Summer is well and truly here. 90-degree weather notwithstanding, yesterday I saw my first TV commercial for the Olympics. I guess a season of sporting fever is finally upon us. Not that we haven’t already been bombarded with news stories surrounding the games. From the lackluster reception the Olympic torch has received on its journey to China, to debate as to whether world leaders will be boycotting opening ceremonies, you’d be hard pressed to escape Olympics news coverage.
Hardly surprising then that fashion in sport has also grabbed a few headlines in recent months. Starting with several new picks to outfit Olympic national teams. Stateside, it was announced that Polo had ousted Canadian brand Roots to outfit the US team. And just last Thursday Britain’s Beijing hopefuls appeared in new Vivienne Westwood-designed outfits.
Now, it would be easy to talk about the socio-political significance of America’s retro, gentile Gatsby-esque choice, or Britain’s favorite go-to: trad. yet rebellious cool Britannia. But on a purely sartorial level, all this buttoned-up tailoring, especially on the part of Polo, seems strongly at odds with the high-tech, functional mood pervading sportswear of late. Think: Speedo’s controversial LZR swimsuit that has been credited with as many as 35 record-breaking times this year.
Fortunately you need only look as far as the 2008 spring and summer collections to discover a rich melding of classic, retro and modern. Because this season, Greek chic swept the runways and designers looked to the ancient world for inspiration. Thankfully not in an entirely literal here’s-your-toga-
ma’am way.
At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz ripped a page from original classicist Madame Grès’ sketchbook, meditating on drape and playing with fluid lines by adding ostrich feathers and sequins. And really who better to reference than Grès when thinking of modernity? After all, her revolutionary use of classically inspired draping and free-flowing gowns cut on the bias epitomized modernity for stylish, liberated women in the 1930’s.
Harnessing a Grès-like sense of purity, for 2008 Elbaz proved that the goddess gown could be translated for the everyday working woman and not just the red carpet diva. Simple deconstructed draped dresses were made bold and contemporary with a bright injection of canary yellow and moss green. And with a short midnight blue dress that was softly pleated across the front and modernized with a long zipper, he gave the floaty dress the tough edge modern-day goddesses deserve.
Elsewhere, Panichgul Thakoon adopted the daytime goddess dress, instead choosing asymmetry with soft pleating to create a shimmering confection. At Preen, Thornton and Bregazzi produced a body-con-meets-sleek-greek dress in muted dove gray, while Jonathan Saunders went monochrome, showing a whit
e abbreviated dress draped from the neckline and belted at the waist.
But really it was Nicolas Ghesquiere’s revolutionary collection with its structural tailoring, strong shoulders and space age feel that stole the shows with its forward-thinking take. Punctuating each floral look was a classic Greek sandal, transformed into a towering biker-chick-come-gladiator statement shoe that combined the ancient world and modernity with a high glamour quotient. Surely if Nike the goddess of victory wore shoes they would be from Balenciaga.
Off the runways the modern Grecian dress has also filtered down to the mass market. And considering Greece was the founder of democracy, it’s apt that Target, the US home of democratized fashion, has been one to pick up the look in a contemporary hue that's perfect for achieving the look without being mistaken for a movie extra.
Looks like we can all enjoy a little ancient history as cutting edge fashion then. And you don't have to be watching the Olympics to appreciate that.
