The Nature of Style - Kirrily Johnstone a/w 2010

The story begins as dusk falls on a cool winter night. As the grey sky hangs heavy with the threat of rain, a solitary couple are trudging across wet, sandy plains; two nomads sharing company and clothes. These are the ‘Cave Dwellers’ behind Kirrily Johnstone’s autumn/winter collection for 2010.


The collection has a natural feel to it. The colour story is earthy with a base palette of khaki, camel and burnt chocolate freshened with dove grey. That most garments come in an alternative black colourway may indulge the monochrome-loving urbanite but it serves also to keep it current and ultimately, saleable.

The look too, is quite organic. Free- falling jersey tops, dresses and maxi skirts are gathered with drawstring detailing, adding ruching and drape to otherwise simple shapes. Long, knitted scarves with plaits and tassels swathe necks and trail from coats, skimming the floor; and circles of leather are wrapped around waists to make dirndl skirts.

There is something fundamental about the collection. The image of the Cave Dweller relying on the land for her cloth, hunting her own animal skins and spinning her own yarns harks back to a bygone era, a simpler time when clothing was for warmth and modesty. Yet the idea of her customising garments with drawstring ties for example adds a modern notion of styling to the picture. It proves that sometimes it’s not who you are or what you are wearing but how you are wearing it that creates the statement.

For the Cave Dweller, braving the elements can be a challenge and this is reflected in the dominance of outerwear throughout the collection. There are ankle length coats, capes, knitted blazers and something delightfully named a ‘wanderer’, which is a sort of cross between a cape, a jacket and a long cardigan with lusciously draping volume. The Cave Dweller might pull it on for a brief trip out foraging or, in reality it would be great to pull on to pop out for a coffee on an autumn afternoon.

Warmth and comfort were clearly key factors in determining many of the styles. There is a strong emphasis on knitwear, which is a big trend for autumn/winter, with jumper-dresses, long scarves and oversized cardigans creating pieces to wrap up and get cosy in. Long-johns are present too, suggestive of that basic practicality again, and with their stretch fabric and harem-like drop-crotch, they look supremely comfortable.

There is more to this collection however, than simple going back to nature, this is Mother Earth does luxury. Knitwear is angora, boots and bags are pony skin, and the more tailored pieces are cashmere: the stunning ankle-length coat and the formal, long john-style pants. And let’s not forget, leather may be an animal resource but purchasing it in a shop is not as cheap as hunting the beast yourself.

Perhaps this is another insight into the fundamentals of fashion, that fabrication is the key to success. Simple styles in quality materials can look more effective than over-designed pieces created for fashions sake.

That said however, there is still something of the trend-led on offer. Loose jersey silhouettes are defined at the shoulder with asymmetric sequined patches, and sequined stripes add a touch of glamour for those disco-going Dwellers.

Halston's Heritage

Halston, both the man and the brand, became synonymous with the disco glitterati. He played as hard as he worked and his favourite playground was nightclub, Studio 54. Partying with the likes of Bianca Jagger and Liza Minelli, they became his friends as well as his clothes horses. His look would define that of the party set throughout the 1970s and into the eighties.

His style was sleek and minimal. He let the drape of beautiful fabrics and the lithe bodies of his muses make the statement. So pure was his ethos that he removed the need for buttons and zips to preserve his clean lines. Through such simplicity a new luxury was born.

With his high-profile clientele, Halston pioneered the celebrity endorsement; his social scene and lifestyle doing much to form his brand’s identity. His marketing techniques just as much as the fashions he designed placed him a head of his time. He was also one of the first designers to recognise the potential of licensing, a formula now vital to the survival of fashion houses.

He would however, become a victim of these very things that defined his success. His unwillingness to allow junior designers to handle licensed products made it impossible for him to meet deadlines, a problem not helped by his excessive drug use. In 1984 he was sacked from his own company and lost the rights to the Halston name.

His panache and personality were central to the brand’s achievements and without him as figurehead, the label floundered. Whilst his look may have stylised the disco-going decade, his design principles are surprisingly contemporary. In theory, they have all the fundamentals for a modern revival and yet two previous attempts to do so have failed. It’s relaunch in February 2008 is third time lucky.

The Future
This latest reinvention is the brainchild of Tamara Mellon who, following her amazing transformation of the Jimmy Choo brand is better qualified than most for such an undertaking. Engaging the services of designer, Marco Zanini with his decade of experience at Versace, looked to be a prestigious beginning but so far the Halston resurrection has done little to inspire much acclaim. But quick to adapt, the company is already evolving in a new direction.

In July 2009, London-based designer Marios Schwab replaced Zanini as Creative Director. His goal now is to invigorate the Halston mainline with a fresh and contemporary vision, leaving the homage-paying to the new Halston Heritage line.

Halston Heritage will draw directly from the label’s archives and this is possibly where Sarah Jessica Parker’s role will come into play. Where little original design is involved, perhaps her input will be required to select and veto the garments for redevelopment. With the diffusion line offering more affordable price points than the mainline, maybe it is a project close to her heart following her ‘Bitten’ clothing range for a US budget retailer.

It seems somewhat fitting that these latest developments should follow the founder’s precedents. Just as Halston opened up his market through licensing so Halston Heritage will make his designs affordable for the average purse. And was it not for the celebrity endorsement, his brand may never have reached the heights it did. As for its future, all eyes will be on Schwab at New York Fashion Week, to see how he has adapted the Halston philosophy for 2010.

SJP to Take on Creative Role at Halston

Rumours that Sarah Jessica Parker will take on a creative role for Halston Heritage, the diffusion line of recently-revived label Halston, were confirmed yesterday. Whilst her exact position in the company has not yet been revealed, it is thought she will become a Creative Director, though how she'll sit with exisitng Creative Director, Marios Schwab, we'll have to wait and see.

Chanel No. 1

Gabrielle Chanel: 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971

If fashion designers wish to secure their legends live on long after they have expired, retired or gone bankrupt, they must create a signature style. Christian Dior for example, secured his place in the fashion hall of fame with his ‘New Look’. A successful designer need have only one groundbreaking creation, like Mary Quant with the miniskirt, to secure a place in history. To create such a phenomenon is no mean feat but what then for Gabrielle Chanel, a designer who, pioneering no less than three innovations, shaped modern fashion?

From the very beginning of her career Chanel defied conventions. She disregarded the luxurious traditions of haute couture, favouring cheap, cotton knit fabrics that better fitted her predilection for comfort and ease of movement. It was this ethos that defined her silhouette: simple and boyish; and also contributed to her promotion of women’s trousers in a time before they were considered acceptable for ladies.

Her love of sport and the outdoors shaped her philosophy and her designs. Understanding the restrictions of corsets and ankle-length skirts on an active lifestyle, Chanel was introducing sportswear garments as early as 1920. Compared to today’s high-tech, streamlined activewear, her efforts seem more akin to leisurewear but her innovation was a formative step in the development of the genre.

Conversely, the architect of masculine-influenced sportswear also popularised one of the most recognisable symbols of femininity – the little black dress. An eternal classic, Chanel first showed the ‘LBD’ in 1926. Not only did she continue to reinvent it throughout her career but the style has been adapted and updated by practically every designer since. As she once said, “A fashion that goes out of fashion overnight is a distraction, not a fashion.”

The success of her comeback collection fifteen years after retiring proved the timelessness of her approach to fashion. Having closed her salon in 1939, and in spite of her controversial relationship with a Nazi officer during World War II, she unveiled yet another fashion statement in 1954: the tweed suit. Perhaps her most instantly recognisable creation, not only has it secured her legacy for the twenty-first century, but it contributed to the creation of another style icon. It was this style, worn with the two-tone pumps and quilted handbag, that became Jacqueline Kennedy’s signature look.

The impact of Chanel on fashion cannot be overestimated. She introduced some of the most significant changes to women’s wardrobes, introducing freedoms that had previously been the privilege of men. A revolutionary, her ethos ensured her creations are as relevant now as the day she designed them. So if there is a golden room at the end of that fashion hall of fame, no one is more worthy of a key to its door than Gabrielle Chanel.