Black fashion items for Autumn: The excellence of haute couture! Since the fashion industry made its debut on the international scene, black was chosen as the symbol itself of elegance, style and good taste. Dorothy Parker used to love it, to the point that many of her outfits were dominated by black nuances. Coco Chanel based many of her most renowned creations on the pervasive presence of black. While Hubert de Givenchy built a real iconography through it, starting from the notorious satin dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Blake Edwards’ masterpiece Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Then the Italian “maestri” came over, tossing every possible shade of black into the contemporaneity and the glowing world of postmodernism (or neo-classicism, two extremes that, at least in the fashion world, clash into each other): the Armani, Versace and Prada era marked another “golden age” of black.
Today the stylist/fashion house who has brought black into a brand new era is undoubtedly Ann Deumeulemeester. For many years, the Belgian couturier has embarked on an unexhausted quest with the aim of exploring the multiple declinations of black, many of them – according to the stylist herself – haven’t been revealed yet. Black hasn’t still expressed its full potential, Deumeulemeester seemed to say; and if we take a look at her brand’s catalogue (or just the most recent collections of it) we can immediately realize how seriously she has taken this “mission”. Even when she left the company that carries her name, quite a few years ago (in 2013, to be more precise), the guidelines outlined by her over a thirty-year experience keep on being followed faithfully.
Thanks to this attitude, that we can also call “corporate consistency”, as the years go by the brand Ann Deumeulemeester has become the quintessence of the use of black in fashion industry. This means that, if you want to discover the new black-painted trends you must take a look at its catalogue. Here’s below some examples that will probably represent the most essential black fashion items for the upcoming weeks and months.
- Flared trousers. About this kind of trousers, there are conflicting opinions: many people love them, many others find them distinctly unfashionable. The fact is that the first ones are particularly proud of their taste, and would never give them up for a more conventional garment.
- Ankle boots. Right from the early Nineties of last century, they’ve never really gone out of fashion since then. Their design may change, even radically, but their essence remains the same.
- Dolcevita sweater. One of the most iconic autumn-winter pieces of clothing ever designed, made immortal by the homonymous Federico Fellini’s film. It was 1960, but it seems like time has never passed, and this simple and yet iconic sweater is still able to find a place of honor inside everyone’s closet.
- High boots. A brave, daring footwear, maybe the most challenging one. Extremely hard to match – especially with an evening attire – but still appreciated by many clients. In this case, leather and total black are almost mandatory.
- Hoodie. Can you imagine a humbler piece of clothing than this? The challenge, in this case, is turning it into a real piece of fashion. Only a few brands can say that the mission has been fully accomplished.