The last few years have provided few opportunities for peacocking beyond donning a spiffy collar for Zoom. But as we tiptoe toward reengaging with public life, a showbird trend is taking hold in luxury: extravagant volumes of fabric pluming into hemlines, pleats, poofs, ruffles, trains, and gigantic coats that could swaddle a bear.
If you spent the winter (or most of the early ’20s) hibernating in pajamas or sweatpants, you would not be alone in wishing to roar into spring with a flourish. For that, fashion designers are preparing a plethora of options: a powerful puffer by Marc Jacobs, a billowing ball gown by Jason Wu, a sweeping train from Fendi, mile-wide ruffles at Balenciaga. Hemlines pool around models’ feet and trail behind them.
Even for his fall collection, Joseph Altuzarra showed tightly pleated wool skirts inspired by a kilt he had recently bought on a trip to Scotland. But his versions extended to the ankles and swirled. The designer confided that he used at least three times as much yardage as in a typical collection in the past.
“I’ve been approaching the idea of risk post-pandemic,” Altuzarra told me backstage in February, jouncing his toddler daughter, Emma, on his hip. “I just feel like I should be doing the most extreme thing I can.” Extreme size extended to his muse: The collection was inspired by the original absolute unit, Moby Dick. (Altuzarra gave front row guests copies of the Penguin Classics edition.)
This story is from the April 2022 edition of Town & Country.
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This story is from the April 2022 edition of Town & Country.
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