![]() ![]() With the reporting of Vetements, this is particularly obvious – here the ubiquitous and ever anonymous behind-the-scenes staff, a staple of every fashion house, become ‘a collective’ and the insider is transformed into an outsider by virtue of ‘whiffs from the underground.’ Even more Vetements at Paris Fashion Week, again photographed by Phil Oh for Vogue.Ĭreating myths around a fashion brand is of course an important part of fashion marketing, and the fashion press is the most effective way of perpetuating this type of storytelling. 6 The fashion industry seldom takes issue with paradox or rhetoric – in fact most press texts and show reviews seem to revel in it. Fashion critics have made a lot of the brand’s ‘outsider status’ while at the same time being quick to point out that it has an illustrious pedigree: Demna Gvasalia has worked at both Louis Vuitton and Maison Margiela, and, according to one online retailer of the brand’s garments, other ‘collective members’ have previous ties to both Balenciaga and Céline. The popularity of Vetements, buoyed by hyperbolic articles in the fashion press and brand-affiliated social media accounts prolific in their gritty images of confederates of the ‘collective’ in various states of disarray, speaks to our attraction of kicking against the system. ![]() Their ‘no-concept concept’ is another element of their allure: Sarah Mower tells us in her review of the brand’s most recent catwalk show that ‘rather than just being subversive for the sake of the gestural politics, Vetements means business.’ 3 Demna Gvasalia is also quick to point out that his collections are ‘not trying to push the boundaries of fashion,’ 4 and that ‘fashion shouldn’t make you dream.’ 5 This pragmatic approach chimes well with the times, and the Vetements phenomenon no doubt taps into a wider discourse around what we should expect from high fashion: should it be about concepts or about products? Should it sell or make us dream? Vetements is described as a ‘collective’ helmed by designer Demna Gvasalia and his brother Guram, and their purportedly democratic working methods are an important part of the brand’s appeal. 1 The write-up ‘Vetements: Whiffs From the Underground’ in The Business of Fashion, was equally quick to proclaim, ‘It belongs to the street.’ 2 More Vetements at the fashion weeks. ‘This is what fashion looks like when you take the L train to Bushwick,’ according to Vogue. In the case of Vetements, what editors and buyers are waxing lyrical about ranges from oversized hoodies, off-beat dresses and asymmetrical overcoats to elongated knits and jeans ripped and then patched together again. ‘Real’ fashion is thrust, from the street, upon the unsuspecting bourgeoisie, and the bourgeoisie go potty for it. Popular culture thrives on this narrative, and in the fashion industry this storyline is a well-worn one. The story is an old and familiar one: young, upstart outsiders take on a sedate and conventional system and turn it on its head in the name of authenticity, edginess and cool. A Vetements dress from spring/summer 2016, captured at New York Fashion Week by Phil Oh. For Vetements, being at the right place at the right time has enabled the brand to lead the current zeitgeist, and the fashion week cycle that recently concluded in Paris saw the acclaim culminate in another celebrated and celebrity-studded Vetements show and the first collection by designer Demna Gvasalia at the much-venerated fashion house Balenciaga. ![]() In an industry that appears run aground and is rife with discontent due to visual overload and a seemingly stuffy and befuddled producer-to-consumer relationship, it is tempting to long for alternative fashion heroes. VOGUE CLAIMS THAT THEY have ‘all the makings of an unforgettable fashion landmark,’ The Business of Fashion has praised their ‘radical democratic principles’ and proclaims that the revolution will be branded in their honour, W calls them ‘truly revolutionary’ and WWD recently dubbed their designer an ‘alternative fashion hero.’ Vetements is the latest brand tasked with saving a staid fashion climate, and fashion critics have been falling over themselves praising the company. ![]()
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