:: SHOWstudio - Shelf Appeal ::

Intention is so often different from meaning in fashion, especially when it comes to detailing. These knickers, for instance, derive from Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer '04 'Deliverance' collection; a show drawing heavily on Depression-era America in its pastiche of the key sequences from 'They Shoot Horses Don't They?'. The film's gruelling (and often fatal) dance marathons and hysterical derby scenes were all played out in exquisite detail by an all-star model and contemporary dance cast at the fashion week performance, squaring perfectly with the enduring themes of decay and descent into madness characterising McQueen's collections.

Likewise, the 1930s historical references in this sheer undergarment are all present and correct. Well, nearly. The brevity of the briefs -a departure from looser, longer knickers worn in the 20s- references the reducing size of swimwear and lingerie during the decade. The transparency of the black chiffon documents the introduction of new fabrics nylon and rayon and the delicious appearance of flesh and nudity they could affect. The silver, sequinned ribbon and bow motif that encircles the knickers thus appearing to slither around the hip, seemingly unsupported by fabric (with a little imagination and squinting of eye). Its trompe L'oeil effect also reinforces the dating, recalling Elsa Schiaparelli's Surrealist, bow-designed knits, whilst its subtle lustre recalls the longing for Hollywood glamour felt by women whose lives were becoming increasingly filled with the mundanity of work.

To follow this empirical loyalty to fashion history to its logical conclusion, we would expect A-line knickers to match the Vionnet-inspired bias cutting that was so crucial to McQueen's collection-defining gowns. However, these knickers hug the hips, their elasticated edges clinging under the buttocks like little shorts. Such details push the knickers forward a decade, to the chorus lines of Busby Berkley movies and an era that was far more promising for the American working class that narrowly avoided dancing themselves to death ten years previously. Moreover, the 'boy-short' shape mirrors a contemporary shift as today's knicker market moves from string to the low-rise short shape in preference. Intended as historicism by their maker but actually signifying revisionism, therefore, McQueen's knickers are a case study of sophisticated appropriation.

Text by Penny Martin

Shelf Appeal archive
15.12.04: Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
20.10.04: Blouse Bag by Ann-Sofie Back
30.09.04: Contact Lenses by Christian Dior
07.09.04: BMX by Y-3
25.08.04: Helmet by Stephen Jones for GIBO by Julie Verhoeven
05.08.04: Suitcase by Bottega Veneta
21.07.04: Sequinned Knickers by Alexander McQueen
08.07.04: Tennis Court Pump by Chanel
18.06.04: Parasol by Eley Kishimoto
14.05.04: Toolkit by Prada
07.05.04: Feather Headband by Miu Miu
26.04.04: Measuring Tape Belt by Tatty Devine
08.04.04: Easter Bunny Biscuits by Fortnum & Mason
31.03.04: Teapot by Vivienne Westwood for Coalport
24.03.04: Hair Brush by BLESS
12.03.04: Canderel Dispenser by Lagerfeld Gallery
04.03.04: Volleyball by Y-3
26.02.04: Bracelet by YSL
16.02.04: Lace Mask by Lanvin
04.02.04: Necklace by Marni
26.01.04: Straw Hat by Yohji Yamamoto
16.01.04: Edo Bells by Martin Margiela
19.12.03: Shimmering Stilettos by Viktor & Rolf

With thanks to Jane Audas