Fashion follows what’s happening in society. It doesn’t lead.
In the 1920s, when women were demanding more freedom, designers threw out corsets and created the looser-fitting flapper dress. When fabric was scarce during World War II, apparel makers shortened hemlines and created narrow silhouettes that used less material.
Then when Americans were ready to celebrate the post-war boom, Christian Dior rolled out his “New Look” in 1947, full skirts that consumed yards of fabric and were a testament to the country’s new prosperity.
So what will fashion bring in the wake of the World Trade Center disaster?
That’s easy, says David Wolfe who has spent decades attempting to predict the vagaries of the fashion world.
Serious and sober is in. Sexy is out.
The entire country took a big step to the right in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack, he says. Billions of more dollars will be spent on defense and intelligence activities. Personal liberties are being curtailed at airports and other high-security places. Flags are sold out around the country.
This isn’t a time to be walking around in mini skirts, low-slung jeans and skimpy blouses, says Wolfe, creative director of the Doneger Group, a fashion consulting firm in New York. Somebody better tell that to the teenage girls.
In a bit of good news for the fashion world, many of the new fall looks already were headed in the right direction. Classic pinstripes and sturdy tweeds are hot right now. So are more polished, pulled-together outfits. Even the women’s suit is making a comeback.
So what’s out? The graffiti look, which has a subversive underworld quality to it, probably is dead, Wolfe says.
What’s in? Literally, wrapping one’s self in the flag in the form of red, white and blue color apparel. That’s certainly good news for Tommy Hilfiger, the beleaguered design house that has made those colors its trademark for years.
The camouflage look, which has been around for several seasons, could go either way, Wolfe says. If people see it as a symbol of guerilla activity, it’s history along with checking your bag at the airport curb.
If consumers decide it’s a sign of support for America’s special forces, it might gain more cachet and be around awhile, he predicts. Plus, lots of people already have some camouflage apparel in their closets, so it’s a fast and inexpensive way to make a political statement.
Fresh look: If consumers have one complaint about department stores, it’s the cookie-cutter sameness that has developed in the past 10 years. Many of the same designers and brands can be found everywhere from Bloomingdale’s to Carson, Pirie Scott to Lord & Taylor.
Meanwhile, lots of small designers with innovative looks are overlooked because they can’t get the attention of department store buyers who want to buy in quantity from well-known names.
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Marshall Field’s is trying to change that. On Thursday, Field’s invited more than 20 area designers to show their stuff and explain their philosophy to its buying staff. The plan was to select two apparel makers and two accessories designers to be showcased in Field’s State Street store from November through April.
The presentations were so strong that Field’s selected three of each instead.
“It was a fabulous day,” says Sheri Styles, senior accessories buyer for Field’s. “I knew there was a lot out there, but I’m just so re-energized. It’s a way of giving back to Chicago and really trying to give credit to local talent.”
The idea for Field’s design competition was a collective one by Field’s buying staff, who were impressed by the local talent they saw this spring at the Red Hot Chicago fashion show. That’s music to the ears of members of Chicago’s Apparel Industry Board, who have staged the event for the past two years to draw attention to local designers.
One of Field’s winners is Delilah Jewelry, a year-old partnership between Andrea Fohrman and Jill Alberts. The two take vintage pins and earrings, surround them with semi-precious stones and turn them into pendants that retail from $100 to $1,350.
Their jewelry already is sold in stores around the country, but getting into Field’s is a “really exciting thing,” Fohrman said. “It’s definitely a big thing because it’s Marshall Field’s. The State Street store has so much history to it.”
The other winners in the accessories category include Tangee Harris Pritchett and Alyse Ullrich. In the ready-to-wear field, winners include Herbert Van Stephens, Price Walton and Michelle Tan.
The new designers will be showcased on the second floor at the top of the atrium elevator near the Eileen Fisher and DKNY departments.
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