After a summer of ladylike pastels
and lace, this autumn it is strong, frill-free design that is seducing us, says
Harriet Quick
Anne Valerie Hash Cotton and silk-satin
coat, from $2,670, at Dover street market
In the Céline showroom, located on the rule
de Grenelle in Paris, one particular coat was drawing buyers and press like
bees to blossom. It was sapphire blue with an off-centre closure, sloping
shoulders and an outsize silhouette. The design was irrefutably modern,
seriously chic and bold, all in one go. Said coat, a bestseller, acted as a
flag-waver for a new school of fashion that’s due to get lift-off right now.
Serious chic is all about strong,
frill-free design that appeals to the holy style trinity of mind, body and
wardrobe. It speaks of authority (distinguished shoulder lines), innovation
(bold color blocking) and confidence (sculpted silhouettes). But unlike the
austerity movement of the first crunch-sensitive trend (circa 2008), serious
chic is severe without being po-faced.
Setting
the tone for the season Vogue, July 2012
The colors are seductive (serious does not
have to be black!); the fabrics luxurious – leather, cashmere, silks. It’s also
a timely prompt to keep one’s shoulders straight; shoes polished and smile on
in style through this period of economic woe.
As Hussein Chalayan says about his line-up
of sheath column dresses, cleverly draped tunics, and trousers in shades of
ochre and emerald: “I wanted to look at ways of being chic without being
ladylike. I’m interested in the transience of our lives; the flow of occasions
we dress for in a day – from meetings to art openings to dinner – there has to
be a liquidity of purpose.” Chalayan worked away at stripping down his shapes,
distilling them to their essence as he redefined his fashion lexicon. It was a
challenge. As he says, paring everything down leaves no frills to hide behind.
Diane
Von Furstenberg Suede shoes, $323, at my-wardrobe.com
Such rigor is a common aim in the serious
camp – Phoebe Philo at Celine is a luminary in the movement. Alongside that
blue coat, other notable pieces included low-belted oxblood leather tunics
married with bubblegum-pink trousers and Sixties modernist white patent-leather
pointy-toe wedges. At Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa turned his imagination to
Berlin and Eighties post-punk electro bands. His models sported sharp
side-partings and nude lipstick (be warned: it’s not an easy look to pull off)
atop brilliant coral waisted coats, leather tunics and ballooning ivory cropped
trousers, clipped in with circular metal band belts. The effect was fierce.
Sophie
Hulme leather bag, $372, at Matches
The progenitors of this trend unite
established houses and new talents. What they share is a love of great design,
exacting proportion and making clothes that really do give us a purposeful
image. After a summer of ladylike clothes (all those delicious pastels and
lace) this renewed sense of conviction and determination is rather compelling.
After all, if we are going to invest in top-ticket clothes, we want them to act
– as well as look – the part.
An
elegant jacket, slim-cut trouser or graphic top will go a long way this winter
Such purism has been Akris’s mission since
1922, when the family company was set up. The signature is architectural lines
but often cut from double-face cashmere. This season, creative director Albert
Kriemler, inspired by graphic canvases by abstract artist Franz Kline,
developed a collection of refined tailoring (women love Akris’s well-cut trousers)
in fern-green wool and camel cashmere with painterly graphic effects. “I design
wearable clothes,” says Kriemler, “Not only for special occasions but for
comfortable use, every day, at every hour. Only when a dress is worn and feels
well on the body can we tell whether it has succeeded or not.”
Acne
leather jacket, $2,550
Yes, serious chic is very much about real
clothes - pieces that make sense. New talents to watch include Korean-born Hwan
Heo of Heohwan Simulation, who, with his bi-color paneled coats with bold zip
details, has a taste for clever, neat urban wear. “My goal was to explore and
reflect on the progress of fashion phenomena and history. The topic for this
collection stems from Walter Benjamin’s flâneur, where I tried to convey image
of the street in an edgy way,” explains Heo, who studied menswear at the RCA
and debuted his women swear at Vauxhall Fashion Scout this year. “I like to
contemplate what is attractive at any one time and work from that.” He might
well be hitting our collective desire with a boxy, Leather-Panelled cashmere
coat that took numerous toiles to perfect. Over in the East End, boutique LN-CC
is becoming a magnet for the serious chic shopper with its hidden entrance (off
a tiny alleyway). Here you’ll find London-based, Chinese-born newcomer Yang Li
among a line-up of old favorites, such as Martin Margiela and Ann
Demeulemeester. “We have never really bought into the “high heels and handbags”
look – our style is very much focused on the more masculine, tailored aesthetic
you can easily pick up on from the likes of Jil Sander, Haider Ackermann and
Yang Li,” says founder John Skelton, defining his customers’ taste.
Mimi
Berry leather laptop case, $210. Antonio Berardi sleeveless top, $2,048,
miniskirt, $1,395, Both At Harrods
An elegant jacket, a slim-cut trouser, a
graphic top or sheath skirt will go a long, long way this autumn/winter. The
best way to wear it? Don’t look at the catwalk models – it’s with a lovely
smile.
