Garance Doré talks shop with Dolce and Gabbana

In the current hyper-connected, speeded-up reality of the fashion world, on-trend pieces can hit the high streets in a matter of weeks, churned out to satisfy demanding female customers. Women are hungry for the latest items, shopping boutiques around the world offline and online. They don’t even need to pause to shop any more; many are making purchases on the go via smartphone technology.

Fashion 2.0

Via broadband connections and Blackberrys, from Portland to Paris, fashion news travels fast. Moreover, the world that was once reserved for a select group of fashion elite is becoming increasingly democratised. Why peruse the glossy (and expensive) pages of Vogue each month, when you can log on and take a fast fashion world tour via streetstyle blogs? And surely the latter are more relevant; offering ‘real’ fashion, on ‘real’ women, as opposed to the digitally-enhanced, couture-clad models of the magazines, whose six-foot, size-zero bodies bear little resemblance to those of a large proportion of the female population?

Garance, Tavi and Susie are no longer the outsiders, as they graciously take their places on the front rows of the best shows alongside Ms Wintour and her fashion pack. Furthermore the industry has been revolutionised by the power of 130 characters.

Sartorial Cyberspace

Journalists, designers, brands, bloggers and PR firms have all taken to Twitter, frantically updating the cybersphere on trends, news, gossip and who they’re sipping champagne with as it happens. The micro-blogging site has sent the fashion world into a spin and further narrowed what was once a lacuna between high fashion and the populace. They’re no longer happy to thumb the glossy pages once a month; these ladies demand to know what’s happening – now.

Stefano Gabbana informs us what he’s eating and how the latest show is coming together, whilst Alexander McQueen tweets pictures of his creations for fashion fans. Painfully shy Yves Saint Laurent would have certainly been a casualty of Twitter; in cyberspace, there’s nowhere to hide. Savvy brands and magazines are using the site to communicate with consumers, increasing transparency and forging trust and fidelity.

But what about the actual garments themselves; that’s what fashion is about after all, isn’t it? The high street supplies identikit on-trend pieces, so how can high fashion set itself apart and reclaim some of the exclusivity that made it so desirable? Looking at the SS2010 catwalks, how have designers distanced themselves from or stayed close to the masses?

Vintage-inspired looks at Chloe, Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana

Back to the Future

Fashion creates, and recreates. Many collections showed vintage-inspired pieces and consumers could potentially happen upon  almost identical items at second-hand markets or in thrift stores. Head to any army surplus store and you’ll find similar garments to Chloe’s masculine, workwear-inspired pieces or the plethora of military/safari jackets seen at Marc Jacobs and Sportmax. The elegant collections at Dior and Dolce & Gabbana using antique lace could probably be sourced too.

Season on season, Ralph Lauren consistently shows classic Americana – admittedly this is a best-selling formula, and one he has built his name and brand upon. Striped shirts, tailored blazers and stonewash dungarees are all garments that could easily be picked up in even a poorly-stocked vintage boutique. But this concept works for Lauren. Finding a  striped jacket in a thrift store, some consumers may even initially associate this  item with Ralph Lauren’s design aesthetic.

Style references will continue to evolve and perhaps in the future ‘utility’ items could be considered ‘very Chloé 2010.’  Obviously vintage items are unlikely to be made with the same high quality fabric or elegant cut, but in the high-speed world of fashion, does that really matter?

DIY duds at Wang, Unique and Prada

Make Do and Mend

Customising is the new black and the most savvy fashionistas are becoming handy with sewing machines. Some of the shows for SS2010 seemed to be telling us that we, too could make our  mark;  fashion was chopped up, patched, embroidered and paint-splattered.  Alexander Wang showed cropped sweatshirts and customised sportswear whilst raw, unfinished edges were seen on the catwalks at Prada, Jil Sander and even Chanel. Denim was ripped, reworked and distressed at D&G, Chloé, Hervé Léger and Ralph Lauren.

And some garments didn’t even seem to fit properly – rolled-up shorts and trousers were seen at DSquared, Elie Tahari and Isabel Marant. Topshop Unique accurately gauged the creativity of its youthful clientele, with cropped tops and knitwear, items appliqued with sew-on badges and t-shirts that looked very homemade.

Designers have cottoned on to the creative zeitgeist and adopted the make-do-and-mend spirit of the moment, tapping into society’s current mood. Thus high fashion identifies itself with consumer tastes, so becoming more approachable. This is the sartorial equivalent of Twitter – fashion designers are normal people, just like you!

Investment pieces from Celine, McCartney and Karan

A Fashionable Investment

Some designers stuck to their guns and continued to do what they do best; classic, luxury items that cater to an exigent, discerning clientele, or to younger consumers wanting to purchase a timeless “investment” piece, that they will be able to wear for years to come. Fashion doesn’t always have to innovate – sometimes simple elegance is all that’s needed. Donna Karan’s modern, feminine skirt suits and Stella McCartney’s well-cut trousers are future classics which justify their elevated prices – Yves Saint Laurent was another hotspot for impeccable tailoring.

Phoebe Philo’s debut collection for Celine featured many pieces worthy of investment; in a tasteful, neutral palette of white, black, beige and khaki, ultra-flattering simple shapes meant that it was really a catwalkful of future classics to suit all ages and sizes! Paul Smith’s eccentric prints and bright colours are quintessentially British and immediately recognisable; Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger have similarly inimitable styles that won’t date.

Consumers tend to invest in fashionable items that they will use regularly, thus handbags get top billing. This season, bags from Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Chanel and Fendi are bound to fly off the shelves.

Decorative detailing at Viktor & Rolf, Louise Goldin and Burberry Prorsum

Technical Details

Embellishment has been a big trend for a while and designers continued to push the envelope for SS2010. This seems to
reflect elements of couture – the techniques employed are time-consuming and require skilled professionals to create them, meaning that this trend places itself out of reach of the high street. Intricate pleating was seen on garments at Louise Goldin and Yves Saint Laurent whilst pieces at Dior, Lanvin and Antonio Berardi featured exquisite beading, which can only have been done by hand.

In London, young designer Holly Fulton created art-deco shapes and ethnic patterns on dresses and separates using chunky beads and complex appliqué detailing. Viktor & Rolf’s amazing, masterful collection of ruffled pieces had enough workmanship and details to merit a couture pricetag, and the conceptual, fairytale garments didn’t cater to popular tastes.

Sequins, pailettes and sparkle cascaded onto the catwalks once again, with dazzling items shimmering elegantly at Balmain, Burberry Prorsum and Prada. Although this trend has had a trickle-down to the high street, it is quite simply unfeasible to recreate these styles for a lower price point.

The Future of Fashion

This is where things get really interesting. What if you wanted to create truly high fashion items that wouldn’t be accessible to all? Collections that would really set your brand apart and give it kudos?

Future fashion at Alexander McQueen, Mary Katrantzou and Proenza Schouler

On the web, technology may have narrowed the gap between fashion and the masses but in terms of actual design it has, in fact, created distance. Some items are just too complicated for the high street to manufacture, never mind the creative fashionista! Visually-arresting digital printing was a stand-out trend for SS2010 and as each print is immediately recognisable, the catwalk styles cannot be exactly replicated. Quite simply, they’re unique and you won’t be able to find them anywhere else. Fashion is exclusive once again.

Separates at Proenza Schouler, dresses at Peter Pilotto and Mary Katrantzou and even tights at Givenchy all used modern, futuristic prints. Versace took things one step further using printed transparent fabrics, but the most innovative of them all was, of course, Alexander McQueen. His collection was a symphony of innovative cuts, fabrics and prints worn with show-stopping shoes; the garments he showed could only be attributed to his masterful creative vision. Similar futuristic techniques and craftsmanship went into Nicolas Ghesquière’s collection for Balenciaga; the designer used moulded, vegetable-dyed leather and shredded fabric which looked as if it had been laser-cut.

Inimitable accessories were also seen on the catwalks, notably in chunky perspex at Fendi and Burberry Prorsum. Trend-setting beauty came in the form of bleached eyebrows, custom-made nails as seen at McQueen and specially-created tattoos at Rodarte and Chanel.

You can follow them on Twitter and check the streetstyle blogs all you like, but high-end fashion is still individual, unique and exclusive

Bridging the Gap: The Future

This decade is sure to see the continuing democratisation of fashion via cyberspace as bloggers become the in-crowd and Twitter forces designers and brands to strategise their consumer communication. The rapid turnover of garments on the high street means that now, more than even before, designers will have to consider their collections very carefully. Creating beautiful, desirable clothes just isn’t enough any more.

Jonathan Sanders for Topshop

Clever designer-high street collaborations should match brands with creative forces meaning that some elements of ‘high fashion’ become accessible to a wider market, at lower price points. The pairing of classic basics brand Uniqlo with the chic, pared-down elegance of Jil Sander is an outstanding example.

Meanwhile Topshop has supported young designers showing in London such as Marios Schwab, Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Kane. Their capsule collections are designed to appeal to the store’s young, fashion-conscious clientele, who are willing to pay for the must-have pieces; effectively buying into the designer’s aesthetic at a knock-down price. High street giant H&M, on the other hand has acted as a blank canvas, giving free reign to designers and allowing them to create collections offering a diluted version of their style aesthetic. These high-street/designer collaborations are produced in limited numbers, adding to their exclusivity and appeal.

The formula has proved so successful that even high-end stores are targeting consumers with limited-edition items. Chic Parisian boutique, Colette has collaborated with a number of designers to create fashion and lifestyle goods, whilst in London Liberty’s worked with Hermès to produce a line of scarves and is to offer exclusive Liberty-Nike trainers.

Sports brands have allowed designers to put their sartorial stamp on wares that they wouldn’t usually offer. This means that creatives can diversify and brands get a boost in the cool stakes – targeting a market that they might not generally reach. Adidas’ partnership with Yohji Yamamoto and Stella McCartney has been highly successful and Puma has certainly increased its standing via collaborations with Alexander McQueen and Sergio Rossi.

Fashion 3.0?

And what of the blogosphere and social media? Designers are beginning to realise the importance of these resources. Burberry’s crowdsourcing collaboration with The Sartorialist on Art of the Trench made the British brand’s classic cover-up even more desirable, and created a sense of ownership of the item for potential and existing customers. The site also tapped into the local/global element of fashion and the internet.

Burberry's Art of the Trench

Dolce & Gabbana have pioneered a strategy to take on the fashion blogs, with their blogazine Swide. The launch of the platform shows the brand’s awareness of consumer habits and preferences and allows the brand to become part of the ‘in-crowd’ of bloggers, rather than just a mute observer. And Dolce & Gabbana’s video content on youtube really proves that they’re in touch and have a well thought out digital strategy.

Alexander McQueen was, as usual, an apocalyptic, visionary fashion force with his latest collection, which might have meant alienating customers as his garments are so otherwordly and unobtainable. However McQueen has shown his intelligence and sensitivity to the needs and desires of today’s fashionista, playing a clever double game. Whilst he continues to produce futuristic garments that are essentially works of art, he has taken to Twitter and his last show was also set to screen simultaneously on Nick Knight’s fashion media site, Showstudio. No market sector is safe from McQueen: in addition to his diffusion line McQ, he has collaborated on trainers with Puma, luggage with Samsonite and even tackled the American market with a collection for Target.

In fashion’s brave new world, Alexander McQueen is spear-heading the revolution.