Classics - that was the story of today's Ami show. The tone was set immediately by the soundtrack. Joe Le Taxi for the French press. New Order Blue Monday for the English.
Maybe "staples" is also an appropriate word - the great basics and favourites of menswear were celebrated with each look. Jeans, trainers, the excellent slouchy tailored trousers the brand has become known for, and some peppy brights to add intrigue. If anything, this was a lesson in styling - a class in putting together pieces we all know and wear. This season, fashion is committed to being boring - note the opening look of Prada, an unassuming knit jumper, and the focus everywhere on wearability over whimsy or drama. It sounds like a paradox, but designers today are trying so hard to make the normal look exceptional and the exceptional look normal. They are trying to relate to an audience. That's a key part of the brand identity of Ami - it's clothes for the sake of clothes. Garments, not 'fashion' in the traditional, nostalgic sense of the word. The difficulty comes when it's nigh on impossible to distinguish between what's on the runway and what's already out there in real life. Some shows look like the casually well-dressed members of the front row could just get up and walk and you wouldn't be able to distinguish between them and the new proposition. This isn't a criticism of Ami, or the clothes - it's good that they look relevant and desirable - but of the fashion show format, something already so in question this season. When everything is about reality, where does one find the inspiration to dream? And dreams, not clothes, are what really keeps fashion moving.
