How many times have we seen the question as to whether fashion is reflecting the economic climate of the world being asked in various magazines and other media? It's a hard question to answer since the fashion we are perhaps most drawn to is not the stuff that is readily available but rather the stuff that provides us that valuable asset that is escapism. Maybe that's the answer - fashion provides us a means to escape, even for mere moments, the reality that many of us face in our day to day lives; paying bills, low wages, redundancy, sickness - all symptoms of a decaying ecomony and low morale.
In times of war or hardship our natural response is to arm ourselves emotionally, and in some instances even physically, against the oncoming onslaught and fashion has, in it's own way, been calling us to protect ourselves, to seek strength in who we are and face our lives with bravery and strength. Perhaps a heady suggestion, but look at the silhouettes of the past few seasons - we have seen leather clad models marching down the catwalk with looks of angry intent in so many collections; shoulders so sharp they could cast off any aggressor; armour and body-like references everywhere from chain harnesses to exo-skeletal details - all of these shapes and adorments are like subconscious messages calling upon us to sartorially arm ourselves.
Wearing such strong silhuoettes like this certainly does give one as certain attitude. A powerful mechanism to fool our brains into thinking we can face the tribulations that are ahead of many of us. Whenever I put on my Jean Pierre Braganza dress with it's formidable shoulders, I feel stronger and maybe even a little bit braver.
I know, all this is a long winded bit of pondering prose, but it's something I have been thinking about lately.
I pondered it further when I came upon the collection of Hungarian designer and graduate of Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Dora Mojzes.
Her work is filled with the armour references needed to face the world. Padding, spiked details, armadillo-esque scales and lots of black. Wearing the hooded coat would certainly make me more able to face the world. Just what I need when I am weighed down with a killer cold as I am today.
Queen Michelle
