Stiches In Time
Stitches In Time
Designers have long been obsessed with the rich possibilities of Shakespeare’s world and work. The Poet has had a huge influence on fashion for fall. Indeed, the runways of Autumn/Winter 2025 were studded with Shakespearean references. Ruffles, bodices, and puffed sleeves and corsets were seen in the major collections. Designers found themselves looking to 16th century fashion when a complicated dress code dictated what different social classes could wear. Many of these details were updated with variations on Juliet-style puffed sleeves. The ruff (ruffle) which grew more extravagant throughout the Elizabethan era was featured at Dior in an updated style.
Chloe took the ruff in a new direction complete with see through . The preoccupation with Shakespearean women influenced Hussein Chalayan to look at what women wore in the brothels, melding that with a modern wardrobe to create an empowered image of the body. The results–a provocative collection full of soft dark leathers, loosened stays, and contrasts between tight corsets and languorous drapery. It was an era of spectacle and parade, a time of high drama when fashion was influenced by social, cultural, and religious transformations of the period. The Elizabethan period was also an opulent time that celebrated craftsmanship with people wearing silks, brocades, and embroidered cloths of gold and silver. However,the linen smocks and loose shirts were an iconic symbol of the era seen in the collections at Nabil Nayal. Shakespeare, the son of a glover (glove-maker), was always interested in what clothes could tell, as well as transform or obscure, of a person. There is a connection between eras, designers, words, the history of clothing, and a long-ago playwright who continues to offer ways of approaching the world and our wardrobes.
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