I just watched a french film, "Coco avant Chanel" 2 days ago. For those who don't know this film, it's about the story of "Coco" and the birth of the extremely well-known brand "Chanel". This is a sad love story. In it, there is a strong theme of simplicity and the expression of true self. Coco was an expert in hat making. Her fashion lines revived the use of simple elements to show elegance and grace. Styles she created 60 years ago still influences modern day fashion.
In every era of fashion, we see elaborately decorated clothing representing the upper class. However, none of the elaborate designs remain influential through the ages. It's always a simple, easily recognizable design element that is passed through generations. Most modern designers either ignore this fact or they lack the ability to effectively translate simple elements into designs. When you stroll through malls, you often find shoes that go out of fashion in a few months. As one of my clients have said, shoes in malls only deserve to be on the shelf for 2 months. So what happened to the timeless gems? You can't find them anymore. At least not in Toronto.
