fashion neurosis 001: john galliano’s f2000 playground

the atmosphere created:

the backstage photos are everything i always think i’ll miss about being a little girl and having sleepovers and playing dress up. no such thing as a bad outfit then. but as much as i have an inkling to grieve, i have come to the revelation that these elements are only lost if i let them go.

the runway:

dark lighting, and who knows what on the soundtrack. no one know's whats coming but everyone is seated. down the runway comes girl after girl in the most loaded outfits. after the playful layering, paint on faces, there are huge floats and costumes and cardboard silhouettes. here comes the lady in all black pushing a baby stroller with what appears to be kabuki makeup. and after her, the all whites i loved so much, purity. before the last glimpse of white is off stage, here comes one in a long, formfitting red dress. i dont know what it means, but what this all feels like is the story of girl turned woman, told by man. romanticized, true, painful, as simplified as it is chaotic. because that’s what its like to be a girl, at least a girl like me. and that is why i chose to start with this collection.

the neurosis journey:

the key fashion vocabulary word for this collection: layering.

• layering of makeup and face paint. layering of fabrics and contrasting sillhouettes. layering of colors. layers of paint.

in fashion neurosis, layering represents dispelling fear. i feel like with every layer, you give fear your ass to kiss. fear relies on restraint, on rules, on knowing where things are supposed to stop. layering doesn’t allow for that.

on a bodily level: fear runs on adrenaline which is sharp, tight, and corrective. but excess of a good thing (layering) reroutes the system. with every added layer, fear loses traction. the nervous system exhales as GABA steps in, followed by serotonin’s steadiness and serenity. what starts as calm doesn’t stay still for long. dopamine flickers, inviting curiosity, another layer. endorphins take over next, loosening the body into play, movement, and laughter.

there’s no room for fear’s conformity where tulle, tweed, cardboard, and face paint all exist at once.

xoxo, vc