The concept of "quiet luxury" has been trending for a while now. This oxymoronic definition indicates high-end products and experiences, sophisticated and refined, yet devoid of any showy or ostentatious features. Imagine the understated elegance of a cashmere jumper without any embellishments or an emphasis on subtle detailing and craftsmanship rather than overt branding or flashy logos. A perfect example was Gwyneth Paltrow's wardrobe during her recent appearance in a Utah court over a collision at Park City, a luxury ski resort, in 2016. Thanks to her perfectly assembled attires, the actor and wellness advocate managed to successfully turn the trial into an engaging runway show with some hilarious comedy moments.
But "quiet luxury", a definition that some criticize, arguing that not all wealthy individuals are drawn to it (well, grand displays of glitz and glamour such as the Met Gala would confirm this point…) is now taking another turn, an inspiration that isn't actually new and that moves directly from the monastic habit.
We have seen hints of this at Louis Vuitton's Pre-Fall 2023 runway. Showcased on the Jamsugyo, a submersible pedestrian path beneath the Banpo Bridge, in Seoul, South Korea, at the end of April, with a scenography by "Squid Game" director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, the collection featured all the classic house codes crystallized by Nicolas Ghesquière in the brand's aesthetic.
The first part of the show featured indeed bodysuits and windbreakers that hinted at sportswear and called to mind car and motorcycle races. Dynamic and sensual silhouettes characterized this first part of the collection that mainly featured bold colours.
Not everything was extremely new and two A-line leather mini-skirts looked like a reinvented version of Comme des Garçons trademark designs made with strips of fabric anchored to each other with automatic buttons (a fun trick you can easily redo at home, building a skirt or a playsuit; and then they say that Artificial Intelligence copies and remixes…).
Yet the closing section of the collection featured more subtle designs, such as floor-length dresses or linen maxi-skirts matched with long Mandarin collar shirts, and ample pants with a relaxed silhouette.
Models walked in leather sandals with adjustable straps and the looks were accessorized by a swinging belt tied to the waist and with a long strap decorated with metal monogram flowers (a similar version of the belt was also donned by some of the guests at Louis Vuitton's menswear show in January).
The configuration of these looks may be taken from the religious habit, probably from the attire of Christian monastic orders and of Roman Catholic nuns and friars.
In Roman Catholicism, for example, the habit consists of a tunic covered by a scapular and cowl, with a hood for monks or friars and a veil for nuns.
Ghesquière reinvented the serge fabric tunic of nuns - the central piece of the habit - as a billowing skirt or long dress, while the scapular (the apron hanging from both front and back; it is worn over the tunic, with Benedictine nuns wearing it over the belt, whereas some other orders wear it tied under the belt, like in Ghesquière's designs), was recreated as a three quarter length sleeveless (cashmere?) turtleneck sweater.
Though Ghesquière eliminated the coif and veil, he retained the guipe, but in one ivory dress he turned it into a triangular motif, in other cases he replaced it with a sculptural rolled collar.
The belt was also another element that connected the collection to the monastic attire: the habit is usually secured around the waist with a belt of leather, wool or a lanyard called cincture.
The cincture of the Franciscan orders has three (or four) knots standing for the vows, but in the collection the knots were replaced by the monogram flowers.
Were the looks inspired maybe by pictures of nuns and friars the designer may have stumbled upon while looking for inspiration on the Internet?
Or did this inspiration come maybe from Audrey Hepburn in "The Nun's Story" (after all, long cinctures like the one Hepburn wears in the film already appeared in Louis Vuitton's A/W 23 collection View this photo) or maybe from vintage videos showing presentations (reminiscent of fashion shows...) of nuns' uniforms?
Well, the monastic look is actually not new in fashion: Valentino's Haute Couture A/W 17 displayed a strong connection with Francisco de Zurbarán's religious paintings and featured capes reminiscent of a friar's robe.
Before that, in 1945, Cristóbal Balenciaga, made the white dress for the female singers of the Orfeón Donostiarra, one of the most prestigious amateur choirs in Europe. The couturier revamped it in 1964, coming up with an extremely minimal and monastic straight tunic with a belt in white crepe.
Besides, in the late 1960s, Balenciaga moved from religious iconography to create very clean and elegant silhouettes for his cocktail dresses with an architectural twist.
In this case Ghesquière engaged in the same practice we saw in another post with Cinzia Ruggeri's "Rocco" cabinet: in that case the designer moved from a religious inspiration to create something completely different, charged with a new conceptual meaning.
Here Ghesquière takes the monastic look, separates it from its meanings and rich symbolism (poverty, repentance, humility...) and transforms it into loungewear for a few selected ones, wealthy individuals looking for something functional and simple, yet still recognizable (see the branded cincture, with the knots referring to poverty, chastity and obedience transformed into logos and therefore pledging loyalty not to a religious God, but the God of luxury).
Ideal for impenitent fashionistas, the look renews the connection of fashion with religion, moving away from the pomp and ceremony of the church to embrace a more understated and modest dimension.
What's next for the monastic inspiration? Obviously revisiting the vividly bright shades of the prints and artworks created by Sister Corita Kent, the Pop Art nun. Coming soon to a runway near you, wanna bet?
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