Clothes That Addressed The Realities Of Modern Life

Fall/Winter 2019 saw designers both reinforcing heritage codes and charting brave courses forward, creating clothes that addressed the realities of modern life while soaring to new fashion heights.

LOUIS VUITTON

This season might be all about ’70s bourgeois chic but Nicolas Ghesquière has always been an avowed ’80s fanboy. The fashions of the era were polarising—loved and loathed in equal measure—so it seemed fitting that Ghesquière would erect the equally polarising façade of the Centre Pompidou in the Louvre to frame his latest collection. The clothes were an homage to the decade with faces framed by sculptural ruffles, oversized lapels or crystal-encrusted neckerchief collars. Skirts were short with flippy hems, and shoulders and sleeves were of statement-making proportions—all grounded by flat boots and shoes for a decidedly modern attitude.

FENDI

Karl Lagerfeld’s final Fendi collection was filled with plenty of the signatures he established over five decades at the Roman House. Structured pagoda shoulders, rigorous tailoring and starched high collars were all hallmarks of his precise hand, and when paired with scarlet lips, shellacked hair and A-line skirts, effortlessly evoked ’40s Hollywood glamour. Lagerfeld made the looks resonate for today by grounding them with pointy-toed boots; adding brilliant jolts of colour such as aquamarine and the iconic Fendi yellow; and layering pieces over stockings and bodysuits covered in double-F Karligraphy— guaranteed collectibles and street-style bait. Perforation, see-through layers and swishing pleats added further touches of lightness and modernity.

GIVENCHY