Conceptual Self-Sabotage
Manolo says, it is not often that the Manolo reads the runway review that makes him laugh out loud.
As the rigs got bigger and the girls’ expressions more frozen with fear, involuntary gasps escaped from the audience. “Oh my God, she’s listing!” hissed one observer. “I can’t look!” cried another. “That poor girl’s slipping!” shrieked someone else.
By pure luck, no one did fall, and when the applause came, Viktor & Rolf may not have realized it was all for the models’ heroic endurance, rather than for them. The mild-mannered and scrupulously polite Horsting and Snoeren can hardly be suspected of being closet sadists, but in this case their concept crossed over into cruelty. At the end, if they’d come out rigged up themselves—in clogs—they might have gotten away with it, but whatever point they were (perhaps) making about how each of us walks through life in her own imaginary fashion show, it couldn’t override the discomfort of the spectacle.
Imaginary fashion show?
This is not how the Manolo imagines his daily strut down the runway of life…
Lights! Camera! Topple!
As for the feetwear…
In the industry noted for the dumb conceptual “artistry”, this is one of the dumber examples.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:44 am
If the “conceptual artistry” were for the fashion forward Dutch peasant girl of the bygone century, the shoes might actually make sense. Of course, the real Dutch peasant girl would know better than to exchange her oh so stylish bright white wide-brimmed starched cap for pipes and light bulbs. No, she would walk proud in the realization that her fashion sense, if not quite timeless, trumps “scaffolding as accessory” every time–not to mention, if those dykes ever burst, she won’t be electrocuted.
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When I first saw the poor model in the black and white (and yellow) ensemble, I thought she had literally been suspended from it and was just hanging there. If I pretend that the lights contraption were not lights but a clothesline and pins, I could easily imagine that some naughty little boy had hung his younger sister’s favorite doll on it, just out of reach, to tease her. Hmmmm….a little girl dressed her. That could explain the shoes.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:56 am
I took it for social commentary about what suckers we have become and how thoroughly we have been made into hangers for the expensive and stupid parts of fashion.
We pay too much money for a frock that pronounced who we wear instead of who we are, we carry handbags with prices that would feed an African village for a year and we are crippled by shoes at similar prices.
I love fashion, but more I love style. I figured that Viktor & Rolf were agreeing.
March 1st, 2007 at 9:44 am
I don’t get it. “she’s listing” ?
March 1st, 2007 at 10:23 am
OK, folks, I think this definitely has lurched over into “unsafe working conditions” territory. Considering some of the health of some models, I think the great good luck here is that no one fell down and broke their neck.
March 1st, 2007 at 10:53 am
I checked the entire collection on Style.com…holy heck in a hand basket! Those stage lights were an intergral part of the dress!?!? I can’t imagine anyone actually wearing that! If someone did, it would be like scene from one of those Naked Gun Movies, people on a crowded city street, some poor fashion victim wearing a stagelight dress, people ducking, jumping out ot the way, eyeballs being poked out, windows breaking, possibly a few other injuries… I though those black spandex catsuits crossed with ballons were the most ridiculous thing ever to walk a runway…I stand corrected.
March 1st, 2007 at 11:50 am
KV,
“Listing” is a nautical term describing a boat which is precariously leaning to one side.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I…actually think those clogs are cute. Uncomfortable-looking, but cute.
I’ll see myself to the door, thanks.
March 1st, 2007 at 5:03 pm
What I don’t understand is why these models don’t look at something like this and say en masse, “No.” One fall that breaks a nose could end a career. One fall that breaks an arm or a leg could have them sitting out a season. This is an insane chance to take with one’s livelihood. Surely, there are other designers doing shows this season?
March 1st, 2007 at 6:49 pm
I hope those models were paid well.
The wooden shoes made me think of orange crate art. Many decades ago, orange crates were decorated with sometimes whimsical, occasionally beautiful labels with intricate drawings and bright colors. As with orange crate art, the wooden shoes could be displayed in a casual room to provide a touch of visual humor.
One would never wear them, however.
March 1st, 2007 at 6:57 pm
I’ll be leaving with Jenny, since I thought the shoes were cute, too, or at least an interesting idea. Different painting would be better.
March 1st, 2007 at 8:11 pm
La Petite Acadienne has a pair of the klompen. They are lovely to remind her of her time in Holland. Wearing high-heeled klompen , accompanied by what looks like the aftermath of a gaffer going on a bender…not a good look.
March 1st, 2007 at 8:13 pm
It’s admirable that those girls would attempt this ridiculous and dangerous stunt because I would imagine it’s entirely possible that the hardware outweighs the models. That could also be said of those shoes, too, however.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:29 am
OMG I *have* to have those shoes for May 17 in Oslo when everyone dresses in all the costumes…
Where can a girl buy Viktor and Rolf either in NYC or Norway?
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:33 am
Hmmm.
Hah! And people were telling me that I look like an idiot in my homemade Ho Chi Minh sandals, i.e. cut out pieces of rubber car tire.
Compare to those things mine are the very height of fashion.
Now bow down before me! :)
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Proof positive that being a model is a lousy job.