Based on a short film created by Laird Borrelli-Presson, Edited by Kevin Tadge and Narrated by SJP for Vogue's 125th Year Anniversary
The 1980’s were about ‘flaunting it’, dressing for power by day and sin by night. “Greed is Good” was the catchphrase of the era according to Vogue and in the fashion capitals this took form in flashy ‘more is more’ fashion, tapping into the excessive luxury of previous times more so than ever before. The trend at the time was big hair, saturated colour and the creation of silhouettes, possibly referencing a postmodernist take of Dior’s New Look with the exassibated shoulder padding detail, as apposed to padding of the rear. This is when fashion shows really started to take off, allowing the designer to capture the same feeling throughout product and presentation; all of this was very theatrical in the 1980’s, highlighting popular culture (music, film, a reaction against the way the world is working/moving).
Fitness was an 80’s obsession and Vogue certainly kept that going by the models they cast- a toned body was more sought after than a good job. To really understand this, we would need to go back and look at the representation of women throughout the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s through Vogue, as well as other magazines to understand the social mentality and the time. Were they heavily influenced by The Gaze or Aspiration theory? (Either way, these kinds of questions are more relevant for an essay regarding gender and identity rather than fantasy and realism).
The start of the supermodels in Vogue, models such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford etc were given multi-layered exposure, from advertising for beauty brands to doing runway, as well as being featured in the Vogue spreads, they became house hold names due to their social saturation. What the supermodels represented was the ‘fashion elite’, highlighting that in fashion (and Vogue), there may always need to be high/low status. They were styled in body-con clothes and alethic wear to show off their super toned supermodel bodies, which probably influenced the average woman to get in shape themselves (Laura Mulvey theory about how The Gaze works for women looking at women).
Japanese designers such as CDG and Issy Miyake came to Paris Fashion Week, showing a whole new perspective on fashion and dress. These alternative points of view naturally warranted different coverage and editorial content to go alongside it when featured in the magazine. Their approach was very subversive, the clothes were deliberately avant garde and body obscuring, often featuring deliberate rips or tatters. When considering this as a reaction to the times, one can only assume this wave of designers were saying goodbye to Dior’s polished ‘New Look’, in favour of a postmodernist playground where clothes and concept met more like art than ever before.
The 1980’s also saw a time of gender rules being turned upside down, androgeny was born (as was the power suit for women) positioning women firmly in the work place, yet still often with a lucid sex appeal. Icons of the day such as David Bowie “ended gender”. Anna Wintour also shook up publishing with her first Vogue cover of model Michaela Bercu wearing a haute couture Christian Lacouirx jumper and acid wash Guess jeans. Anna commented saying it was all “very like a prayer”, referencing the iconic Madonna Video/Promotion aesthetic and ‘girl next door’ vibes. There are also suggestions that haute couture is applicable everywhere as well as bringing fashion to the streets. This high/low sartorial mix reflected the larger changes in New York society and mentality, with the magazine becoming a place for everyone than just the bourgeoise. At the time, the city was invigorated by artists, musicians, poets and designers and the ‘downtown’ state of mind. The anti-establishment energy, new founded art movements and taste makers of the day were a huge inspiration for Vogue (and other magazines), showcasing the obscure, wonderful and all-night dance parties of the time. The editorial content was wild and excessive as well as playfully conceptual, highlighting contemporary society of the day. This would not be restricted to image based communication, but also many aspects of graphic design including typography, advertising, runway design and curation.
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