A Fashionable Distress

Whilst the shredded t-shirt trend seems to have grown exponentially in popularity, I have never really been won over by its look. Although I admittedly experimented on an old white t-shirt of my own, it felt more like a costume than something I would actually wear. I appreciate the concept, and when styled correctly it can look very interesting, however my personal tastes for that specific technique lies in its employment for other garments.

My intrigue with the concept of distressed looks, in particular, the employment of distressed fabrics, has always been great regardless of contemporary fashion trends. I have always found the juxtaposition of using purposely aged/faded/worn fabrics in a decidedly more elegant fashion a very interesting art.

Fashion is by its very nature an inherently cyclical notion - that which was in fashion, will inevitably return in the future in a contemporary reimagining. That which was years, or even mere months, after seen as ludicrous will regain its mainstream favour. From the continual highs and lows of leopard print, to the return of acid wash, to the ever changing fit of denim jeans - fashion recycles and reuses trends and aesthetics.

There can never truly be an original idea, for our personal tastes and design aesthetics are shaped and formed by our experiences, memories and lives. Although the end product may be far removed from the source material, wherever that or they may lie, fashion will always draw from the past as a way of interpreting and reinterpreting the present, and indeed future.

However, this recycling lies not only in the form of design and concept, but also in the physical practicalities of fashion. Using traditional, or old if you will, fabrics in a new way, or distressed fabrics to create something new, follows much the same reasoning and thought processes. I am fascinated by the process due to my fascination with fashion as a whole, the constantly evolving, changing and living idea that it is.

My love for distressed and faded fabrics, preferably done by myself, as opposed to having been done in a factory, lies in the fact that I love clothing with a story to tell. All humans, regardless of age, race, sex, location, interests or personalities interact with fashion and clothing. We spend the majority of our lives clothed, and even in cases where clothing may not be so greatly used, at least beautified and adorned (for body art, and therefore fashion, has existed since the dawn of humanity). As such, all of our clothing has a story to tell, regardless of whether we wear a garment only for a day or a decade before retiring it.

Yet there has always been a specific type of distressed clothing that I do enjoy buying new. Indeed, the latest Fall 09 collection by Lina Österman fits that bill. The distressed looks presented by Österman provided a beautiful balance between fragility and strength, a balance that is often hard to achieve lest the looks fall short of either category. The looks were not so much distressed by virtue of their washes or fading, but rather by the more visually apparent methods of shredding and teased tears within the fabric.

Whilst I was still not won over by the shredded t-shirt looks, I was however fully intrigued by the employment of the technique with regards to the knitwear pieces. It was not a finish I had ever really thought about, and I must say I was rather taken by the effect. The first piece, in terms of shredding, that particularly took my fancy was the knitted long hooded cardigan. The very contained and carefully blocked teasing of the knitwear at the front of the garment, to effectively provide somewhat of a striped finish, was in my eyes, perfectly restrained in its efforts. As such, I was fascinated by the more stylised use of the technique, which I think looked fantastic.

However, it was not only the more stylised shredding that I found interesting, but also the shredded knitwear in the form of the washed sweater. Although it came off as far less deliberate, and more random in its shredding, with the uneven strands and indeed a large gape, I was still fascinated by the look. Whilst I enjoyed the idea of exposed skin providing a fragility, especially when opposed to the fact of the piece being warm knitwear, I was also intrigued by the idea of using the piece for layering. It would indeed provide a wonderful visual depth, and the possibilities for layering would certainly be an area I would love to see explored with the piece by those who chose to purchase it.

The idea of exposure was most apparent in the lace shirt piece. My fascination with lace shirts was first ignited by the Givenchy collection, and whilst the bright pink was not a look I would shy away from, I was certainly interested in seeing the other possibilities of such a piece. As such, I was particularly taken by the styling of the black lace shirt with the numerous metal chains and black trousers. The play between femininity and masculinity of the lace shirt, along with the play between strength and fragility with the styling of the chains alongside the exposure of the lace, was done with a beautiful care. I shall admit that given the opportunity and resources, it is a look I would love to try.

The collection as a whole was beautifully crafted with its use of distressed and torn fabrics. I enjoyed the fine balance employed by Österman between such factors as femininity and masculinity, or the more apparent play between strength and fragility. The collection truly did make me think about the idea of distressed looks, and indeed the concept of using torn and teased fabrics in a far more elegant manner. There was a wonderful juxtaposition of ideas and thoughts, which I must say I appreciated, if not simply from a fashion perspective, also from a conceptual standpoint.

Thank you all so very much for the number of comments on my last post, I truly was taken by surprise! I shall endeavour to visit each and every one of your wonderful blogs as soon as I possibly can.

Currently playing: I'm Good ft. Pharrell Williams - Clipse

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