One of the most intriguing areas of the fashion industry is couture fashion. Ever since I was little, I have loved the extreme and breathtakingly-fabulous clothing that comes out of designer's aletiers and walks the runways of the world.
Couture fashion is clothing that is made completely by hand, with the highest-quality materials, and with extreme attention to detail by the most talented seamstresses and designers.
This week is Paris’s Couture Fashion Week and the designers have not disappointed. There has been no shortage of voluminous sleeves and skirts or capes and trains that flow in the wind. However, this year, designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren of the brand Viktor & Rolf wanted to do something even more out of the box.
Their spring/summer 2019 fashion show was inspired by none other than… memes. That’s right, the funny quotes with matching pictures you see all over your Instagram and Twitter feeds are now infiltrating the high-fashion world.
The designers did so by creating incredibly large, rainbow-colored, feminine, dresses made out of miles of tulle. They then appliquéd cheeky slogans in huge letters and images on top of the delicate tulle. Some of the messages read, “I’m not shy; I just don’t like you” and “Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to come.” Others had more feminist tones to them such as “Get mean” written on a Valentine-style pink heard covering the chest of a woman in a striking red ball gown and “Give a damn” in cartoon-looking font on a fluffy white and lime green dress. Another green ball gown floats down the runway with “I am my Own Muse” written in light pink down the front. My personal favorite from the collection is an incredibly wide blue gown that just says “NO” in massive red letters.
Images from this show immediately went viral and became memes of their own.
I think this show was a brilliant way to bring couture fashion, which can sometimes be seen as old fashion and unnecessary, into modern times. The designers were very smart to connect their brand to a conversation that is very relevant to today to help create buzz around their garments and capture the attention of their target demographic that is young, millennial women.
The dresses are certainly hilarious and fun but some of them also have a deeper meaning. The fashion industry has come under fire in recent years for not being inclusive of all women and perpetuating negative stereotypes about them. This collection took a stand against women being treated like objects of men's affection by contrasting the innocence of the dresses with slightly aggressive, pro-women slogans that I think all women can relate to.
Sources: http://time.com/5512221/viktor-and-rolf-couture-fashion-meme-collection/, https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/photo-gallery/45704439/image/45704450/YES-Dress