Paris Haute Couture Week or days have passed. In the New Normal, runway shows are from a past era. Being front row at a Chanel is not immunity from Covid-19.
What I did I think? Without the runway and excitement it felt a bit of a let down. Brands opted for long videos and short films. I had the feeling of watching a long Calvin Klein Obsession commercial. Fashion Week should center around fashion but for some reason it did not. I am not sure why. Fashion houses spent a lot of money showcasing film techniques. For some reason, the clothes took a backseat, a bit strange for a fashion week. As a film buff, one time aspiring filmmaker, part film critic; I would ask some teams, “What Happened”? Fashion Weeks focus on clothes.
Looking for inspiration, fashion and film have a relationship dating back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. “The Women”, director George Cukor’s 1939 black and white all starer included a 6 minute Technicolor fashion parade. Audrey Hepburn’s “Funny Face” was scene for scene showcase of the actress wearing Givenchy looks. For some reason many designers and their creators decided to take a more expressive artistic sense mixed with the abstract.
Fashion is live spectacle. I prefer fashion week with blank staring models, self important editors, and Borrowed Sunday Best Dressed Wannabes.
Let’s hope for a vaccine soon.