Why are we so obsessed with Vetements?
If you were to tell anyone this time 5 years ago that the most exciting fashion brand in 2016 would consist of ludicrously oversized sweatshirts emblazoned with imagery more likely to be associated with your quickie “Goth” phase you went through aged 13, and that the “must have” item of the year would be a t-shirt worn by delivery drivers, they probably would of laughed in your face.However, the Parisian brand Vetements has managed to achieve exactly that. The design house’s rejection of the typically refined and sophisticated aesthetic of other French super powers such as Dior and Chanel has created this brand new narrative in modern fashion. But are we so captivated by their aesthetic because we honestly feel an emotional connection to the brand or is their rebellion really the main attraction for consumers in such a fragile period for the fashion industry?
Everyone seems to have their opinion on how Vetements are changing the state of “luxury”, they’re breaking down the institutionalised idea that “luxury” comes in the form of a cocktail dress embellished with 2,000 Swarovski crystals. But if you’re investing in a t-shirt for £175 which actually looks like it cost you £14 aren’t you then losing the whole essence and exclusivity of placing your trust into a luxury atelier? The overuse of logos has been rejected in fashion for a while now, with brands such as Louis Vuitton shying away from the obvious use of their logo to shout “look how much money I have”, as it’s become fashionable to still have lots of money, but pretend you don’t really want anyone to know. “Bootleg” culture has also almost became a trend of its own within the past year, with ironic fashion fakes becoming an essential style staple, rejecting what fakes used to be: the suspicious looking high top converse your auntie brought back from her trip to Turkey in 2011. The rise in commercial popularity of cult street wear brands such as Supreme and Palace has also played its part in why we’re so accepting of Vetements, as our brain is already programmed to think that it may actually be cooler to pretend you’re not trying to be cool.
Vetements appear to be trying to celebrate the “mundane”, but with many of their pieces not exactly being the most practical garments (those shoes with BIC lighters as the heel cannot be comfortable), can they actually pull off this aesthetic? In a way, their creative director Demna Gvasalia is projecting an almost forced ugliness, just to position himself even further away from the clean cuts and complicated embroidery of other Parisian powerhouses.
Regardless, you cannot deny the selling power Vetements owns at the minute, with some willing to give their left leg just to own the same £550 black hoodie Kanye West wore to the brands A/W15 runway show. With Gvasalia’s recent move to Balenciaga, all eyes are also focused towards how he will be able to apply his signature Vetements style into to the more architecturally focused, clean cuts of previous Balenciaga collections.
Seeing as the fashion industry is in quite a state at the moment, with consumers becoming more aware of “fast fashion” and its consequences, and creative directors stepping down left, right and centre, Vetements is so attractive as it demolishes this perfect, unattainable element of high fashion. Gvasalia has managed to relate to his consumer perfectly my creating a brand that is de-constructed and gritty, but also has an artistic element that captures young creative’s attention so well. Vetements is about so much more than just “hype”.
