Decadence, debauchery, dinghys and dancing, combined with geek chic costumes, copious amounts of red wine and a complete and utter loss of dignity.
It made me think about a few things. Like about how fashion shouldn't be solely about the way a person dresses. In my opinion, fashion encompasses not only what you wear, but also the way you view yourself, the qualities of yr personality, your lifestyle, and, most importantly, your ability to not give two flying fucks about what anybody else thinks.
This last point is the essential one. You look at all the major fashion innovators of the last century and you will see that despite their diversity they all had one thing in common. They weren't afraid to break the status quo, to shock, to express themselves, to have fun and to stick to their convictions. All too often, the fashionista pack will withhold from doing something that in their view will make them 'look stupid' or mess up their carefully put together outfit. All too often, these same vapid fashionistas who slavishly follow Vogues every word turn out to have zero personality, zero je ne sais quoi. There is no substance, nothing behind their dead, heavily made up eyes other than disdain for those who can't afford or are unwilling to shell out on the latest Balmain jeans. Can you imagine if Vivienne Westwood has balked at letting the Sex Pistols wear her designs for their first gig? The face of fashion in the late 20th/early 21st century would be completely different! And what if Dior had refrained from launching his 1947 'New Look' collection? The classic hourglass shape that was hugely popular in the late 40's and 1950's would never have come to prominence, and Paris would never have regained its status as capital of the fashion world after WW2! This is the difference between fashion innovators and fashion followers. Guts. Balls. Whatever you want to call it. Innovators don't pussy out.
Thats basically the Le Freak, C'est Chic ethos. Yeah, we have a passion for all things sartorial, but we don't follow the Catwalk trends to a T, and we don't let it get in the way of us having fun and doing what the hell we want, even if we look utterly ridiculous in the process. To us, fashion is about following your own rules, mixing it up (be it taking inspiration from sources as diverse as the pretty-punk styles of Audrey Kitching and Zui Suicide, vintage kitsch and glamour, or even looking at styles of everyday girls and guys on the street for a fresh take on what to wear), and daring to stick to your guns and wear exactly what you want. Long live originality. Let the good times roll.
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