I remember when I discovered what a runway was. I was five, maybe six years old and the New York Times was spread on our kitchen counter. A model wearing a crazy, sculptural dress with all kinds of wires supporting the fabric and what could only be called a giant f-ing hat was caught mid-walk by the photographer. I thought, who the hell would be able to get into that, let alone wear that? (OK, maybe not those exact words, but you get the drift).
The impression was that designers didn’t make clothes for real people to wear. I felt distant from Fashion (yes, the Industry, with a Capital F) like it wasn’t something I could relate to.
As I get older, I understand what that designer was doing, whoever they were. There is value in experimentation. Designers might show something CRAZY, but the reality is that most of them have no illusions that people are going to saddle up in some wonky costume to go put gas in the car. It’s simple an introduction to an idea, or an invitation to ask what if, or a highly condensed idea that can be broken down into more wearable elements.
Get your Inspiration ON
But I also discovered – with relief – that many designers create clothing that is meant to be worn. Like, by a real person. And that’s when I started stalking the Vogue Runway app.
If you follow me on Instagram you may remember that this is something I do quite flagrantly. Every fashion week I’m swiping through that app, picking out looks that I think I could actually use, either with what I already have or could reasonably purchase. It challenges me to be more creative, more resourceful. And I could certainly use more of both of those qualities.
So: Let’s talk about Ralph and Russo, Ready to Wear, Fall 2018. Yes, it was shown a few moons ago in the Spring, and since then I’ve been waiting for Fall to employ my ideas.
I realize I sound like either a.) a budding evil genius; or b.) a complete, slightly creepy, lone wolf, depending on the tone of voice. But really, this collection was BEAUTIFUL and back then I didn’t have a blog to carry my gushing, run-on sentences. Lucky you, lucky me, now I do, so now we’re talking about it.
Here are the two outfits I picked from the show, knowing that I could use items already in my closet to create a similar feel. Photos are from Vogue.com:
Things to Keep your Eye On on the Runway
What I immediately noticed were the longer silhouettes, high, defined waists, and shades of gray (ok, insert 50 Shades joke here. I’ll wait).
If you’re not wanting or able to spend a ton on clothing, it’s good to select runway looks to recreate that use basics and separates. That is, you wouldn’t want to choose the very specifically-cut cocktail dress that’s going to set you back a couple grand, unless you have that money set aside – then go get it and enjoy! But in general, for the highest rate of success, go for looks that you can swap separates in and out of easily. Does that make sense?
So here’s my get-up:
Belt: ASOS
About the Clothes
The Ralph and Russo looks were great options for inspiration because they bet on basics with long lines – items I already had in my closet. It doesn’t matter that there’s a mix of high/low brands (does it EVER?), the effect is the same. I will say that the one of the runway looks is way more sparkly, so if you wanted to take this day to night you could mix in some leather or sequins. Bam! You have your fine self a going out outfit.
And that’s what I like about this brand – they are all about form and lines. So until my wallet fattens up a bit and I can lavish myself in their clothes, learning from how they match color and silhouette and using it in my existing wardrobe is a good substitute.
Remember that double-buckle belt? It appeared with a very different look in this post.
For accessories, I kept it simple. The spirit of this look is not flashy – it’s more of a wear-to-work type of thing, right? Some black beads to add texture, blue studs to not be boring, and ta-dah! Outfit. Made.
Do you look at the runways for ideas, or stick to magazines and blogs? Or maybe you find inspiration in the store as you shop? There’s no one way to do it – whatever fuels YOU is what works.
And if you like the monochromatic look, you’ll probably like this post as well!
love
Stig.
