It is difficult to determine exactly when the old things become new things-well-new things. But today, as more and more celebrities choose to wear retro clothes, this vital red carpet begins to look more like a museum corridor.
In February of this year, miley cyrus, Laverne Cox and Olivia Rodrigo appeared in the Grammy in classic styles of Bob McKee, Comme des Garcons and Versace respectively. Vanessa Friedman, a fashion critic in The New York Times, wrote: "Big stars in old clothes are the trend of the night." The Oscar ceremony in March is another hotbed of second-hand clothes. Cuddy B wore a black lace Versace dress in the spring and summer of 2003, while Margot Elise Robbie and jennifer lawrence wore Mugler and Givenchy in 1996.
This has not taken into account the moments beyond 2024-Cuddy B wearing a "Venus" shell dress at the Grammy Awards in 1996, or Kim Kardashian's "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress exhibited at the Marilyn Monroe Museum in 2022 and climbed the steps of the Metropolitan Museum.
Recently, at the metropolitan opera party on Monday, emily ratajkowski walked onto the theme carpet of "Time Garden" wearing a 2001 Versace haute couture dress. Halfway through the party, Zendaya quickly changed into a black taffeta Givenchy dress from the year she was born. But kendall jenner was the most eye-catching person that night. According to Givenchy, she was the first person to wear her 1999 vintage Givenchy look in public.
Kendall jenner's retro dress in metropolitan opera in 2024. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Pictures "The Future of Fashion" In fact, A-list stars have been digging up the archives of fashion companies for more than 20 years. In 2001, René E Zellweger attended the Oscar ceremony wearing a pale yellow dress of Jean Deiss from 1950s. Followed by Julia Roberts, wearing a 1992 black velvet Valentino dress with dynamic white piping, she will win an Oscar for erin brockovich in a few minutes. But even people in the industry believe that the current preference for archival modeling represents a change in the fashion ecosystem.
"At the (2024) Oscar, I think we may see more people wearing archives to restore the ancients than ever before." Eileen walsh, a stylist for celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez and sarah jessica parker, said in a video interview with CNN. "This year it immediately became the (fashionable) future. “
There is a label that is especially at the forefront of the archival movement. Since 1995, the luxury French fashion company Mugler has been responsible for dressing Zendaya in a 30 kg all-metal robot suit. This set of styling designed for the London premiere of Dune: Part II has surpassed fashion and made headlines on the Internet. According to WWD, this stunt created 2 million in media influence value for the brand, which was the result of one year's planning.
Before the London premiere of Dune: Part II was lent to Zendaya, Mueller's 1995 robot suit had not been worn for many years. Adrian krhin, managing director of Mugler, told CNN by video phone: "Every year, we receive numerous requests to wear Chimera dresses or robot suits." Chimera dress is widely regarded as one of the most expensive fashion works in history. ) "But this is actually to find the right moment for us. That is finally the right moment. " Once Mugler agrees to the requirements of Zendaya stylist and long-term collaborator Lao Roach, the logistics talks can begin. What will she wear next? The original flesh-colored jumpsuit has disappeared for decades, so they need a new jumpsuit to protect Zendaya from the plexiglass holes in the armor. How does she get to the meeting? This suit is not suitable for bending over. Can she walk in this dress? It was originally designed by Jean-Jacques Urkun, when Zendaya needed to climb stairs. But most importantly, is she suitable?
New york, NY-April 24th: Zendaya, as a challenger trio, launched the summer movie season at the Big Apple in new york City on April 24th, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for MGM Studio) Jenny Anderson/Getty Images Related Articles Zendaya has been showing herself in the "Challenger" news tour. "This is the main problem," said Marion bould, head of Mugler Archives. Changes other than slightly extending the trouser legs are not considered, it is either effective or invalid. "It hasn't been worn for many years, and Zendaya's figure ratio is quite different from the original model. But when we tried on the clothes for the first time, we were all very moved because it fit perfectly. "
In the archives
Before the painting was given a second life, it had been in the archives of Mugler for several years-it was a secret place somewhere in the center of France, with more than 6,000 priceless treasures. "It's so hidden that you wouldn't think it was there from the outside," bould said. "No one can enter that place. Just Adrian and me. " There, suits are kept in a customized box; The interior is shaped into the shape of each part, just like a gun box. "It basically floats in the coffin," krhin said.
Although celebrity clients' interest in retro fashion is on the rise, not everyone is qualified to handle these works personally. "Unfortunately, there is some misunderstanding about the definition of a fashion archivist," Julie Ann Clauss, the owner of the wardrobe, said in a video call. Wardrobe is a private storage service company located in Los Angeles, which is used by brands and individuals. "Many people use this term very broadly. I have a degree in museum science, and all professional archivists have it. "
Julie Ann Klaus is a professional archivist and the owner of the wardrobe, which is a private brand and celebrity storage facility in Los Angeles. Costume Crass, who works as an archivist in tom ford, said that she had to take a college-level chemistry course and learn a second language to qualify for this role. "You need to know what will happen if the fabric is not stored properly, such as glass beads. There are so many different things happening, which is only the natural result of the chemical reaction between the work and the environment, or the natural result of the treatment method. " File storage space, such as the space for storing the 1995 Mugler robot suit, is not just a wardrobe full of hangers. Klaus's standard facilities in the Los Angeles Museum preserve collections for a range of clients-from Calvin Klein, Mark Jacobs and carolina herrera to musicians and actors. "It's clean, usually white," she said. "Dust will attract pests. Moths don't eat clothes. They eat protein. That's what they want to eat on your sweater ... your hair fragments, protein things. "
Everything from temperature to humidity is carefully controlled to delay the deterioration process. Even light must be filtered. Klaus said, "We don't need to turn on the light. "Otherwise, you will get the so-called light variability ... exposure will lead to fiber weakening, eventually crushing and tearing."
Zendaya's second dress that night was a Gothic Givenchy dress in 1996. John Shearer /wire image/ Getty Photo Agency's fierce competition in fashion. However, if these unique works of art are so fragile and the preservation method is so accurate, how can celebrities get them?
"I don't lend," Klaus said. "But I keep getting calls from stylists, and they think I'll do it. It depends on my personal client. I transferred (request) to the brand's news team and they made a decision. "
Who can borrow money directly from the brand is usually a matter of grade. "Demand has increased a lot," said bourée of Mugler. "Starting with Cuddy, especially after Kelly. But we hope that the lending of files will remain an exception. " Jenner has been lent three sets of retro styles by the brand. She sent a team to inspect the Brooklyn Museum's exhibition "thierry mugler: Fashion Show" before the end of 2022, and choose clothes for the opening night. "We allowed her stylist to come to the museum, but we were still installing the appearance of the mannequin, and they chose the clothes they wanted to try on Kelly," bourée said.
Kylie Jenner chose the clothes she designed for the opening night of the exhibition "thierry mugler: Fashion Show" directly from the models in the museum. Gotham/FilmMagic/Getty Images But not everyone finds this level of access impressive. In 2022, when kim kardashian from ripley's "Believe it or not! On social media, many people claimed that the skirt had been destroyed-this was caused by the photos of the lost crystal and loose thread. (A few months later, ripley Company issued a statement, insisting that the dress was not damaged in any way, and it was intact when it won an auction in 2016. The International Council of Museums agrees that in order to protect historical relics, "no one, whether public or private, should wear them." However, Mugler believes that the risk is worth the reward. "If it is always stuffed in a box, people will not like it," krhin said. "Even in exhibitions, works of art may be damaged," bould added. "People will fall into the exhibits." Eileen walsh said that there are other options for those who can't browse the museum archives leisurely. "People talk about getting quality wine so mysteriously," she said. "Wine is easy to buy. Since I started my career 15 years ago, I have been using (stores) like Shrimpton Couture, New York Vintage or stores that have been used for decades. "
Although it is easy to think that the recent rise in retro clothing is purely a re-appreciation of fashion history, Walsh suspects that there is a more practical answer to the soaring demand for old clothes. She said: "There are not enough samples." "It seems that everyone is in fierce competition, either finishing something quickly or not."
Eileen walsh wore Anne Hathaway's vintage Valentino to the 2023 British Fashion Awards. Walsh believes that designers are giving in to the accelerating pace of the industry during the awards season and the preparations for fashion week. "This demand for archival works really highlights the changes that are taking place in the fashion market. There are too many activities for people to take part in. We are in a situation where I don't think anyone can keep up. We have to adopt different solutions and there is no other way to meet the demand. " According to Hollywood reports, the fashion showroom was "cleaned up" in January after the SAG-AFTRA strike last autumn caused a backlog of media visits, premieres and activities. "Nobody did anything, and then suddenly all the awards were held at the same time. Walsh said: "Anyone who attended the award ceremony or worked in the fashion industry didn't have a weekend off for three months."
But whether it was born out of necessity or not, the cultural reputation brought by exclusive archives is strong-both for the brand and the wearer. At the party in metropolitan opera, kendall jenner's Givenchy dress immediately made headlines on the Internet. "This is such a special moment," she said in an interview with Vogue that night. "I feel very honored that they allow me to wear this dress." The more precious clothes are, the more prestigious they are. Is there anything that Mueller would never consider renting, even Zendaya or Jenners? "Never say never," krhin said.
"Even the most coveted Chimera fashion in the 20th century fashion history. At present, I can only say that it has not been lent out. "