Rococo A-Go-Go

There's a specific kind of nostalgia in the air, but its origins are a little more retro than you may think.

- By Alexandra Hildreth

It was one of the most anticipated debuts of recent years, and Jonathan Anderson came out swinging.

The designer reinvented Dior with froufrou grunge demi-couture, complete with padded hips, military-inspired jackets, and his own version of an 18th-century bicorne hat. He wasn't the only one to rewind the clock this season: Catherine Holstein of Khaite experimented with rigid bodices, while Simone Rocha continued to tease out interpretations of modern romanticism with drop waists and sumptuous fabrics. Nicolas Ghesquière chose to show his spring Louis Vuitton collection in Anne of Austria's 17th-century summer apartments at the Louvre.

Fashion is having another retro renaissance, and it draws from an era well before low-rise jeans. In fact, this style takes these ideas to the extreme: The silhouettes are unabashedly romantic, and embellishments are handcrafted with eclectic wares. In short, the runways are going cuckoo for Rococo.