In February of 2024, Apple TV+ launched the American drama ‘The New Look'. The series consists of eight episodes and tells the story of two Parisian fashion houses, Dior and CHANEL, half a century ago. The setting is Paris in the spring of 1947, when Christian Dior's ‘Corolle' fall and winter high-fashion series became a hit. After half a century, Corolle became better known as ‘the new look'.
In the play, Mademoiselle Chanel, another contemporary designer, criticised the ‘new look', stating that it ruined French haute couture. She believed that the new look was overly elaborate and reinstated pre-war designs that tightened women's figures and relegated them to the status of ‘ornamental' housewives. This clearly went against the spirit of female emancipation that Chanel wanted to promote in the fashion world.
However, the popularity of the ‘New Style' fashion trend for over a decade after World War II was not due to its pioneering and daring design. Instead, it represented a form of spiritual conservatism that concealed the traces of women's labour and created an atmosphere of luxury and complexity. Dior's popularity can be attributed to his ability to capture the retro aesthetic desired by high-class women after World War II. These women longed for the opulence of the Victorian era, and Dior's designs fulfilled that desire. The emergence of the ‘new look' was timely, as fashion was shifting towards a more conservative style.
However, it is important to note that the ‘new look' did not set the trend for the era; rather, it was a response to the changing societal mood. As society transitioned from a wartime mindset to a post-war era of consumerism, fashion needed to reintroduce the glamorous style of ‘joy and beauty' exemplified by the ‘New Look'. Women sought to cast off the drab, grey tones of war by embracing long, silky waves of hair, wide high heels, and wasp-waisted skirts.
The world of fashion design is ever-changing, much like a floating world painting that reflects the mood of the times. Women's clothing design often responds to the prevailing female mood of the era. However, in today's world, it seems challenging to discern any clear response to society's mood in the designs of contemporary brands. Today's social moods are as vague and uncertain as fog. The rise of social media has given everyone a platform to express their opinions, resulting in trends that are no longer straightforward but rather complex and all-encompassing.
لقد منح صعود وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي الجميع منصة للتعبير عن آرائهم، مما أدى إلى ظهور اتجاهات لم تعد واضحة بل معقدة وشاملة. وعلى نحو مماثل، انتقدت وسائل الإعلام المتخصصة في الموضة العروض الأخيرة لأنها كانت آمنة للغاية وتفتقر إلى الإبداع. بل ذهب البعض إلى حد القول إن جميع العروض تبدو متشابهة.
Gucci's new creative director, Sabato De Sarno, acknowledged the brand's awareness of criticism before the show. He stated, ‘I don't care if my clothes are considered commercial, my goal is to see people on the street wearing my clothes.'
ربما يرجع الافتقار إلى أسلوب جديد حقًا في هذا العصر إلى فقدان عمالقة الموضة لقوتهم في تحديد الموضة. لا تقود علامة تجارية معينة أو جماليات تصميمية الاتجاهات الحالية. تم تقسيم التصميم إلى العديد من الرموز، والتي يتم مشاركتها بعد ذلك مع الجمهور من خلال وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي وKOLs من جميع الأحجام، مما أدى إلى إنشاء اتجاه تلو الآخر.
بعد إزالة مناقشة تحديد الاتجاهات، يحاول قادة صناعة الأزياء الآن استعادة هذه المناقشة. في فبراير/شباط من هذا العام، أعلنت شركة LVMH عن إنشاء قسم جديد، 22 Montaigne Entertainment، لاستكشاف إمكانات 75 من علاماتها التجارية، بما في ذلك Louis Vuitton وDior وBulgari، في صناعة الأفلام والتلفزيون.
تميل تقاطعات الموضة والأفلام إلى الازدهار خلال فترات الركود الاقتصادي. فهل تستطيع العلامات التجارية التي ظهرت في الفيلم استعادة مكانتها البارزة في المحادثة؟
