Wednesday 5 August 2009

LV, RTW, F/09

This fall, Marc Jacobs began his own show in New York: with the eighties. Slices of the late eighties: ruffled, ruched, and poufed as it was—could be traced in the entire collection.

Fashion Muses
Jacobs said that he was thinking of "all those great French muses of the late eighties." Specifically, he cited Marie Seznec (who modeled for Lacroix), Victoire de Castellane (who worked for Chanel), and Inès de la Fressange (who was virtually French fashion mascot in chief at the time).


In the Collection
Looking back on those days of chichi fashion extremes brought out a lot of jeune Parisienne frivolity in the clothes. The chance of a close inspection revealed lots of puffy peplum jackets, tons of shirring and ruching (in print or leather), bubble skirts, bejeweled satin leggings, and a mini lace Marie Antoinette pannier dress with a saucy sheer balconette.

It was also a rich accessory fest for the leather goods company. Leather necklaces and belts came fashioned like paper chains, and thigh boots were topped with ruffles and balanced on pearl and glitter-covered heels. The all-important bags had also acquired eighties pie-crust frills and gilded monograms.

Behind the Scene
Jacobs put it this way regarding his source of inspiration: backstage, partly in preparation for the Model as Muse exhibition at the Met and his role as honorary chair of the opening gala; then blossoming into a fashion tour of Vuitton's collection.

This penultimate show of an often dour and cautious season read as a welcome interlude of cheerful, flirty confidence in a post-crash depression.

For complete runway photos, visit Style/Vogue.com

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