FASHION FAIRY TALES

The fantastic notion of fashion is that it is storytelling on a more intimate scale and one that each and every person can relate to. By the creation of ´personas´, we can change our ideology so that in fact the dress that we are wearing, is never ´only a dress´, but a lifestyle and philosophy. This notion is at its most captivating when we see the ethereal pieces of couture expressively captured within the international fashion press. Some editorials document current trends, whilst others delve into a darker narrative with the utilisation of fantasies and fears as the theme.

This notion is at its most potent when the visual narrative takes inspiration from some of the more iconic and macabre fairy tales; a topic which was recently featured at the FIT museums ´Fashion Fairy Tales’ exhibition. Featuring both the magic and the moral, these fantastic folkloric tales come fully charged with an apparel adorned anarchic endings in which Beauty tames her Beast, Dorothy finds her way back home and Cinderella gets her Prince (or Princess).

¨Fairy tales have naturally been aligned with the world of high fashion for many seasons. Countless similarities exist between the two subjects; beauty, fantasy, myths and history. It’s a challenge to watch a season pass by without spotting at least one reference. This could be anything from Hans Christian Andersen, Grimm’s fairy tales or the more family friendly Disney classics.¨ – Charles Daniel McDonald

Taking inspiration from Lord Snowdon and Irving Penn, Vogue´s very own ´Dream Team´ of Grace Coddington and Annie Leibovitz revisited this timeless genre to put their own unique spin on the more familiar fables with fresh fashion and creative castings. Expect to see stellar sittings featuring Lewis Carroll’s classic conjuring Alice as Natalia Vodianova and a certain Lady Gaga acting as all things witch in Hansel and Gretel. Only in this unconventional world of fantasy can the Big bad Wolf be outshone by Little Red Riding Hood’s killer Valentino Red cape. And with this boys and girls, all is right with the world.