Spring/Summer 2020 is in session (at least it was before the COVID-19 situation took over, but let’s pretend SS20 is still running normally though it clearly is not). I’ve been spotting a lot of wedding, garden party looks in various shows and I’m loving every bit of it. Some people hate it because to them it looks too much and too overly exaggerated, but I’m a self-proclaimed fashion overkill enthusiast. I live and breathe on these things. So here it goes, my thoughts about three shows that have attracted me because of their mad wedding vibes (and not because I’m getting married or something ha-ha).
Rodarte AW20: Retro Goth
The Look On The Runway
The only thing I get out of this collection is the retro goth look. Sure, you can fight me on many fronts that there was more than just retro and goth, but this is what is most obvious to me. This theme in particular is particularly striking because of its classic micro-sized polka dots, prominent lapels and puffed shoulders that are reminiscent of the then era, and the nets in the headpieces transforming Bella Hadid into a more modern version of a Victorian woman, and putting Polish model Aleks Marcinkiewicz as the face of Baby Doll BrideTM. The intricacies of the Victorian era can be felt in these looks, with a Rocky Horror Show twist to it. I’m even getting some Dracula vibes from this, with the dark, bold lipstick and pale, pallid makeup.
The Look On The Streets
Retro goth is a look this century is not ready for yet. Either that, or they have totally forgotten about it and Rodarte is just bringing it back to remind the people that it’s still here and worth some attention. As for how it will be or can be translated into street style, I’m guessing it pretty much is the same for the next few looks from Autumn/Winter 2020, and that includes white organza, tulle, lace, or translucent, gossamer materials. Specific to the retro goth look, one would look out for 70’s style polka dots, post-war and late 1900s silhouettes that emphasise the shoulders with puffed sleeves and accentuate the (small) waist by way of a wide belt (is it coming back into fashion?) and poofy sleeve cuffs that button up around the wrist or mid-forearm. Makeup-wise, the deathly black or blood red lipstick colours are the go-tos. As for the rest of the face, keep colours minimal-looking rather than over-layered, keep skin looking powdery, matte and “internally” shimmery rather shiny because of some kind of gloss, highlighter or sweat, and keep eyes heavy with dark lining and mascara accompanied with pale eyeshadow (or eyeshadows that make the eyes look pale). Or you could even just layer your eyelids with a flat nude colour to achieve the same contour-less effect.
Simone Rocha AW20: Royal Bride
The Look On The Runway
Romantic images of Old English-style wedding fabrics flood the runway in whites upon whites and a few peeks of black. I’ve read a few comments from different channels about this particular collection and most of them leaned towards the negative end: they all hated the fact that the entire collection was “too much of everything”, as one commentor put it. For me, however, I actually liked it mostly because I have been properly initiated into the lace, tulle and organza-loving tribe and am just appreciating every appearance these materials make on the runway. I see satin a lot too, on dresses, wide-legged pants, and massive ribbons and bows, and also a bit of the jacquard fabric on a black coat. But the translucent, gossamer material stood out to me most because of how soft, seraphic-looking and (dare I say) innocent it is. The purity of its whiteness put itself in a world of its own. It was the kind of translucent organza fabric I’ve been looking for in clothes the past 3 – 4 months (and have successfully found some) and hope to see more of them. At the same time, I secretly don’t want them to be caught in the mass street trend because I like individualism and enjoy the fact that I’m wearing something that not everyone is wearing.
The Look On The Streets
In the current street style situation in Singapore, not many people have embraced this look/material yet though it has been in season for the past year. I haven’t seen anyone outside donning a blouse in this material the past year though Zara and Mango carries plenty enough of them. My favourite organza blouse at the moment is from Zara, in blue with rose prints and frills on the puffed shoulders, narrow collar and cuffs. In terms of seeing this heavily romantic white wedding look on the streets, it is surprisingly not that far of a stretch to imagine. This is because the collection has considerably displayed wearable pieces of clothing in the midst of non-street-wearable ones, such as wide-legged silk/satin and organza pants, culottes and skirts in white and black. Apart from that, the silhouettes from this collection can be easily adapted into street style clothing because they have either already been considered as normal wear for as long as the 90s kid can remember, or its silhouettes or patterns are of patterns that can be easily incorporated into current clothings, such as prints can be easily digitised and printed on plain white tees in a matter of days or even hours. The one thing that makes this look stand out is the combination of white, black and creamy colours with the gossamer and silk materials. Springtime-wise, my flesh, bones and soul are long ready for it.
Shrimps AW20: Countryside Wedding Party
The Look On The Runway
And yet again we are thrown another springtime wedding collection though this particular fashion show isn’t one for the wedding fair. But nevertheless pieces from this collection still continue to spark inspiration in the minds of fashion and style enthusiasts. My favourite look from this collection is the one depicted in the picture on the left up above. The off-shoulder detail that extends from one end of the shoulder to the other and going straight across the upper chest gives the look a very clean, crisp image. Studious too, to an extent. The off-shoulder detail extends as a layer over the bosom in a ‘V’ shape. For the sleeves, the upper arm is a section of balloon sleeves on its own, and the lower arm a longer, puffier section of balloon sleeves, which then ends off in structured cuffs and a pair of matching white gloves. So classy. The torso of the dress is stiff looking, stopping short at the waist, which then flows down to form a larger version of the balloon sleeves in the form of a bulbous skirt. From the image, it looks like the ends of the skirt is curved inwards to form a hem circumference that’s smaller than the circumference at knee length. This further accentuates the ballooning shape of the dress.
As for the other image, it shows a plaid gown with large frills along the collar and middle section of the skirt. This look makes me think of those old English movies where young ladies and even older ones wear these sorts of dresses to garden parties, normally in the occasion where there is a wedding or an engagement. Think the 2020 movie Emma directed by Autumn de Wilde (which I sadly haven’t watched for the life of me) or any period films you can think of.
The Look On The Streets
The feat to tone down a wedding grade outfit to street-wearable grade is no unknown challenge. Over the years, and in particular in the last year, a number of fashion and style trends have incorporated tulle, lace, organza, silk and satin as well as a lot of white. I myself have been sucked into this trend and have gotten myself a collection of white and gossamer pieces. If we’re talking about translating the garden party look to wearable streetwear, we know for sure it’s not going to be that hard a feat because brands have been doing it successfully the past year. But if they’re doing it so well, will there be anything new to look forward to when the runway looks finally hit the streets? That’s a question I put both for myself to think about (in terms of trends) and for you to be more aware of the types of trends that could stem from such a theme that’s been populating many a show this season.