Something is happening in the fashion world that any time-poor consumer will be pleased about. Catwalk shows in Paris in recent weeks have shown evidence of an unlikely trend: creases and wrinkles are in fashion.
It was Prada, a brand that always sets the trends, that really ensured this is a shift to take notice of. In the collection there were creases and wrinkles in clothes from short shift dresses and midi skirts to grey all-in-ones.
After the show, Prada co-designer Raf Simons said the creases were ‘‘gestures of error’’ designed to replicate ‘‘pieces that have had a life’’. This is aligned with a wider shift in fashion for a post-pandemic world away from a glossy perfection and towards something that embraces a - within reason - warts-and-all reality.
Gary Armstrong, stylist and fashion director of sports and fashion magazine Circle Zero Eight, doesn’t own an iron and calls ironing ‘‘a waste of time’’. He sees this look as part of an ‘‘understated elegant look’’ and points to the Row as the prime example.
‘‘This dishevelled but very expensive look is how someone shows that they’re rich,’’ he says, adding this is central to the way the Olsens - valued at about $US500 million combined - dress themselves.
‘‘Designers like Tom Ford, where everything is super perfect, it feels very outdated.’’
Armstrong said the change was partly because of the pandemic: ‘‘People are used to being more comfortable in their clothes. They don’t want to feel like they’re really starched.’’
The iron’s irrelevance is also growing thanks to the popularity of non-iron shirts for men.
Whether it’s about joining a fashion trend or reclaiming time on a workday morning, expect your iron to gather dust.
- Guardian News and Media 2022
