Trend of Deception: Trompe L’Oeil Moods

The Spring/Summer 2015 womenswear shows are kicking off soon and panic reigns at the moment in many designers' studios.

Yet there was a time when creative minds seemed quicker at problem solving.

For example, in 1973 Ruben Torres found himself on the brink of a nervous breakdown when his collection didn't turn up on time for his fashion show in Paris.

In a moment of genius he drew the clothes – including buttons, collars and pockets – onto the bodies of his models and saved the day.

"No more problems with fabric and sizes," he declared while indirectly relaunching the trompe l'oeil trend.

Throughout the centuries the art of tricking the eye with clever illusions that confuse reality and perception has been employed by many artists, but also architects and interior designers.

Fashion obviously borrowed this illusionary trick applying it to garments in a successful way: designer Elsa Schiaparelli created simple hand-knitted sweaters with make-believe bows, scarves and sailor's tattoos, and, since then, the trend kept on coming back, decade after decade.

Hermès created several trompe l'oeil pieces in 1952, from dresses to raincoats and belts; Roberta di Camerino was considered instead the "queen of trompe l'oeil".

In 1983 Chanel's Haute Couture collection featured garments with embroidery by Lesage that imitated a set of jewellery, while in more recent years Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Comme des Garçons played with his trend (in the following image: a Gaultier jacket from 1996; a design by Moschino from the 1990s and a coat from Comme des Garçons's A/W 2009 collection).

Fast forward to the Spring/Summer 2014 collections with Chanel's flap bag featuring the fashion house trademark quilted bag sprayed on basic white canvas and decorated with multi-coloured ropes for a final DIY touch.

In a previous post we have also seen Band of Outsiders' A/W 2014 collection that borrows from Hermès's 1952 designs, but it looks like the trend will continue well into 2015 as this dress from Alice + Olivia's Resort 2015 collection proves.

In two minds about the trompe l'oeil trend or just too skint to jump on the bandwagon? Just get a blank canvas, paint on it your own dress (Hermès docet…) and join the trend in DIY style.