The tacky seaside connotations of my favourite London fashion week shows struck a resonant chord with me, being bred from the tacky seaside and overwhelmed with preteen nostalgia. Christopher Kane and Meadham Kirchoff's spring summer collections all had the syrupy, sickly sweet qualities of wearing your polyester Sunday best on a rainy day at the beach. Memories of eating candyfloss and it sticking uncomfortably to your face in the drizzle were summoned, along with my favourite Dreamlander, the beautiful Mary Vivian Pearce. With her candyfloss bleached hair and fake eyelashes she bears all the adornments of traditional girlishness in her roles as Cotton, Princess Coo Coo or Donna Dasher, but manages to become the antithesis of the fifties femininity she outwardly portrays in her sick and sullen characters. Though Kirchoff's models were wearing Courtney Love's wigs, it was Cotton in Pink Flamingos I could imagine flouncing down the catwalk. Christopher Kane's reference to "council estate" chic brought Pulp's Common People to mind, but it was Meadham Kirchoff's message that stuck with me most. Conveyed through frills and fluff and sickly pastels, the squeamish joy and pressure from imposed girly values and conforming to prettiness appealed to my sentiments exactly. Although these accents hark back to the stifling Marie Antionette feminine ideal, you can still be a strong woman whilst indulging in pink frilly socks.
 |
| Christoper Kane spring/summer 2012 |
 |
| Meadham Kirchoff |
 |
| via Saga Sig |
 |
| Mary Vivian Pearce |
No comments:
Post a Comment