In Vogue
Quirky Chic

We’ve been enticed by the vintage craze.
Lucy Thomas seeks the exquisite allure of tartan.

If the carcases scattered through fashion history tell us anything, it’s that for every seasonal yin, there’s a yang nipping Jack Russell at its heels. Catwalk confidence has been mounting, and fashionable tweed collections are walking alongside the tartan ones. And so, for autumn, we have an arc of vintage styles, some enough to make even the most enthusiastic Hawaiian shirt or Warhol pop-art print look shy and retiring. I had the privilege this season of deciding which styles would be a total knock out and those of a fashion faux pas.

Besides tartan, I found the ultimate alternative look this season. Perching along fashion’s front row, peering among the silk dresses and the sinister furs, Vivienne Westwood struck me the most with her distinctive styles; some so distracting and embellished, they completed the entire show. The admirable retro appearance re-born back from the 80’s when the fashion influences were, Dynasty and Dallas, big hair, gold, glamour, glitz and shoulder pads. As the models strutted their way past the audience, I found the styles seemingly sensuous but in fact artfully constructed skirts and dresses that hung beautifully from the coat-hanger figures; Grecian dresses complimented smeared red lipstick with heavy black eye shadow, it felt like one had gone back to their teen days and stumbled upon a massive rave.

Deprived of the modern wardrobe staple - the elegant skirts, subtle shirts and slender sleeves that have become so worn out over the years - the revived ‘rock chick’ look is back where anything above the knee is pleasing and peachy keen. The ‘punk’ look, founded by the extraordinary lady I’m so familiar with, Vivienne Westwood has been boasting this new trend in Fall 2010 RTW. In essence, they’re delinquent, yet personality is enhanced through the patchwork materials and thoughtful design details.

Already, London, New York and Paris are striding out in tartan style. Durable, comfortable, flattering and functional, the kilts are everywhere. This season’s mini patchwork skirt at Jenni Kayne is nothing more than a confident whim, which considers exposing those legs eleven in a pair of sky scraper heals. This autumn exudes bravado and a sense of the carefree, and boy have we missed it. Subsequently, find sheer eccentric blazers at Alexander McQueen, in warm autumn colours which are flattering to most skin tones.

But, we mustn’t forget the reel eccentric and experienced designer, who has made a frequent collection for this ‘red label’. Vivienne Westwood, the queen of punk, mastered the tartan style. Back in the 80’s, she had the power to shock and rebel and use a little thing called talent, now this attitude is ruling the world of fashion. Vera Wang reinvented the silhouette with ruffle-trim skirts. So bewitching was this outfit, I must have circled it three times at the re-see in Paris. At Ferragamo, creative director Massimiliano Giornetti creates a style design with buttons and buckles fastening on the high waist, allowing the skirt to flow longingly below the knees. Another is edged with the tiniest mini skirt worthy of a Mary Quance design that breaks against those elegant and aristocratic ballroom dresses. The tartan style thrives in the RTW collection with Marc Jacobs, Paul Rand and Alexander McQueen all presenting their own unique versions. Not to mention the influences it’s had on the high-street by Topshop, Punky Fish, River Island and Urban Outfitters.

For Vivienne Westwood, tartan isn’t just a runway look, but a social expression of oneself and their surroundings which she successfully adapts season after season. She personifies the potent and subversive originality of fashion. Her tireless individualism and unique style has cemented her reputation as the UK’s most culturally significant fashion designer. Westwood’s signature is an ascent from teenage rebellion through luxury to global commercial success. Last season, a relatively sober tan trouser suit was worn with a splatter-paint top underneath, making sure the show was that little bit more colourful. This season, plain white cammy vest tops are worn beneath the tartan robes, focusing the attention on the antiquated material.
Westwood explains the ins and outs as if unraveling a murder case or a fashion suicide if you will. “I was still interested in the youth rebellion but never-the-less I stopped being a victim. Stopped trying to attack the establishment realizing that it takes too much of your energy,” she begins, settling down to the 69 year old woman she is not the 16 year old school girl. “My son has followed fashion since he was a punk. I was the first person to have a punk rock hairstyle, he and I agree that fashion is about sex,” like mother like son. She continues: “I based the look on rock ‘n’ roll right from the beginning. I think some people would love to make the clothes I make and of course, I do influence them, but they keep simplifying, and minimalism doesn’t quite work,” she certifies.
While fashion’s taste for tartan still holds strong, the question I keep hearing is how to compliment the trend. “To add more of an unruly look, I wear my tartan mini with chequered above the knee socks. It certainly turned heads at the Céline show from Paris Fashion Week and gave a quirky rebellious aura to the fashion crowds.” reveals chic New Yorker Savannah Miller, who is part of the team here at Vogue. “I also like to wear it with a tweed bowler hat, teamed with a thick chain necklace for a look equated to Annie Lennox on tour. Proud and confident, I strode out of the room with a sixty-something attitude, It’s as if your personality is speaking aloud.” I must express that stripes are most definitely not be affiliated with tartan. Stripes and cheques together follow a dismally, dumbfound dispatch in the world of fashion.

Another reason why tartan is such a rising defiance is that of their audacity. Rebecca Harding, the devoted stylish fashion wear expert agrees: “Tartan is such a daring trend in which only the bravest are able to pull off. I can remember way back in my teen years when my girls and I all wore tartan skirts of all colours. Whenever I wear anything tartan nowadays I’m reminded of my shameless boldness.” Her most recent collection is a baggy shirt by Vera Wang which can be most ideal for travelling. “I also like to wear loose shirts with leggings and ballet flats for a look like a transgressed performer on vacation. There’s nothing better to travel in.”

On a final note, fashion isn’t art and it isn’t conceptual music, obviously: it’s just the clothes on our back. But it’s those ways of thinking about tartan – Westwood’s way - that say something about the feeling we’ll be reaching for when we reach for a fire-red tartan skirt come summer.

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