Comics are a kind of 20th century fairy tales, and, according to Kc report-another type of fantasy's influence on current fashion:
'Comic Look Book
Paris
This summer, Hollywood continued its obsession with comic books and superheroes with the release of such blockbuster films as
Batman Begins and
Fantastic Four. Many fashion designers are catching on to what Hollywood already knows: everyone relates to the superhero.
Danish designer
Henrik Vibskov captured the trend in the most direct and, perhaps, most effective way. Utilizing a color palette of red, white, and green, the
Central Saint Martins graduate updates the classic nylon jacket with a geometric fire print worthy of any comic hero. A series of T-shirts, nylon bags, and primary-colored pants completes the collection, which is carried at
Colette and Helena Christensen's Manhattan boutique
Butik.
The superhero trend is emerging in women's collections too. Reluctant fashion icons,
Eley Kishimoto have helped to solidify the trend with runway shows that resemble comic books come to life. Known for their vivid graphic textiles, the duo's fall collection showed bold, red lightning-printed skirts and bikinis with lime green hypnotic swirls. There were primary-colored tracksuit jackets styled with skirts printed with characters inspired by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. Many of the same characters found their way into the label's newly launched menswear line that made its debut at Maria Luisa in June. For a/w '05-'06, the pair, like Vibskov, incorporated fire into the mix. Skirts, dresses, pants, and leggings were covered in blue and red flames.
Making a different interpretation of the trend, the young German design duo
c.neeon (Clara Kraetsch and Doreen Schulz) created a collection swimming in bold, geometric prints. Hooded coats paired with billowing pants or pop-printed tights conjure images of otherworldly nomadic fighters, equal parts
Wonder Woman and
Star Wars Jedi.
Comics are known for their villains as much as they are for their heroes. British design collective
Kokon to Zaï named their a/w '05-'06 collection "Scary Clown," a character not unlike the Joker, the
Penguin, or the
Riddler. The collection is a mishmash of cartoon characters gone bad, including polka-dotted sneakers and pants and balloons, robots, stars, and grinning-monkeys motif. KtZ says "the general effect is one of warped childhood, of jilted cartoon characters, and pop art picked up from the recycle bin."
There are risk takers, daredevils, and superheroes among us, and they're looking for others to join the tribe.
-Bradford Shellhammer
Photos:
Eley Kishimoto a/w '06
c.neeon s/s '06
Kokon to Zai s/s '06
4-5 Henrik Vibskov s/s '
Credits: jc report, issue 73
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