Imagine every frock, top, coat and cardigan, every shoe, bag, hat and trinket from every high fashion boutique were assembled right now, for one monumental catwalk show. Watch as the lights dim and models hit their stride in 1970s psychedelic printed blouses and flared velvet trousers. Others wear conservative tweed suits, similar to those worn 50 years ago by their grandmothers. In the midst of this time warp, simple lace dresses a la 1950 team with hats and accessories from the '20s, '30s, '40s, through fashion and time to the 1980s. While cynics suggest these combinations prove designers are stalling for new ideas, fashion commentator and author Colin McDowell, is more sympathetic to the underlying design philosophy.
Designers are like magpies.
It's the way they work. What the best designers are doing, in other words, is not replicating, but putting new spins on old looks. Pastiche always fails. Lets face it, no one wants to look like her mother. Colin McDowell is a passionate observer of the way fashion mingles different decades.