The fine art of tailoring and personal style were permanently sewn together during the Renaissance era, via the experimentation of cuts and patterns. It was the age of wearable status and has since flourished into the far more inclusive, broad market we’re familiar with today. From the pages of the past to the present, tailoring and streetwear have evolved time and time again, maintaining a balanced relevancy.
Tailoring for Women: A Revolutionary Turn of Events
Post WWII beckoned a surge of activism and social justice. A time where women stepped into the power of comfort, led by none other than designer Coco Chanel. Women joyfully turned in their corsets in exchange for a vastly dissimilar silhouette. Coco Chanel provided women with the luxury of cardigan-style jackets and freedom to move and emote in 1925. A true icon, not just in fashion, but for women’s rights.
Following in her footsteps, Marcel Rochas designed the first suit for women in 1932. Inspired by the influx of working women who were in need of functional attire, Rochas swapped skirts for trousers and allowed women to share the silhouette of man. The victory is palpable when winding the clock back to a time where the sight of women dressed in anything that didn’t completely exaggerate their feminine features was an utter disgrace.
Streetwear: An Age-Defying Chameleon
A promising sign of longevity is present in the ability to be malleable. This very malleability has enabled streetwear to remain an influential force in the worlds of fashion, culture, music and more. Streetwear seemed to catch on in the late 1980s in the midst of skate culture.
Shawn Stussy was the spark that streetwear needed to influence the masses. Shawn Stussy founded a surfboard company in Los Angeles California and began printing his now well-known logo “Stüssy” onto t-shirts. Sported by skaters and surfers along the coast, the idea of streetwear designs spread to the music scene in the early 1990s. It was all about wearing the name brand. Something that began as a way of loyal listeners to share their dedication, turned into an unstoppable force. From New York to Japan, streetwear continued to flourish throughout the 90s, worn in a plethora of ways to convey a simple message, “we’re not here to be conventional”.
The Unconventional Marriage
Over the years, something magical has occurred. A definitive example of the saying “opposites attract”. While some argue that streetwear is being pushed down the ranks, it’s evident that streetwear simply changes its face as it has historically done for decades on end. It seems streetwear has become more of a chameleon than ever before, fusing with a multitude of styles to create fresh ideas. It’s a fusion that holds the capacity to celebrate heritage, enhance comfort, challenge the idea of smart casual and shake up the imagination.
Mohammed Saud is a Saudi streetwear paragon, recognised for his dynamic, sleek and abstract designs that draw inspiration from the Najd region, where he spent his childhood.
“I wanted to emphasize heritage in a particular way while making it appear contemporary. So, I try to incorporate some of its components, like embroidery, drawing, or engravings, into a brand-new, modern design,” explained Mohammed Saud.
Tailored to perfection, Saud’s designs represent the threads that connect style, heritage, tradition and comfort. Industry leaders like Saud remind us of the innate ability that fashion has. To bring us together, regardless of race, gender or heritage. It allows us to delve deeper, learn more about others and ourselves while celebrating what makes us unique. It’s an impressive collection of streetwear made with an abundance of love and care, further supporting the idea that streetwear isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Streetwear: The Powerhouse Exposed At Fashion Weeks
Picking gems from the past, present and future have made the menswear world come alive. Louis Vuitton it was Billionaire Boys Club meets a more traditional form of tailored luxury. On January 16, from the mind of Pharrell Williams, the Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 24/25 Menswear Collection fused a striking western flare with a mix of refined, tailored shapes and a more relaxed streetwear feel. The result? A collection that captures your attention from start to finish. The show overall was a complete narrative joined by each individual piece.
It was Day two of LFW and the streets were filled with stylistic fusions. Frilly, extravagant dresses toned down by more casual elements of streetwear, striking coats that deliver strong , defined silhouettes, oversized accessories with tailored shapes juxtaposed by smaller accessories paired with oversized garments. It’s one thing to witness creativity and style blending down the runway, but seeing these unique, bold pairings on the streets of Paris and New York is truly wondrous. It’s as if, influenced by the pandemic, we’ve reached a halfway point between the comfort of casual wear and the elevated look of more traditional, refined attire.
Lea Nyland is an emerging designer gaining recognition for her innate ability to weave the elegance and mystique and comfort of modern femininity with sharper, more traditionally masculine shapes with a masterful fluidity. Presented at LFW this year was the Nyland Studios “SYMBIOTIC” collection. With sustainability in mind, Lea Nyland makes use of dead stock fabrics in order to minimize wastage as well as using digital prints. With a mission to help women stand in their power through use of combining streetwear and sharp tailoring, her AW24 Collection exudes accessibility, comfort and abstract style with elegance and attitude. Indeed a designer to watch in 2024!
The New Wave
From an analysis of the trends and collections that have kicked off 2024, it’s evident that sharp tailoring is at the forefront of the next chapter in fashion, closely followed by and partnered with the familiar and untethered nature of streetwear. The result? A new wave of luxury and personal style that’s set to take the world by storm. What is your take on this unexpected intersection of streetstyle and sharp tailoring, and is it a medley you will partake in?
Written by Ashley Jade Callahan from GLITCH Magazine
