“Sexy is back” was last month’s Paris Fashion Week SS22 main take away, including micro tops by Miu Miu, sensual draping by Loewe to reimagining the Christian Dior short skirt and blazer with a touch of preppy and punky look.

Related story: Luxury fall coats are long, elegant and cozy

The big question within the fashion industry is will women lose the stay at home causal sweat pants and sneakers for a more party girl vibe next year?

Returning to VFW SS22 are local favourites including Alex S. Yu to new designer talent Psy Lau offering up Hong Kong street style to Crystal Dress from Korea.

Stay tune for more Vancouver Fashion Week SS22 coverage as we explore the luxury fashion trends for the post-virus comeback season.

Above Photo: Claire Elizabeth at Vancouver Fashion Week SS20 Gala. | Simon Lau

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Fashion history tells us that social disruptions such as political and economic events like the great depression and World War II have had far greater influence on fashion than seasonal trends.

During World War II, everything from food to steel to fabrics was rationed for the war effort so our parents recycled old clothes and even curtains to make new things for their children.

Christian Dior’s New Look

The post-war years gave birth to Christian Dior’s extravagant New Look which was defined by long skirts with corset waists. This type of extreme European elegance would not have been politically acceptable during the war.

Above Photo: Duomo of Milan | Daniil Vnoutchkov on Unsplash

Luxury retail therapy is real

Today, Athleisure may encourage more people to adopt the same look in public regardless of what activity they’re engaged in, day in and day out. But for the wealthy, luxury retail therapy is very real. WWD reports that upon reopening, the Hermes boutique in Guangzhou, China brought in sales of US $2.7M in one day. While many of you continue to lounge in your leggings, the luxury sector is more resilient than most people realize.

We are all eager to return to normality – to get outside, connect with family and friends, travel beyond the borders Covid-19 has imposed upon us. Doubtless, a revival of personal style will be part of this journey. 

Australians take out the bin

Consider some of the ways that Covid-19 has already influenced fashion. In Australia, for example, women are dressing up in their wedding gowns to take out the garbage. The pictures they’re posting on Instagram – hauling trash cans to the curb in swathes of white silk, satin and chiffon – are a cheeky reminder that, these days, your bin goes out more than you do. We all have to create our own opportunities to dress up.

New York street photography evolves

Meanwhile in New York, street fashion photography has been replaced by demure images of Kate Middleton-style looks taken at home and posted each Sunday on Instagram. Though the content may have shifted to a more reserved aesthetic, even in the middle of a pandemic, many still crave those ‘likes’. 

So, fashion is still part of our lives, a way to express our moods and identities even during the most challenging of times. We will survive Covid-19 and it will change the face of fashion. 

Together, we will celebrate life and personal style once this has passed. I, for one, can’t wait to see what the next stage of fashion history will look like.

Be kind, stay home and stay safe!

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Like the New Year, spring is a time of rebirth and renewal and, in the world of high fashion, the return to captivating glamour is the revival we’ve been waiting for. As one of the top fashion trends for spring 2018, this polished elegant look will resonate with both the new and the old money crowd.

Fashion designers no longer market trends. As consumers now desire clothes that reflect their personal style, designers tend to offer up various looks from which their customers can choose. However, there are some dominant themes running through the Spring 2018 collections. Though they are by no means homogenous, the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan do give us a sense of direction this spring.

Starting last fall, several fashion designers began eschewing expensive casual attire such as sneakers and sweat suits, offering chic elegant pieces instead. This spring, the trend continued and it seems the fashion pendulum is swinging back to a more polished wardrobe.

In my book, glamour never truly went out of style. But there are several looks from the spring runway collections that point to women dressing up – rather than dressing down – to feel fabulous as we enter spring 2018.

Top Spring Fashion Trends 2018

Disco 2.0

For those who miss the psychedelic haze of the sex-driven club scene of the 70’s and the strobe-lit crystal balls spinning to the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever, you’ll be pleased to know that disco is back. Mini dresses and catsuits covered with sequins were all the rage with Spanish designer Paco Rabanne. Inspired by the Paris club scene, the Rabane look is perfect for partying and dancing all night long in style.

Busting Out

Some call it the Kardashian effect. Designers continue to present plunging necklines, including sexy waist deep v-necks and low cut square necks, for women of all sizes. New to the mix this spring is the bustier which Alexander McQueen’s collection offered with decorative colored stitching, ruffles and feathers. Still revealing, while celebrating the sensuality of the female form, the bustier provides sex appeal to those who perhaps aren’t quite ready to try a bodycon dress with a deep v-neck.

Glamorous Sheer

When it comes to long skirts, make it sheer. Using tulle and net, Christian Dior and Dries van Noten made transparent, light and airy dressing the dramatic look of the season. Multi-layered or worn waist high, this revealing fabric ensures a glamorous entrance to your next party.

Stylewise, it’s time to break out your heels and dress up! The casual attire of seasons past has undergone a metamorphosis and now awe-inspiring glamour and glitter is what spring fashion is all about.

Above photo: Anna Bella

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The exhibition takes visitors through Saint Laurent’s legendary career and reveals both his artistic genius and his creative process as an haute couture designer. On display at SAM is an exemplary collection of 110 ensembles, many of which have never been shown in public before, showcasing the tremendous achievements of his 44-years in the fashion industry.

As he singlehandedly reinvented the wardrobe of the modern women during the 60’s, Saint Laurent’s importance to the fashion world cannot be understated. By introducing the female cuts of wardrobe staples such as the pea jacket, the tuxedo, the pantsuit, and the safari jacket, he changed the way women dressed and Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style is a testament to this.

Fashions fade, style is eternal

Saint Laurent was born in 1936 in Oran, Algeria and grew up in a villa by the Mediterranean with two younger sisters. From a young age, he liked to create intricate paper dolls and by his early teens he was designing dresses for his mother and sisters. As you first enter the exhibition hall, you will learn about his Paper Doll Couture House, an interactive display which allows you to place colorful dresses over a paper doll.

Saint Laurent studied at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris before he began his fashion career at Christian Dior. Ensembles early in the exhibition focus on Saint Laurent’s formative years when, at age 21, where he was named artistic director for the renowned house after the sudden death of Christian Dior in 1957. Working at the pinnacle of French luxury fashion, his successful 1958 Spring – Summer debut collection for Dior includes his magnificent Eléphant Blanc evening dress made from silk and covered with gold metallic thread embroidery which is a must see piece of this exhibition.

Visitors will learn how Saint Laurent was inspired by art. On display is one of his most famous dresses which features square blocks of primary colors’  red, yellow and blue encompassed by black lines and pays homage to Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Saint Laurent was influenced by all forms of art and culture from the bright colors and stark lines of pop art to the traditional materials used in African arts and crafts. A raffia coat with a silk dress embroidered with tiny wooden beads is a prime example of the latter source of inspiration.

Dressing is a way of life

In 1962, Saint Laurent launched his own couture house with Pierre Bergé, his lifelong partner both in business and in life. In 1966, they opened the first ready-to-wear designer boutique in London which introduced designer fashions to the masses. He became know as the Beatnik Couturier, drawing inspiration from street life and pop culture and proudly proclaiming, “you no longer need to be rich to have style.”

As fascinating as any of the dresses, and included throughout the exhibition, are the original collection boards from 1962 – 2002 with sketches of and swatches from each outfit of every Saint Laurent couture show covering 40 years of the maison de couture’s history. Plus, one of the eight modules of the exhibition includes a large glass display case the size of a boardroom table filled to the edges with bold and colorful jewelry accessories, demonstrating the total look of the Yves Saint Laurent house.

During the 1970’s Yves Saint Laurent achieved superstar status equal to that of Mick Jagger or David Bowie. He was no longer simply a fashion designer, but also a celebrity, targeted by British gossip magazines and photographers on the lookout for scandals. And he did not disappoint. In November 1971, to promote his men’s fragrance Pour Homme, he released a nude photograph of himself and caused an incredible stir.

Numerous photographs, drawings and production documents offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative workings of the fashion house and the private life of the great couturier.

Many of the exhibition displays are on loan from the Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent Foundation which opened its doors on the premises of the former Paris couture house in 2004 with a goal to conserve and promote Yves Saint Laurent’s unique vision after he passed away in his Paris home in 2008.

Elegance is forgetting what one is wearing

The elegance of Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style stands in striking contrast with grunge, Seattle’s contribution to fashion history. Originating from its vibrant music scene, the movement influenced high fashion in the 90s and is making a comeback at youth oriented fast fashion outlets.

Grunge kicked off with the rise of Kurt Cobain’s alternative rock band Nirvana whose music earned its label with its murky and rough sound. Many have described grunge fashion as thrift store chic. Cobain himself had a nonchalant “anything goes” look characterized by graphic t-shirts, Doc Marten boots, distressed light denim, oversized cardigan sweaters with moth holes and, to top it all off, bad hair every day of the week.

In 1993, James Truman, Editor of Details, said that, “grunge is about not making a statement, which is why it’s crazy for it to become a fashion statement.” However, become a fashion statement it did. Marc Jacobs was one of the first designers to showcase grunge as high fashion with his 1993 Perry Ellis collection. In fall 2014, the Hedi Slimane collection for Saint Laurent was a tribute to grunge with luxurious scruffy mohair sweaters and faux-fur coats.

In striking contrast to its grungy past, the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at SAM brings a touch of luxurious style to the Emerald City, begging the question if Yves Saint Laurent changed the face of haute couture, can he change Seattle?

If you are planning a weekend getaway or just passing through the Seattle area, the Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition is a must see for anyone. Whether you have a particular appreciation for the influences of French couture on fashion today or you simply like beautiful things, this exceptional display of Saint Laurent’s work is sure to please.

Don’t delay as the exhibition only runs until January 8, 2017. Afterwards, it will travel to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA where it will be open from May 6 – August 27, 2017.

If you go:

Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave. Seattle, WA

Parking:

Stewart & 3^rd Ave. across from Macy’s. Request a parking voucher from the SAM ticket counter for discounted rates.

Accommodation:

Heathman Hotel Kirkland, 220 Kirkland Ave. Kirkland, WA

Dine:

Trellis Restaurant, 220 Kirkland Ave. Kirkland, WA

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