Fashionably Late: Runway Reality

As an avid fashion follower, there is nothing more exciting to me than seeing what is shown at fashion week. Well, actually, there is nothing more exciting to me than seeing the photographs of what was shown at fashion week posted online. As the pictures go up, I sit at my computer for hours glued to my computer screen scrolling through every piece of each collection that my favorite designers have created. It is so exciting to see how the old silhouettes have changed and what completely new ideas have been created.

I loved the Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 Ready-To-Wear (RTW) collection so much that I e-mailed a few of the runways shots to my friend to share in my feeling of awe. The collection was a mix between futuristic and animalistic styles, full of uniquely constructed silhouettes, and lots of short dresses in vivid, complex prints. And let’s not forget the shoes, which were constructed in a way that I have never seen before. However, her response was not exactly what I expected. “Whoa,” she said, “that collection is really cool. But who would ever wear that stuff?”. To me, I thought of these designs as individual pieces of art. Each one was like a sculpture because of its construction and a painting because of the intricate patterns. I considered them to be created solely for artistic purposes and hadn’t completely thought about how the public would conceive their wear-ability.

Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 RTW

But designers clearly need to make a living. They are people just like you and I. And if their designs are so radical that no one can wear them, why are they created and shown at over the top shows? Alexander McQueen has been a successful brand for years; therefore, people must be buying these outrageous outfits. Which leads to the question of who these people are and where are they wearing these extravagant designs? Only a small population would be able to afford any of these pieces and an even smaller population would be able to look good in one of these dresses.

A runway show is there to inspire creativity and give the masses fresh ideas on how to dress and what styles to embrace. The fashion show (which can sometimes seem like a wild performance) is used not only to showcase the designer’s art, but also to help us understand it. For example, McQueen’s runway show illustrates the mindset and concept behind his designs. At the Spring 2010 RTW show, the models were made up to resemble aliens with space-age hair and make-up that did not necessarily look human. Seeing the clothing in the context of the runway show, we understand the theme and concept behind the collection.

Camilla Belle in Alexander McQueen

To demonstrate the wear-ability of their clothing to the public, designers look to celebrities to wear their clothes and start trends that include their pieces. In her latest music video, Bad Romance, Lady Gaga is seen wearing an Alexander McQueen ensemble straight from the runway. Lady Gaga enthusiasts will see this look and understand that she is wearing it as a costume but will make note of the futuristic trend. In a more tangible setting, Camilla Belle was seen wearing only a dress from the McQueen collection. In this setting, you see that a piece on it’s own is completely wearable, but looks gorgeous in a real life. When you dissect the individual runway looks, you discover that there are many great, original pieces. You realize that you don’t have to be Lady Gaga dancing in a futuristic music video to wear McQueen.

Designers like Alexander McQueen are the real geniuses because they can create clothing that is both wearable and art. Next time you see a runway show with seemingly impractical clothing remember two things. Know that the catwalk is a showcase of the designer’s art and examine the individual pieces as something that can be worn.