininity of the past and flirting with the cliché of the heritage dress. "
Claire Foy in The Crown (2016) The Crown
If the phenomenon is widespread enough to be deciphered in these columns, it is not new enough for the expert to be moved: “ It is a recurring theme in contemporary fashion. In the 1920s and 1930s, dressmakers threw themselves headlong into the past, a symptom of an economic and moral crisis. Trend found in the 1940s with the New Look by Christian Dior; then, with the backward-looking era of the end of 1980 - beginning of 1990 and the collections of Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, John Galliano. The apotheosis being Christian Lacroix and his dresses with bows and crinolines close to the stage costume. Each time, you have to see the return of excessive luxury, a very dressy look, a certain fantasy. "
Moschino, fall-winter 2020-2021 show Moschino
Kim Kardashian in corset and jogging
Drawing inspiration from the past is a process as old as ready-to-wear - we could even go back to the origins of couture and Ms. Grès' ancient togas! But let's go back to 1990, in March to be more precise. Under the Regency style chandeliers of the Institute of Directors in London, punk queen Vivienne Westwood presents autumn-winter 1990-1991. Entitled Portrait, this collection brings together the sexual freedom dear to the British and the baroque flamboyance of 18th century paintings. Centerpiece of this parade, a corset whose print was taken from Daphnis and Chloé, the oil on canvas by François Boucher (1743) that Westwood has just discovered in the Wallace Collection. Far from the futuristic and minimalist trends of the time, the spirit of pastel colors and red cherubs typical of the 15th and 16th centuries blows a gentle breeze in the dressings.
The singer FKA Twigs in a vintage dress by Vivienne Westwood FKA Twigs
Thirty years later, the singer FKA Twigs who had already shown her penchant for historic clothing, through the stage outfits (crinoline, frills, tricorne) of her last tour, shines again the spotlight on this cult collection, in wearing the famous corset when promoting his album Magdalene . " Many celebrities are in favor of Westwood's creations with historical references on and off the red carpets ," confirms Steven Philip, fashion consultant and renowned collector that many of these people come to rob. We have thus seen Kim Kardashian wear several times, in her district of Los Angeles and on her Instagram account (with 162 million subscribers), the corsets of Queen Viv 'which she shifts with a jogging and a huge down jacket. " An interesting mix that shows how these models are always in tune with the times ," enthuses the Londoner. The luxury market is so diluted that people get lost in it. However, more and more of them are looking for the exceptional and creativity. Hence their tendency to look to the past to find emblematic pieces. And once a person is interested in it and, what's more, a star, it's the domino effect. "
Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders (2013) Peaky Blinders
The English tradition of "Drama Costume"
Kim Kardashian is not the only one to fall in love with the period dress (certainly, in his case, reinterpreted to the taste of the 1990s). On our side of the Atlantic, nearly 8 million people have followed The Bazaar of Charity this winter . Broadcast on TF1 and Netflix, the historic series inspired by a tragic fire that left 125 dead at the end of the 19th century reached an audience record worthy of a sporting event. The British call the genre a drama costume, of which they are the champions with Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders, The Crown, Catherine the Great … " In England, this type of program is a must , explains Constance Jamet, journalist at Le Figaro , expert in television series. Every five to ten years, British television offers adaptations of the classics of Jane Austen or Dickens. Historical mini-series are also common. This is part of the BBC's specifications in order to educate the general public. By force, their producers and directors master the exercise as a person: reconstruct the great moments of history while taking liberties with the facts to modernize the plot and capture the attention of viewers, especially the youngest. "
Loewe, Spring-Summer 2020 parade Loewe
Thus Downton Abbey became attached to the customs of an aristocratic household in the 1910s; Peaky Blinders traces the adventures of a gang of gangsters in the inter-war period against the backdrop of indie rock while The Crown re eats the life of the royal family with more or less controversy with each new season. “ Anglo-Saxons have a taste for re-enactments, a sensitivity for the subject , approves Xavier Chaumette. You just have to rent a National Trust house to realize this: a few days in the decor of these wonderfully preserved mansions and you feel like you are leaping back in time. This British tropism says a lot about the inspirations of his Majesty's creators, such as Jonathan Anderson (whose summer collection for Loewe is riddled with historical references) and Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (all the time, fueled by the strength of the costume) .
Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael in Downton Abbey (2019)
But the same is true in France. Evidenced by Nicolas Ghesquière's certain penchant for stylistic anachronisms, borrowing as much from French clothes as from science fiction outfits at Louis Vuitton. This summer, he quotes through his puff-sleeved shirts, negligee on 1910 floors and other dress patterns of yesteryear, the Belle Époque which, for him, “ embodies the prestige of France. The era of universal exhibitions, such as the one where we will discover the Eiffel Tower. An enthusiastic and rapidly changing period. […] Work on the notions of old-fashioned, old-fashioned, nostalgia for a dream time and how to bring them up to date. In particular, this very particular dandyism and snobbery which will shape what will later be called French elegance. "
A choir of characters in costumes during the Louis Vuitton fashion show, fall-winter 2020-2021
A look that implies a certain complexity, a refinement in clothing… obviously more difficult to copy by fast fashion. “ Giving the must back to the elite , sums up the historian Xavier Chaumette. After trying to democratize, luxury tends towards more eccentricity. It was so intentionally tried, saying that all the collections were similar, that the fantasy had disappeared in favor of profitability. The creators once again want to have fun and make their show an extraordinary show. "
Alexander McQueen, spring-summer 2020 fashion show Alexander McQueen
If these looks like likes on social networks, what about their reality in stores? For the director of style at Bon Marché Rive Gauche, Jennifer Cuvillier, “this theatrical fashion is akin to an extraordinary dressing room close to couture, a set of“ fashion show pieces ”that brands will water down, simplify for everyday life and their different points of sale. "On the English site (again them) MatchesFashion, purchasing director Natalie Kingham confirms" a sensitivity for this romantic wardrobe. Ruffles, maxi-lengths, voluminous sleeves are very popular with our customers. They are looking for these unique pieces, a sense of craftsmanship that makes them special. That said, they wear these outfits in a contemporary way, by associating them with a pair of flat boots, because they especially don't want to look like they are coming out of a historical film! "
Helen Mirren in Catherine the Great (2019) Catherine the Great
