Scarlett O’Hara was a survivor. She endured the Civil War, hunger and heartbreak. Even when it came to her poverty-stricken closet, frankly, my dears, she still gave a damn. When life handed her rags, she took to the draperies and made Rhetty-to-wear. This season, many designers seemed to have minimalism on their minds but a handful of fashion houses—D&G, Christian Dior, Prada—decided, despite the recession, that the show must go on. In true Miss Scarlett style, models were sent down the runways in plush cut velvets, rich brocades, quilted satins and upholstery fabrics suited to a sitting room. Forget the notion of shopping your closet—now is the time to wear your chair.
Luxe furnishing fabrics in clothing can be seen as far back as China’s Imperial era—brocade reached a high during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD)—but its popularity grew in the Western world in the 16th century, when the House of Tudor ruled England. Sumptuary laws were instated, indicating which colours, styles and materials men could wear, based on their class and rank in society. The royal “haves,” like King Henry VIII, adorned themselves in lavish embroidered silk and velvet robes while the commoner “have-nots” were sentenced to a wool and broadcloth wardrobe fit for a wallflower. By the mid–17th century, the majority of these strict style regulations had gone out of fashion, and by the time the 18th century unfolded, brocade and tapestry fabrics were used extensively in the closets of the upper and middle classes. During the 1800s, this strong textile message lost its lustre in Europe and didn’t return until the roaring 1920s, when Italian designer Mariano Fortuny created stencilled velvet prints, truly showing the masses who was embossed.
Since then, beautiful brocades have continued to make appearances in fashion, notably Christian Dior’s 1950s evening gowns and Christian Lacroix’s late-’80s ornate wallpaper-print dresses. This season’s regal ready-to-wear was equally fit for a king, including Marc Jacobs’ gilded bold-shouldered jackets, Carolina Herrera’s demure wallpaper prints, Burberry Prorsum’s rich floral day dresses, Miu Miu’s carpet bag–inspired coats, Marni’s oversized decorative blooms and Lanvin’s elegant embossed skirt suits. In these lean economic times, a return to old-world opulence is just what the decorator ordered. Instead of looking ostentatious, this ode to upholstery symbolizes a renewed optimism for a prosperous future. But for now, home is where the haute is.
Click here to see our gallery of upholstery-inspired looks.
First published in FASHION Magazine December 2009
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