The badass women issue

eactions to Hedi Slimane’s début collection

for Celine last September fell decidedly

into two camps: Those who were already

fa ns of his super-sk inny cuts at Sa int

Laurent were ecstatic, and those who loved

Phoebe Philo–era Celine, defined by her

slouchy chic aesthetic, were outraged. Many women in the

latter group said they felt betrayed by the brand, which they

once trusted for smart, professional-looking clothes. Now

it’s serving them miniskirts and biker jackets instead.

While a revolt was to be expected (did anyone really think

Slimane was going to design a chunky turtleneck?), the very

persona l responses that ensued do ra ise a n interesting ,

and much bigger, question for fashion. That is, just who’s

out there designing for strong, badass women today?

Well, the short answer, judging by the spring runway shows,

is a lot of designers, including some who happen to be strong,

bad ass women themselves. Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen,

Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, and Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy

are three who are bringing modern, feminine (in some cases,

feminist) perspectives to houses that were founded by men. And

each of them focuses on clothes that project power as well as

beauty. A similar attitude can be seen in the dazzlingly smart

collections of Victoria Beckham, Gabriela Hearst, and Roksanda

Ilinčić, who are building potent brands in their own molds as

fashion power brokers—Beckham, especially so.

“ I wou ld n’t offer something to my customer that I wou ld n’t

wear myself,” Beckham says, pointing out that her spring lineup

was conceived with the notion of building an essential wardrobe

with pieces that work for an important business meeting or for

Reflecting the moment, designers are making fashion

108 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2019

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