For this year’s Pre-Fall collections, designers doled out wide—cropped—legs, bold prints, lots of fur, and funky colors layered in stripes. The 1970s are back everybody, and they’re just as groovy the second time around.
The early 1970s were marked by feelings of rebellion—the status quo had to go—and the push for peace and love pushed its way onto the runways and into the hearts of every Aerosmith and Zeppelin-obsessed teenager in America. Now in 2015, the same wave of rebellion is pushing through society—challenging social norms and demanding reform in areas such as police brutality, gender equality and otherwise.
The brazen, cheeky charisma of this renewed cultural revolution takes shape in peace and love patches, camo-patterned separates, and flower-power patterns in Valentino’s (huge) Pre-Fall collection.
Perhaps the most eye-catching designs from Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri for Valentino however, were the last nine looks, which can’t be described as anything less than ‘out of this world’. Intricate beading and hand-stitched patterns created entire constellations of stars, moons, galaxies, and planets on collared mini-dresses, show-stopping gowns worthy of any intergalactic red carpet, and simple classic-cut capes. If you haven’t checked out this collection yet, you should—it really is mesmerizing.
The rebellion took different forms in Emilio Pucci’s Pre-Fall ’15 show as head designer, Peter Dundas, focused on clashing colors (reds and pinks/blacks and blues/golds and silvers), lace-up décolletages, crushed velvet separates, and lurex-striped knits. Bell sleeves and bell-bottoms (plus one floor length suede skirt in bubblegum pink) scream Marcia Brady. I might need to buy a funky printed mini skirt and join the Brady bunch myself after this collection. Who would’ve thought I’d be in to floor length suede?
Nanette Lepore’s 1970’s looked a little more rose-colored, and her bohemian aesthetic is complimented perfectly by indigo hues, billowing cuts, soft paisley, and romantic white fabrics. Loose form, off-the-shoulder blouses and tie-dye shift dresses are incredibly wearable and are perfect for the millennial hippie child.
The early 1970s seemed to have a life of their own, and fashion belonged somewhere between rock & roll rebellion, bad wallpaper, and the love of peace. Luckily, the styles revived in the Pre-Fall ’15 collections of Valentino, Pucci, and Nanette Lepore include a little more love and rebellion and a lot less bad wallpaper, and they’re all totally groovy.