Hi, Tuesday. I'm more than obsessed with the goings on in Milan, but since my feet are firmly planted in NYC, I've got to be grounded and hunker down to a project that requires almost all of my attention. Needless to say, there's always time to talk about fashion. So let's.
This past weekend found me at the Angelika with a friend, watching the documentary about Mrs. Diana Vreeland entitled "The Eye Has to Travel". Admittedly, I knew about most of the things in the film- I devoured George Plimpton's tome on Vreeland simply entitled "DV" and her amazing musings and sense of style have caught my eye since I was a girl. For those of you who don't know about her, Ms. Vreeland was the basis for the fashion editrix in "Funny Face" as well as the first real creator of fashion editorial as we know it today. Her career spanned decades- from her turns at Bazaar to her years at Vogue to her top post at the Met Costume Institute. Diana's look was almost as legendary as her work- Kabuki makeup, severe features, Verdura cuffs on both thin wrists. Now Mrs. Vreeland was no traditional beauty, but her self creation was simply one of the most gorgeous things out there, and her collaborations with Avedon, David Bailey, and the scads of models she made super were simply out of this world. She never just liked stuff, she adored it, she never disliked things, she loathed them, sweetie darling. Working for her was apparently no picnic, but all the greats are difficult, and that's just that.
Inspired by the Ballet Russes, youth culture, and anything decidedly not boring (think tigers, the light in Morocco, warriors from exotic climes), she simply changed the game when it came to fashion being a storytelling vehicle, and most importantly, the ultimate in fantasy.
As I watched this film and thought about all of those indulgent photoshoots, whim filled memos to staff, and kookly proclamations (I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity is one of many) I couldn't help but think about that chutzpah is long gone from fashion, and damn if I don't want it back. Now I may be backpedaling as you know I have more than praised the democratization of fashion and creativity in general- Joe and Jane Doe expressing themselves in new and exciting ways presents an opportunity for a collective creativity never before seen in this world. But stop for a moment and think about it- is it me or are we all soon going to tire of a random fashion blog from Omaha where a cute young thing uploads photos of herself in head to toe whatever, en route to the mall, a first date, or some other such yawny endeavor? Where is the seduction? Where is the mystery? Where are the straits of Gibraltar? Where is the romance? The sexiness? The white panthers? Yes Vogue and all the other fashion mags are still around, but has our aesthetic turned to something decidedly more mundane when it comes to fashion and style in general?
I can only speak for myself but feel confident there are others out there that feel that in this insane world where crazy shit happens every day and most of it bad, we could use a bit of the fantasy. Isn't that part of fashion's job? As I looked at photos of the Fashion Weeks for Spring (3 down, 1 to go. Bonjour Paris!), I felt an excitement for the clothes that indulges some fantasies I have- Marni's show felt like that Ruth Orkin young woman in Italy photo, and I could conjure up images of me in those clothes channeling young ingenue in Rome. Cavalli had me thinking of hippy chic and how I could wear these clothes to a very stylish rock festival or a holiday in Ibiza or Joshua Tree. And Gucci's 70 inspired pieces were all about a Studio 54 induced daydream while sitting at a deskful of spreadsheets. Now am I going to actually indulge these little fantasies any time soon? Most likely, not. But fashion and magazines and great photographers and models and stylists and the whole lot of them don't care if I am just there in my mind, because if they do that, they succeed. I say let's bring back some of the wild, the wacky, the artful approach to dress and how we talk about fashion. I know there will never be another like Mrs. Vreeland, but all of us could use a little Kabuki touch up from time to time- and I'm not saying the pragmatic approach to fashion should be shelved, but my shelves need a bit of the extravagant, extraordinary, and fantastic from time to time. The world would just be a lot more fun with some Vreelandesque moxie. I'm all for it. Sure she was prone to great conjecture, but what a creative force she was. Wasn't it her who said too much good taste could be boring? I'd have to agree.
Oh and speaking of "taste", and safe and healthy fast to all my MOTs. It's that cranky time of year again where we say I'm sorry and talk about how hungry we are. If I've pissed you off this year, I apologize. One thing I won't apologize for is the need to see a return to a more aspirational fashion sense from time to time- I love all you bloggers, but maybe you could up the well turned ante and shoot some stories or make some statements that feel less mass and accessible aka boring? Many thanks and all the love. Cause that's what's up this overly eccentric but fabulous High Holiday eve in the 212. XO