During the last few weeks the transparency trend has appeared during many catwalks, turning into a staple feature at the Milan fashion shows. See-through blouses, trousers and skirts in ethereal organza and silky materials, in a palette of ghostly greys and whites or in bright colours is the norm for the Spring/Summer 09 season. But the transparency trend also spawned another obsession, the layered look.
In some cases a skirt was worn over another skirt, their different colours and materials creating striking effects. Though interesting this look can be tricky to master as it can cause an undesired excess of fabric on the body, especially when there isn’t a reasonable limit to the amount of layers used. Karl Lagerfeld though seems to have found a good balance in the multi-layered transparent trend.
At yesterday’s Fendi catwalk, he limited the numbers of layers in skirts and dresses to three, proving this is actually the perfect number for the multi-layered look. Though the focus of the collection should have been Fendi’s new bag, the “kangaroo”, named after its shape that leaves one side open as if it were a marsupial’s pouch, the attention of many critics fell on the layered look Lagerfeld came up with.
Some dresses had a modern cinch-waisted silhouette created by bustier-like belts, others had a more sculptural look, while some skirts were based on bell-shapes, yet all the looks were characterised by the juxtaposition of three layers of fabric. Different shapes were created by over-imposing monochrome layers one on the other or structuring the differently-coloured layers at various heights. This trick also allowed Lagerfeld to launch a sort of modern hobble skirt that, stopping around the knees rather than around the ankles like Poiret’s, created an elegant effect.
Lagerfeld also used in a clever and interesting way different fabrics: rather than looking dated and out of fashion, his white or pale blue broderie anglaise was modern and futuristic, thanks to the geometrical effects laser cut outs created on the fabric.
So, remember, if you ever opt for the multi-layered look from now on, you’d better stop at three. If it worked for Lagerfeld it will work for you as well.
PS A spooky note for those who, like me, love to explore the connections between fashion and cinema and are intrigued by stylish horror films: the music that could be heard in the background during the fashion show was a remix of Dario Argento‘s Suspiria‘s memorable soundtrack. Italian production house First Sun, co-founded by Silvia Venturini Fendi, acquired last year the remake rights to Argento’s cult film, so the soundtrack was a sort of implict advertising technique (though it sounded rather cool…).
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