Runway revolution

MANILA, Philippines - We're in a revolution. It seems rather apparent that the air is rife with resistance, and revolution falls right smack into Paris, particularly with the strong statements and discourses presented by the designers for their slew of menswear shows. Recent memory inevitably takes us back to the Jan. 7 attack on the editorial team of the satirical French paper Charlie Hebdo. And as fashion week wrapped up last Sunday, we can’t help associating said attack with the messages being sent out at the shows.

When we look back at the last two or three decades, it can’t be denied that fashion has become an unavoidable part of popular culture. Moreover, it has also become a very powerful means of communication. Fashion is a strong medium that serves as a mirror of the times, sending out crucial messages that correspond to each passing era. For instance, one can loosely credit Coco Chanel with freeing women from their uncomfortable attire and even starting a revolution, turning boyish looks chic, a style that persists to this day. Then there were Katharine Hamnett’s slogan tees from the ‘80s, which presented pro-life slogans to ones that were vocal against the proliferation of nuclear technologies. Later on, we find these in Henry Holland’s cult tees sans the political leanings. Another one to note would be Stella McCartney and her eco-friendly stance along with her refraining from using leather and fur, something she’s done since she started her eponymous label in 2000. There are a ton of examples to go about when one looks at the crossover between fashion and politics and how a lot of our well-loved designers have triumphed with their own little advocacies.

Now, taking things back to the recent menswear shows, the air of resistance was best summed up by Walter Van Beirendonck for the strong message he put out in this most recent outing. The effect was very much graphic and slogan-like as he sent out models wearing his anti-terrorism call. One particular noteworthy look would be this sheer top made out of a plastic-like material that bore sheets of fabric stating “Stop terrorizing our world.” The recent attacks in Paris triggered the Belgian designer to react to the matter and this was his way. Meanwhile, there’s also a slight revolutionary mode with Raf Simons and his coats with scribbles that seemed like fragments of messages about things that were both a reflection of his own memories and about rites of passage. On the one hand, it feels like a DIY project done on a white coat but the amalgamation of all those writings transcends the white coat into something else — laden with even more meaning through the pulse of messages.

The Gender Lane

In terms of the revolution being played upon by the designers, they weren’t all necessarily in response to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Others came off as offshoots of the other issues that also arise from prejudice and biases over differences in religion, culture and gender. And gender becomes a really interesting enterprise for autumn/winter 2015 as the likes of J.W. Anderson for Loewe and Johnny Johansson at Acne Studios. Meanwhile, staples playing on the masculine and feminine can always be expected from the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto and Hedi Slimane chez Saint Laurent (which takes us to his early days at the fashion house pre-dating Tom Ford’s tenure), which have become their signatures throughout their careers.

Now, going into particulars when you look at J.W. Anderson’s collection for Loewe, aesthetics-wise, it may seem like how a gay couple would look like if Wes Anderson ever did a film revolving featuring one. There’s that lanky finesse operative and that mood suggested by the colors and styling that makes one think so. Perhaps it’s hard to escape the notion of male intimacy, especially after the autumn/winter 2015 ad campaign leaked prior to the show, with a photo taken from Steven Meisel’s personal archives in which he is seen in a self-portrait kissing another man. As Anderson cites Meisel as a major driving force for Loewe, something like this could also be symptomatic of the playful nature Meisel’s career has assumed in the fashion industry. In the bigger picture, his autumn/winter 2015 outing seems to craftily mature into that ambiguous territory blurring masculinity and femininity, developing his own peculiar take on the look that sets him apart from his Belgian and Japanese counterparts in Paris.

From ambiguity to a vehement clash of genres, things take another tack in the play between masculine and feminine at Acne Studios. On one hand, there’s that evident clash of opposites working its way, but in the end it triumphs in his so-called contemporary pastiche. On one end, there’s that evident reference towards hypermasculine elements like tailoring, sportswear, English stereotypes and football while on the other side it’s being accentuated by feminist scarves that bear phrases like “Gender Equality,” “Women Power” and “Radical Feminist.” Despite the clash of genres taking place here, it’s nice to repurpose the notion of masculinity in contemporary society as one that signals change for women or quite simply works on that ideal of gender equality.

The Penile Provocation

Probably one of the most controversial outings in Paris in the previous week was by Rick Owens. He sent out models in ensembles — complete with peeping penises. Think of his signature gender-bending silhouettes and the hem near the crotch area is slightly raised to show his model’s member. According to Owens, this displays the very essence of humanity as nudity can be seen as the most basic human gesture. Despite accusations of objectifying the male in bad taste, he argues that we started dealing and relating to one another through clothing, and we were hardly dressed then so this gesture from the designer takes us into the very heat of our humanity, one that defies the artifice brought about by modernization. His was a provocative message meant to liberate men once more with an ideology that frees us from restraint and chagrin. In line with Owens, one can also take into account the other side of Van Beirendonck’s presentation, which dealt with the issue of censorship as it adheres to the state of creation in contemporary times. Statements like “Warning: Explicit Beauty” were flashed onscreen early in the show and much like Owens’ provocative statement, this one also vies for creative freedom nowadays to allow artists and creatives to be expressive without becoming victims of expressing themselves. It will always be a heated debate, but as one of the looks from Van Beirendonck states, “Demand beauty” at all costs, which in turn could lead us to pursue this kind of freedom in line with it.  

Romantic Upheaval

At the end of the day, we live in an often-confusing currency of multiplicities. Contemporary societies the world over have fallen into this paradigm. There are always many possible ends to a story or multiple interpretations of things. Although despite the significant differences that can be brought about, there’s really a strong act of resistance if, amid the differences, there’s a sort of unifying grace taking its place. Perhaps if we sum up the recently concluded Paris Fashion Week with Dries Van Noten’s romantic vision of a show would be the best way to end this enquiry into the political state of affairs in fashion. Being the supreme mix master, Dries triumphs by putting up a collection that creates a dynamic mélange of western and eastern codes giving us a fluid hybrid that holds things together despite the differences. And such is the message we should probably be looking for in fashion. At this rate, it will be hard to undo the imprint the Paris attacks have brought upon the public, but platforms like fashion can still provide a good alternative in bringing people together and further communicating change for the better, tearing down walls of discrimination the world over. 

Fashion and politics through the years