Fashion commentator Glynis Traill-Nash gets grungy, and returns from judging emerging designers at iD Dunedin Fashion Week;
The cycle of fashion is a never-satisfied beast. By traditional reckoning, it takes 20 years for the trends of a particular era to resurface. So, while ’90s minimalism was all-pervasive just a few seasons ago, its surly cousin, grunge, is now having its moment out of the mosh pit.
The Spring 2013 collections from Dries Van Noten and Phillip Lim heralded the return of all things Kurt Cobain-inspired. And when Hedi Slimane sent out that collection for Saint Laurent at the recent Fall shows, it confirmed that the trend has some fishnet-covered legs yet. All of which sent a shudder down the spines of those who clomped around in Doc Martins and floral dresses circa 1993.
Here’s the thing. There are two ways to approach Grunge 2.0. For those out there who were, perhaps, not even born when Nirvana ruled the airwaves, it’s time to embrace it at grassroots level. Get out of those teetering ankle boots, and lace up those Doc Martins; swap those digital print pants for leather trousers; throw a Perfecto leather jacket over your vintage cocktail dress. Top it off with a jaunty bowler hat, some fishnet tights (preferably ripped) and a smudged plum pout. And, of course, your flannel shirt goes with everything, anytime, anywhere (and you can find them super cheap at budget stores like Kmart – win).
The second, more sophisticated, approach should take its lead from Van Noten. The Belgian designer gave a nod to Cobain et al, but instead of those ratty looks, he used luxurious fabrics – in particular sheer organza in tartan prints (see that flannel shirt reference?), often clashed with other tartans or florals. The attitude is more laissez-faire than don’t-give-a-damn. Shoes should still be flat, but instead of those Docs, look for man-style lace-ups, perhaps in silver – socks are optional. Lines are longer, the overall feeling is loose and relaxed, just like your hair should be. A loose blazer with rolled-up sleeves should replace that flannel shirt or leather jacket here.
Same, same, but yet so different.
I was very lucky to spend last week in Dunedin, New Zealand, to be a guest judge for the iD Dunedin Fashion Week Emerging Designer Awards. It’s one of the only international awards for fashion graduates, and attracted over 100 entries from around the world, which was shortlisted to 30 from countries including Ireland and China, with a strong Australian and New Zealand contingent. On the judging panel were Karen Webster from Melbourne’s RMIT, New Zealand designers Tanya Carlson of Carlson and Margi Robertson of NOM*d. The very special guest judge for the week was British milliner to the stars Stephen Jones, who also showcased a retrospective catwalk presentation and charmed all who crossed his path.
Image: Judges Glynis Traill-Nash, Stephen Jones, overall winner Rakel Blom, Tanya Carlson, Margi Robertson and Karen Webster
The standard of entries was particularly high, extraordinarily diverse, and after much discussion we settled on our five winners. Sohong Lim from Auckland University of Technology took out the Excellence in Design award for her refashioned pieces using military gas mask bags (with a sustainable/recycled message to boot), while the Most Commercial Award went to Blathnaid McClean from Dublin’s National College of Art and Design for her expressionist film-inspired collection. Third place went to Kathleen Choo from Sydney’s UTS, second place to Emma Boseley of Melbourne’s RMIT.
Image: Sohong Lim’s collection
The overall winner was Rakel Blom, a graduate from the Dunedin’s Otago Polytechnic who hails from Iceland and is now based in London. Her collection referenced different continents through pop culture-inspired digital prints, with Perspex highlights and tufted wool features. At the catwalk showcase, Blom also turned out to be the crowd favourite, thanks to her colourful designs and genuine joie de vivre. There’s nothing like fashion that puts a smile on your face.
Image: Rakel Blom’s winning collection
