By: Jamie Bornscheuer
It is no secret that runway fashion is a bit strange. There have been condom dresses, toilet paper hand bags, roller skate heels and pretty much anything else you can imagine. There are no rules when it comes to high fashion and as American fashion designer Thom Browne says, interpretation is up to the beholder. Runway fashion can be hard to navigate for those who aren’t familiar with high fashion shows. The strange looks are often the subject of interesting interpretation, but what is a guy’s perspective on the looks of a high fashion runway? University of Arizona student Nathan Thomas shared his first impressions of a few looks from the Spring 2019 collections. The looks range from dressed up to dressed down and also highlight some of the up-and-coming trends to look out for during the Spring of 2019.
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The first look is Valentino and uses feathers as a statement. The over-the-top feathered hats were used in other Valentino looks during his debut at Paris Fashion Week. Each look embodies a high fashion women on a “glamorous getaway.”
“Wait, the sweater is actually cool looking. I like it… I mean other than the hat. The hat is clearly a joke. Is it supposed to be a sombrero? I don’t know, but the pants have so much detail, I like them,” Thomas said.
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The second look is by Prada. During a Vogue interview at Milan Fashion Week, Miuccia Prada said that her line “wanted to break the rules of the classic” and “discuss a wish of freedom and liberation and fantasy, and, on the other side, the extreme conservatism that is coming— the duality out there.” Thomas, however, didn’t see that from this look.
First, Thomas laughed and then was silent for several seconds. “I mean… it’s pretty ‘Gaga-esk.’ The weird show of underwear, ya… (more seconds of silence) that ain’t it chief,” He said, confused by the heels and the belt. “I mean I guess that’s a runway look.” 3
The third look, by Max Mara, is a seemingly more classic look. The looks in Max Mara’s Spring 2019 collection featured monochromatic ready-to-wear pieces that contrasted with the extravagance of other Spring collections. L’Officiel called the Max Mara Spring collection “a rediscovery of contemporary, Italian luxury.”
“Wait, this is a pretty regular outfit, I like it. The jacket almost drapes on her, but it works.” Thomas also noticed the contrasting materials of the dress and the jacket and indicated that he thought it worked well together. 4
The last look is by Giambattista Valli. His ivory looks paid homage to artist, Yoko Ono. Valli said he was listening to Ono on his trip to India. Vogue speculates that in addition to his travels, ‘60s and ‘70s fashion associations show how his Spring 2019 collection came to be. While other high fashion publications delve into the meaning behind Valli’s pieces, Thomas had a more direct opinion.
“Um, that’s literally a painter’s uniform. When I see a guy in a painter’s uniform I don’t think ‘wow sick outfit.’ My opinion isn’t going change just because it’s on the runway,” Thomas said.
Final Notes
These pieces were only just a glimpse of the both the designers’ collections and other collections shown for Spring 2019. Novice and experts on runway alike, fashion is open to everyone’s interpretation. Whether you make a connection to the designer’s intent for their pieces or not, runway fashion is meant to invoke a feeling— love or hate. All photographs are from Harper’s Bazaar.
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