Luxury and Restraint

10

Luxury and Restraint:

Minimalism in 1990s Fashion*

Rebecca Arnold

Simple, elegant and restrained, American designer Marc Jacobs’ work
epitomizes the 1990s minimalist aesthetic. His spring 1998 collection
comprised a series of easy separates, little soft grey cardigans, flirty pleated
skirts, contrasting fuschia macs and sporty clamdiggers. There was a slight
hint at 1950s style in the cut, but not so much that the modern feel of the
collection became swamped with nostalgia; there were enough references to
trend-based shapes and colours that the potential consumer could feel
comfortably fashion-conscious, but there was nothing too extreme, too
difficult to wear. As such it seemed perfect for contemporary women’s lives:
streamlined, stripped of clutter, functional yet beautiful.
Importantly it also drew upon the undoubted allure of luxury fabrics. The
cut of the clothes may have been restrained but the luxury of the materials,
soft cashmeres, and fine wools meant that the wearer was able to indulge in
the tactile pleasure of expensive fabrics next to the skin. Since the late 1990s
we have liked to believe in the simplicity of the minimalist lifestyle, with its
pleasing connotations of controlled rationality, which creates a tranquil space
in the chaos of urban living, but we also crave the comforting embrace of
luxury. While the idea of capsule wardrobes, made up of infinitely inter-
changeable key separates, may be enticing, there is also a desire to retain a
sense of distinction, particularly from the mass-market copy. The look may
appear democratically accessible, but the cost of such minimal styles is
prohibitive. While high street fashion may have become increasingly quick
at replicating the latest catwalk looks, quality has, however, remained harder
to emulate. And as was pointed out in the Observer Magazine in July 1998,

• This chapter is based upon a section of the book Fashion, Desire & Anxiety, published
  by I.B. Tauris in spring 2001.