If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This was the mantra that fuelled many collections at New York Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2015. As an increasing number of designers rely on their tried and tested formulas for yet another season, it has now become clear that an unstable economy prevents designers from fully realising their creative vision. The result? Digestible, consumer-friendly collections, chock-a-block with emotionally stunted clothes.
It’s not that shock value is being requisitioned here. It’s crucial that a brand’s aesthetic is carefully and selectively pruned over time, but there’s a recurring sensation of déjà vu as this pruning becomes less and less noticeable. Take, for example, Michael Kors, whose greatest achievement this season was a white poplin shirt with overexaggerated cuffs — the rest of the collection was merely a tweaking of previous ideas, such as tulip skirts and high waisted briefs shown at his Spring/Summer 2014 collection. Consider Oscar De La Renta, who remained starkly true to his repertoire, safe but for a slight focus on a more youthful customer. Similarly Carolina Herrera, though venturing into a broader use of different textiles, stuck very firmly to her characteristic use of florals. Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.
These leading designers have each established their own mould, a stylistic niche which continuously provides them with great financial success, but one that ultimately narrows capacity for creative growth. Surprisingly, Jason Wu became a recent instigator of such an approach to design. The New York wunderkind — who is not only due to expand his eponymous label into accessories, but is also set to open his first flagship store, all the while manning his position as Creative Director at Hugo Boss — unabashedly sent out a rather withheld collection. Perhaps now, there’s too much to lose. Another take on minimalist femininity was thought to be the safest bet and admittedly those billowing silk gowns and cropped suede wrap jackets were very pleasing, but there is little else to say about this collection that hasn’t already been said about Wu’s previous work.
What’s important to mention is that the high standard of execution and production of these clothes will be incremental to the success of these collections. While creatively-driven collections often break moulds for future generations, achieve notoriety or may even earn the designer a highly elusive “fashion moment”, commercially-driven, straightforward clothes will only ever serve as being wardrobe fillers. This becomes particularly problematic when there’s a refusal to produce these clothes from original ideas. When America’s leading designers produce reductive collections on a seasonal basis, what example does this provide aspiring designers? How will the progression of the industry be affected when fresh ideas are so few and far between?
In an industry defined by rapid turnover, the combination of commercial clothes inspired by old ideas will not wholly satisfy, unless we as consumers can be taken somewhere else with this idea. You need only think of Proenza Schouler, where a trivial theme of American sportswear — the cited starting point of the Spring/Summer 2015 collection — felt dynamic and progressive. Jack and Lazaro, the designers behind the label, took the basics of classic sportswear silhouettes and transfigured them entirely by applying their impressive knowledge of textiles technology to a hefty myriad of fabrics. This use of textiles lends itself to the undulating success of Proenza Schouler. It has become their signature mould per say, much like the moulds associated with the other great American designers, except Jack and Lazaro aren’t willing to remain stagnant. The great innovations from this collection (white leather anoraks, infused python on polo dresses, two-toned trousers) became the salvation of what could have been another dreary fusion of sportswear and high fashion.
In this industry’s current state, we’re fortunate to have designers like Jack and Lazaro of Proenza Schouler, Shayne Oliver of Hood by Air, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Thom Browne who prove that it would be inaccurate to shroud the whole of New York Fashion Week under the same commercial cloth. Out of the hundreds of designers that showed their work this year, these are the rare handful that are unafraid to take commercial risks for the sake of propelling the industry a little further. These are the designers who believe in the importance of new designs.
Still, it’s disappointing that there isn’t a larger number of designers who are willing to put their creative vision at the forefront. Yes, Fashion Week may be in part a trade show and commercial success is a foundation layer for any brand, but Fashion Week is also a platform for expression. It’s a stage for social commentary and an exhibition of a love for the art of it all. Unfortunately, we’re seeing less and less of those latter qualities with every coming season. Granted, Jason Wu’s suede jackets will be big sellers come Spring, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to yearn for clothing with greater intention and intrigue.
All images via The Gloss Daily and Style.com
