The authoritative fashion portal Buisness of Fashion named Demna Gvasalia as the main man of the fashion world in 2016. How it happened and why you should remember the name of this designer, says blogger Wanda Wong.
Wanda Wong Stylist, author of the Vanda Style blog
A word about Demna has not only been put in, but whole volumes have been written (even if you put together the pages dedicated to him in print magazines over the past 2 years, you will already be drawn to a weighty reference book). And all the same, I was very interested in the question of why.
Why he? Why now? Why, under his leadership, the French brand Vetements, and now the fashion house Balenciaga, turned into not just the vanguard of the fashion strike (which galloped forward, only the dust from under the hooves is visible, well, God bless him, we walk calmly on a measured march), and in the main fighting forces? That is, they have become mainstream, about which perhaps the magazine "Krestyanka" has not yet written. And they have become some kind of not quite ordinary, non-conformist mainstream that annoys, frightens off, surprises. That is, everyone knows, everyone has seen, everyone has heard, no one disputes that, along with Gucci and Prada, Balenciaga and Vetements are the main trendsetters at the moment. They know and do not dispute, but (others) shudder.
Incidentally, I do not flinch. I like. And the more difficult the post is given, because when you like something, you want to write a good text about it. Do not arrange a mournful boom about "the spirit of the 1980s, which is present in the latest collection of the designer." Do not retell the biography (the place of birth is Georgia in the USSR, emigration from Georgia is no longer a part of the USSR, but in a state of military and post-war actions) and the creative path, at the beginning of which was Maison Martin Margiela, about which it is now unknown for that reason they recall more: whether it was because it was one of the cult houses of the 1990s, or because Demna was raised in it). Not to mention the fashion for Eastern Europe, about the conflict in Ukraine, which in many ways, if not spawned, then significantly strengthened this fashion.
And not even repeat myself in stories about Gaucher, Lotte and the popularity of ugly beauty. For the sake of justice: everything that is written in the paragraph above can be fully considered an answer to the questions posed a little earlier. It's just that such answers don't inspire me too much. It's like retelling a dictionary entry. It is, of course, very correct. But boring.
And what inspires me is the following answer. We live in a world where two powerful ocean currents have collided: the fashion for the democratization of everything and everyone (one hundred identical cheap gray T-shirts of one of the richest people on the planet, Mark Zuckerberg, hello) and class stratification, which, you know, has not gone anywhere from this fashion. Some rich (unattainable celestials like Zuckerberg) can afford everything, including buying cheap T-shirts. The other wealthy (but not so out of reach) must fit in with their social circles to maintain their status and increase their income through social connections. To his patrons, patrons, influential acquaintances. Nobody, except the founder of Facebook, will come to a meeting with Igor, for example, Ivanovich Sechin (and his wife) in a gray T-shirt. And although the Rosneft tower is unnecessary for me, I will also come somewhere with a wicker straw bag of unknown origin. But I will not come somewhere, because they will not understand and I care. And you will do the same.
For quite a long time, the world ruled by status was beautiful in the classical sense. And at first he was not only handsome, but also very fashionable. Then beautiful and simply fashionable. Then just beautiful. But something completely different became cool and fashionable. Well, somehow it all got along without much conflict. Some are cool, some are beautiful (and rich). But the fashion is for democratization. And - ah! The rich also wanted to be cool. Well, it's not for nothing that they earned money. According to rumors, already Yana Rudkovskaya, a well-known fan of haute couture clothing, recommends (in private conversations) wearing fashionable sweatshirts. (What progress has reached). But in a world where status matters, you can't be cool in cheap clothes. Maybe it will be possible after a while, who knows. But so far it is impossible, and this is still quite a long way off. And you already understood where I am leading. Balenciaga is cool and fashionable, because it is sharp, because it corresponds to a turbulent time, because it torments and grabs our eyes in the same way as the news headlines torment and cling: "Economic recession, terrorist attacks, refugees, ethnic conflicts, Trump is president." And Balenciaga is successful now because it is expensive. Because it is status. Because when you wear Balenciaga, you can be rich and cool again at the same time. What else do you need to be happy?
There will be no practical recommendations today. Should I wear it? If you like it. But it’s better not to wear it if you don’t understand anything at all about this aesthetics, like this lovely girl. Oh my God, well, you can't stay body and soul in the Russian 2000s and lean against yourself this bag for 150 thousand to update a fashionable image.
Wanda Wong, author of the Vandastyle blog
