How are the Roaring Twenties making a comeback in fashion?
It is to the American physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis that we owe this forecast. In his book "Apollo's Arrow", he examines the tremendous impact of the pandemic on our environment, and emphasizes that what we are currently experiencing is not so exceptional. Well, each era is unique, but large-scale epidemics have existed throughout history, from biblical plagues to medieval plagues through the Spanish flu. It is undeniable that they systematically cause a collapse of the economy, and that we react in such a situation according to the same model. We lay low for a while - understand: we turn to religion, get more introverted and thrifty, take fewer risks - until the disease is eradicated and we can get our feet wet again like before.
Traditionally, this rebirth has been accompanied by more exuberant social contacts - arguably the least fun definition ever given to the word "party" - as well as the reverse behavior of all those we have just mentioned. Life will therefore soon be more licentious, sumptuous, and extravagant. In the current context, we can expect crowded bars, sold-out concerts, dating apps running at full speed, and a certain excess in the field of art, and therefore also fashion. The Roaring Twenties, 21st-century style. It looks cool, but we will have to wait to uncork the champagne: according to Nicholas Christakis, our society will not have overcome the medical, but also socio-economic and psychological consequences of the pandemic until 2024, at the earliest. You speak of disappointment. Allow us a brief aside: with all due respect to fantasies deeply rooted in the collective imagination, the 1920s were a less rosy era than the photogenic films full of Charleston dresses and feathered boas suggest that were actually reserved. to the happy few. Much of the world's population was floundering in poverty, and still healing the wounds of World War I and the Spanish flu when the crash of 1929 occurred. Less rosy, certainly, but no less interesting, and no less promising. 'hope. We must learn the lessons of the past: if the economic recovery is done this time for the benefit of man and the environment if the terms "sustainability" and "conscious production/consumption" appear in bold type on the page Blanche that we are about to write, the near future could turn out to be rather pleasant. Indeed, the challenges to be met are no different from the situation of a century ago: at the time, social and economic inequalities were at the heart of the functioning of Western societies; today, it is a monstrous model that produces and consumes at a breakneck pace.“ The fashion industry is being challenged like never before, on the unprecedented scale on which it has operated in recent years,” said Abi Buller, trend forecaster at international firm The Future Laboratory. " Overproduction has been a problem for a long time and today we are paying the price: store closures and supply chain disruption are creating dramas. In addition, fashion players are exploring deadstock, upcycling, and other sustainable solutions. The industry is taking the right measures. "So we are not going to binge-shop again? “ There will no doubt be a hedonistic revival, but it will be short-lived - or at least it will have to make way for the growing group of consumers who want to think about things in a slower, more sustainable way. Not everyone has them. ways to do it, but we're already seeing how it fuels Gen Z's creativity. Platforms like TikTok are full of DIY projects and other ways to get the most out of your own closet. "
Equally fascinating: the impact that pandemics - and by extension work culture - have on fashion, time and time again. The need for comfort still prevails. Let's look further than sexy frilly dresses: the 1920s marked the end of the corset, but also the birth of feminine sportswear and looks that were both aesthetic and functional for women. The latter entered the labor market, often to do the job of their late husbands, which was not possible in a dress. Towards the end of the decade, therefore, we saw the arrival of pants with practical pockets and even zippers. It sounds harmless, but it was totally revolutionary when you consider that at the beginning of the century, women risked a fine if they wore pants! Rebelote after the Second World War, upcycling is more relevant than ever: faced with a cruel shortage of textiles and in the absence of men, women roll up their sleeves and wear their shirts. The infamous Siren Suit is proof that crisis and creativity can go hand in hand. This decidedly modern jumpsuit could easily be slipped by Londoners over their nightgowns to reach a shelter when an impending air raid was announced by the sirens. This is a recurring pattern: when (economic) need prevails, the workplace dictates the prevailing trends - and these are remarkably favorable to women in the sense that they let them breathe more.
Until 2021. Today, everyone has been working from their sofa in jogging pants for a year now. The breasts and buttocks can move freely. It's hard to imagine greater freedom, and yet our reality seems more oppressive than ever. How does the claimed need for comfort translate into this particular crisis? We've had enough of loose pants, as these over-dressed customers at the supermarket attest - just about the only place we can go without feeling guilty. The frustration of this carelessness, combined with the Zoom culture, has given birth to a new look: the "athflow", a soft contraction of the terms athleisure and flow, gives interior clothes a chic touch - think of a casual jumpsuit with heels, a loose cardigan over a silk dress, with knits mixed with noble materials, jogging bottoms available in luxury fabrics.
“The athletic flow is a fact,” admits Abi Buller. “People are realizing that this is no longer a temporary situation, and they prefer looks that express their personality rather than standard comfortable clothing. ” Over the next few years, the fashion scene will move in all directions, with the personality taking precedence over the rest. The end of trends? It's hard to say, but the importance of personal style always gains ground right after a crisis. The upcoming summer and fall collections say a lot. Marni goes for hand-painted jackets, Gabriela Hearst has discovered tie-dye, Maison Margiela is releasing perforated dresses, and Victoria seems to have cut the cutouts for her summer dresses with skillful scissors. Looks that will soon be copied by fast fashion, but that you can also create yourself on your dining room table.
What else does the crystal ball refer to? According to Abi Buller, we will be dealing with a wide range of tastes and preferences - she prefers the term "transformative twenties" to "roaring twenties". On the one hand, we will not emerge unscathed from a period of intense medical awareness. It predicts the emergence of a group of consumers who will want functional protective clothing and keep the mouth mask longer than necessary - fear is very much present with them. “ Last year, research into alternative materials gained momentum. Sweatshirts made from technical and antiviral materials will soon no longer be the exception. The increased demand for sustainability has also spurred the search for alternatives to materials. firsts - think of biodegradable textiles, for example. "On the other hand, the exuberance announced will indeed be a reality, even if it will have several faces. For some, it lies in a rediscovered appreciation of quality. Simplicity in the cut, but rich in materials such as wool, cashmere, silk, jacquard, and in the know-how necessary to give birth to a piece. In addition, exuberance will be present in special looks from another world. The endless possibilities of digital universes play an important role in this regard. It's no secret that fashion, IT, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence converged last year, which will have decisive consequences on the techniques of production and marketing of our clothes, but also on the looks that will make us fall for it.
There was a time when we weren't interested in Super Mario et al outfits, but in the near future, we will likely seek styling advice from video game heroes. In fact, experts predict the emergence of a parallel and intangible fashion world. "The hero is", a style icon that gains authority when our reality is upset: today, the trend is for sculptural silhouettes and large volumes. Sleeves, pant legs, shoulder contours, and waistlines are puffed up like never before, preferably in contrast with form-fitting elements. It's no coincidence that surreal house Schiaparelli made a splash this spring with a sparkling bodycon dress. Haute couture has proven in the past its ability to capture the zeitgeist, and Schiaparelli's mirror reflects a heroic woman. " Couture has for too long maintained a hyper-feminine and sophisticated ideal; I learned during confinement that everything can be a little less smooth. Strength and self-confidence, these are the real issues ", explains the director of the creation, Daniel Roseberry. So go out and put on a set of fabric muscles.
And maybe that is what the next decade will look like: 100 years ago, freedom was expressed in comfortable work pants, choreography full of sequins and the rejection of suffocating corsets; today, it represents a new form of force. The superiority of 100% durable satin pants, the power of a latex six-pack, the indestructibility of anti-bacterial armor or the dominance of the extremely stylish digital avatar lurking behind a homeworker in jogging pants. Different forms of weapons in a world full of strange dangers and invisible enemies. Roaring Twenties, here we are!
