COVERED FACES

Last week Aziz Bekkaoui showed his new collection ‘Images Rule’ on the catwalk of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam. We saw an agreement with fashion shows held in London and Paris this month. Some of the models of Aziz Beakkaoui had covered faces by hats and caps of lace and fur. During international catwalk shows by different designers the faces of models are covered too, with lace, masks and in particular hair.

Viktor & Rolf showed their SS14 collection Wednesday during Paris fashion week. All models where dancers from the Dutch National Ballet Company, dressed in latex dresses and latex ballet shoes. It was notable that all the faces of the dancers where covered by big frizzy hair.

Comme des Garçons showed their homme plus collection during Paris fashion week. All the male models had the same kind of hairstyle. Their faces where covered by long black oiled hair. The spaces between the eyes were visible. the hair along the side of the head and over the nose again come together at the mouth, where it formed a long black tail. It seemed like they were wearing gas masks.

Maison Martin Margiela also presented their latest collection in Paris. One model wore a large ornate mask full of silver strings and beads. The faces of other models were shielded by black transparent fabric, with stitched glittering eyes.

It is clear that the faces are not only covered in order to emphasize the clothing. All three designers showed a mysterious impression. It looks like they want to protect the models for bad influences of the outside world. Especially the “gas masks” from Comme des Garçons showed this. It looked like an aversion of the trend transparency. Maybe we desire to go back to a period of being anonymous and having more privacy.

Isn’t it COOL that this aversion to transparency is translated in fashionshows. Whoever says fashion is superficial is wrong. We can see the desire to have more privacy now for example in fashion and our appearance. In the FUTURE this desire will also be expressed in other areas for instance living. Maybe we will furnish our homes and environment differently.