POWER
HISTORICALLY,beige has been considered an insult: a
pseudonym for boring, unoriginal, bland. But the S/S 2019
shows gave beige a new lease on life. Suddenly, it is dynamic,
powerful, versatile. Now, we want to dress in beige. Or,
more specifically, we want to dress in the new, full spectrum
of beige: ecrus and sands, khakis and rusts, blush pinks and
earthy taupes. We want them all, layered on top of one
another, punctured with equally beige accessories.
Riccardo Tisci’s awaited Burberry debut was realised in a
heavily beige palette: the classic trench, of course, but also
VC pencil skirts, bubble-hemmed day-dresses and sharp
three-piece suits. Christian Dior made beige elegant and
glamorous, with Maria Grazia Chiuri’s romantic full-tulle
skirts and pleated evening gowns realised in exclusively neu-
tral tones. At Fendi, there was utilitarian energy: army-style
trousers with chunky belt bags and the perfect 9-5 dress
with boxy shoulders and an asymmetric hem. Alexander
McQueen’s show saw beige lace, accessorised with lashings
of leather — a celebration of contrasts if we ever saw one.
So why beige, why now? If fashion is the constant push
and pull of action and reaction, then we could call the
beige renaissance a backlash to the colour-and-print-heavy
ensembles dominating street style and our Instagram feeds.
Or, in this world of overstimulation, we could see beige as
an invitation to strip things back to basics; start afresh.
A rallying cry for a new kind of simplicity, perhaps? Or, we
could dig deeper. Fashion and politics are usually con-
nected — even if somewhat unwittingly — and the Trump
presidency and Brexit crisis are imbuing the runway in
unexpected ways. Beige has always felt fundamentally con-
servative and demure; evoking a feeling of austerity and
restraint. Its iterations have military connotations. It might
not be such a stretch to suggest the fashion industry was
reclaiming beige as its own this season: subverting and
reframing it as fresh, modern, feminine and sexy. Whatever
the reason, we’re on board.50 SHADES OF BEIGE
The S/S 2019 shows proved that taupe is
anything but boring. ByGRACE O’NEILL