Photo: Imaxtree

 

From left to right: Giles Deacon, Louis Vuitton, Zac Posen

Dear FKIA,
I love the costume looks on the fall runways, but how can I bring this trend from the Moulin Rouge to Madison Avenue?

Dear Jeana,
I hate to be a naysayer, but I’d set my sights on Coney Island or Barnum & Bailey’s Circus rather than Madison Avenue if you’re planning to go in whole hog for the season’s showgirl frippery. The zesty look has its origins in Christian Lacroix’s couture shows circa 1987. Sadly, 20-plus years later, Lacroix is fighting off creditors and trying to save his house from foreclosure. But even if his finances have seen better days, there’s no denying his whimsical influence on some designers’ runways for fall.

Lacroix, who was known for his pouf skirts, embellished drapery, and folkloric mixes of colors such as hot pink and red, was rarely able to resist a snug bodice, flaring skirt, or puff sleeve.

Lacroix’s love of excess was one reference point for Marc Jacobs this fall at Louis Vuitton, as was Marie Seznec, Lacroix’s model and muse in the ’80s, who went prematurely gray at 15 and wore her silver mane in a pompadour. Zac Posen and Giles Deacon (always given to wild flights of fancy) are also offering up looks more suited to the Folies Bergère than to a night on the town­, though Deacon’s collection is the most subdued of the group (hard to believe, given his love of extremes). To parrot these looks straight from the runway would work only if you’re dressing for Mardi Gras, but not much else.

But don’t just take my advice. Madonna sported head-to-toe Vuitton at the recent Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute annual gala (Jacobs curated the “Model as Muse” show) and apparently had to suffer a series of overly-familiars who couldn’t resist fondling her headgear, a pair of rabbit ears. I’m not sure why anyone would think it’s okay to manhandle any woman, even if she’s dressed like a member of a high-wire troupe, but if Madonna can’t pull off this look, no one can. That’s not to say that some of these stunners aren’t worth investing in. My advice is to take the look apart and pair the frilly tops and peplum vests and jackets with full pleated trousers or jeans, and to wear the poufs or flared skirts with a simple blouse or pullover. That way, you’ll be in for a penny, but not for a pound.

–submitted by Jeana from San Diego