Following on from the 1980s/1940s connection I talked about in my last post, the latest Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 09 Couture show typified this mix of vintage trends exactly.
John Galliano has consistently produced incredible couture collections since taking over as head of design at Dior in 1997, a move that coincided with the labels 50th anniversary.
Back in 1948, Christian Dior famously produced the ‘New Look’ collection in Paris, revolutionising the way women approached fashion. His beautiful clothes were far more feminine and elegant than the heavier, practical fashion of the decade. “The New Look rapidly became a postwar cultural symbol for what Dior himself described as “Youth, hope, and the future.” fashionencyclopedia.com
Galliano has clearly taken much inspiration from Dior’s iconic 1948 collection, channeling that elegance and feminity. The clean tailoring and smart accessories are classic staples of that era. However, Galliano has also updated and redifined the look with a punchy 80s punk aesthetic. The bold colours, exposed bras and hold-ups and frizzy hair are pure 1980s Madonna.
In terms of shopping for vintage clothes, it is always worth mixing and matching different decades (as I mentioned previously). Conversely it seems, as so many 80s clothes are themselves vintage reinterpretations of 40s classics, the combination of the two actually creates a very modern look. A structured suit jacket in a dense fabric like wool combined with a lacey crop top or bra top gives a subtle nod to both these eras whilst remaining very ‘on-trend’ (as fashion folk would say). Check out some of the cool examples available from Covert Candy’s online vintage shop, like this very 80s broad-shouldered jacket.
Christian Dior
Following on from the 1980s/1940s connection I talked about in my last post, the latest Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 09 Couture show typified this mix of vintage trends exactly.
John Galliano has consistently produced incredible couture collections since taking over as head of design at Dior in 1997, a move that coincided with the labels 50th anniversary.
Back in 1948, Christian Dior famously produced the ‘New Look’ collection in Paris, revolutionising the way women approached fashion. His beautiful clothes were far more feminine and elegant than the heavier, practical fashion of the decade. “The New Look rapidly became a postwar cultural symbol for what Dior himself described as “Youth, hope, and the future.” fashionencyclopedia.com
Galliano has clearly taken much inspiration from Dior’s iconic 1948 collection, channeling that elegance and feminity. The clean tailoring and smart accessories are classic staples of that era. However, Galliano has also updated and redifined the look with a punchy 80s punk aesthetic. The bold colours, exposed bras and hold-ups and frizzy hair are pure 1980s Madonna.
In terms of shopping for vintage clothes, it is always worth mixing and matching different decades (as I mentioned previously). Conversely it seems, as so many 80s clothes are themselves vintage reinterpretations of 40s classics, the combination of the two actually creates a very modern look. A structured suit jacket in a dense fabric like wool combined with a lacey crop top or bra top gives a subtle nod to both these eras whilst remaining very ‘on-trend’ (as fashion folk would say). Check out some of the cool examples available from Covert Candy’s online vintage shop, like this very 80s broad-shouldered jacket.