Perfect your pencil skirt strut, ladies, the
voyeur is back in vogue
Let me take you back to February and Milan
Fashion Week. While the fash pack sat primly in their pastel knits and Fifties
skirts, strutting along Gucci’s purple carpet came a plum-lipped Natasha Poly
in a sheer black chiffon gown, tantalisingly ruched across her décolletage,
trailing skirt dramatically slit to the top of her thighs...
At Versace, Donatella revisited the Gianni
era with pure, unadulterated S.E.X. — crystal-embellished leather bustier
cocktail dresses were paired with caged, knee-high boots, silver chain-mail and
cutaway trellis details over bare midriffs.
Let
me take you back to February and Milan Fashion Week.
Back in London, Christopher Kane unveiled a
goth-tinged collection, with deep purple and red leathers, rope-like straps and
defined cutout panels — all one purposeful about-turn from his crystal-encrusted
prettiness of s/s.
A rainy Paris saw Valentino bring an
unexpectedly fierce take on knee-length black capes, paired with sheer blouses
and structured leather pencil skirts. And, after seeing Lanvin’s rigorous,
jewelled-toned gowns and Céline’s grown-up, zipped-up, head-to-toe leather,
something told me that those sweet little sweaters weren’t going to come in all
that handy this winter.
It’s clear that something has shifted. Our
new fashion landscape is all about strong, empowered control. There’s a stylish
sleekness going on, from the structured cut of a shell top to a tight colour
palette (think black, red, white, burgundy and strong blues).
At
McQueen, though Sarah Burton’s skirts were millefeuille and flirty, they were
paired with sheer, embellished crop tops and subversive, futuristic black
visors.
It may be sexy, but it’s subtle — the cut
is close, but it’s not necessarily skintight. There’s a sexual tension to the
silhouette: think tailored pencil skirts, rather than full umbrella shapes and
a LOT of leather. At McQueen, though Sarah Burton’s skirts were millefeuille
and flirty, they were paired with sheer, embellished crop tops and subversive,
futuristic black visors.
In the past year, I’ve lost count of the
number of times I’ve called something “demure”. It may have started with those
Middleton sisters - but look at The Duchess now. She may still rock her nude LK
Bennett courts, but, from that teal Jenny Packham gown - sheer lace on the back
and slashed in a deep V at the front - to her show-stopping, practically
body-con Jubilee scarlet Alexander McQueen number, she’s been showing some
serious figure and giving off more than an air of the people’s foxy princess.
Perennial tomboy Kristen Stewart has been
stepping out in a cacophony of risqué cutout, legs-on-show première gowns.
There’s been a flurry of side boob on everyone from Naomi Watts to Gwyneth
Paltrow: the thinking woman’s cleavage. It’s flirty but, crucially, a
subversive and discreet way to flash some flesh - giving off a sense of elegance
and control.
Heels,
so that, as you leave a room, watching eyes are drawn to your walk from the
Íloor up (see Lanvin’s sparkle-covered soles).
There’s a new power woman in town - and
she’s not skipping about in a Stepford wife-esque ensemble. Just look at the
latest series of Mad Men — the style heroine isn’t the icy Betty in a prom
dress, but the playful and sexually overt Megan in mini-shifts, tight cigarette
pants and stilettos.
But this isn’t just a retro TV thing: the
hottest new US telly imports are Veep - fronted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the
US vice president — and Girls, written by and starring the ferociously funny
Lena Dunham, unafraid to show eye -wateringly real sexual experiences. Over on
our Kindles, this year “mommy porn” was unleashed, with Fifty Shades of
Greyhitting one million sales.
This new focus isn’t about flashing acres
of flesh; it’s cleverer than that. Cuts are sculpted across the body. A blouse
may be sheer, but it’ll be high-necked; if you wear an oversized cocoon coat,
Pair it with a miniskirt. Fabrics are textured — all the better for touching.
The new fetish area? Heels, so that, as you leave a room, watching eyes are
drawn to your walk from the Íloor up (see Lanvin’s sparkle-covered soles).
Quite the exit.
This unabashed sexuality has even hit the
beauty counters: the latest fragrances are contained in gothic noirglass
bottles (Lady Gaga has even made the juice of her scent black), while eyes are
heavily hooded and smoky and lips dipped in deep plums and reds.
It takes serious confidence to pull this
Look off — but that’s what it’s all about. Embrace it, feel empowered and get
in touch with your inner (and, vitally, well-dressed) vamp, because it’s
looking like one hot winter.
