[Subheading] Whether designers acknowledge it or not, World War II still shapes their collections. Even at Gucci.
(Guy Trebay, “At Milan Men’s Week, the War Lives On,” NYTimes, 1-15-20)

I can’t resist marveling at the look of this Gucci lineup and quipping that the plaid background pulls it all together! The models evoke for me waifs who have had to dumpster-dive for remnants and cast-offs in order to clothe themselves.

High fashion is a mysterious and perplexing world to me. I enjoy keeping an eye on it, not to ridicule — that’s simplistic and counter-productive — but to see where it points. How do designers develop their ideas and make their choices? In what ways is World War II reflected here? I would love to converse with a Gucci insider to find out.

(c) 2020 JMN