Renegade Mind
Fall does not only come with the anticipated drop of temperature or the picturesque amber leaves on the pavement. In fashion, more specifically, we are right smack in that time of the year when the runways, as if on cue, hail the return of blacks, grays and browns. Just the same, Fall entails the reinvention, reintroduction and reworking of all things bleak and severe — heavy leathers, sharp silhouettes, extreme fabrication and for some fashion houses, Gothic detailing.
More than the apparent aesthetics and sensibilities that come highly related to this season, it is the new mood and temperament to style that certainly define contemporary fashion. Without a doubt, the classic icon pieces that are immediately recognized to give definition to its wearer or patron continue to appeal to the majority. But more than what is on the surface, however, lies a new perspective on style that proposes a higher premium for elements such as ambiguity, androgyny and most importantly, austerity.
Looking back to the ‘80s, it was the Yohji Yamamoto’s propagation of black that began a countercultural movement in fashion, which veered away from the utilization of details, color or print. At that time, those from the inner sanctums of fashion refused any form of ornamentation except maybe for an exceptional silhouette and cut, seeing this as the ultimate expression of what is often referred to as effortlessly chic.
The same may be said of Rei Kawakubo’s work for Comme des Garcons where her “anti-fashion” approach in garments — through clever deconstruction — is hailed first in Paris and now the world over — as a requisite to style. Critics even declare that Kawakubo’s pieces were not created to make one look pretty or beautiful. They are made for those who want distinction, innovation and a sense of self assurance.
Falling in the same category of designers are the likes of Belgian Martin Margiela and Austrian Helmut Lang. Their works, ironically, have captured the fancy of the elite fashionable set precisely due to their decided refusal to succumb to convention. Instead, they explore what is seemingly generic, universal and anonymous, ultimately addressing a discerning audience that appreciates and grasps the notion of nonchalant confidence.
This season, the ideals that these designers introduced to the fashion industry are taking on a larger following. Androgyny is no longer a new entry in the style lexicon; it is, if anything, a reflection of contemporary fashion’s inclination towards things that dare to experiment with the unsuspected and unassuming. Perhaps post war abstraction French artist Pierre Soulages best explains this phenomenon: “I like black’s authority; its gravity, its self evidence, its radicalism. Its enormous power of contrast gives an intense presence to every other color and when it illuminates the darkest of them, it confers a sombre grandeur. Black has unsuspected possibilities, and conscious of what I do not know, I go out to meet them.”
