Dundas. Spring 2019 Couture - Los Angeles.

(Images from Vogue.com and wwd.com of the public domain. All rights. Used in promotion of the designer.)

With the irritating culture wars losing  momentum, as fashion (always the case) and aesthetics begins to place a firm nail in its coffin of nonsense.   That if anything, as far as an after taste, would be the rotten egg on the faces of both sides who made issues out of molehills – thus resounding the same old rhetoric (which used to be confined to Universities, before they became bloated and corrupted).  Yet, the resonance of noise that swayed digital forecasters, trend analysts and everyone in between that believed otherwise – staring at their 'smart 'phones, which in turn sent major brands scrambling to deliver ensembles offered to the post graduates.  Huge mistake, now they, the major brands and associates are scrambling back to resource the trends that slipped by in 2017, 2018 and now 2019.  They are the 1970s, 1980s (early) and mid 1990s (street-wear looks). Still, a newer analysis should be undertaken, although one should not over analyze the feverish desire to reanimate 70s and early 80s looks. I am at two minds (which are one) in studying this reworking of styles that are now over forty years old, yet, I think there is an attempt at etching out a dark romanticism of the excess and hedonism that occurred pre the AIDS epidemic. 

As noted with my Loris Azzaro overview and other shows (Celine and Saint Laurent) of the last two years, the cocaine and gangster and/or mistress looks are starting to gravitate as one of the mainstays of evening and couture wear – in other words the styled mini skirts, leather hemmed shorts and shoulder padded, revealing v-neck gowns have moved into high gear. 

Peter Dundas for his couture Spring 2019 collection has set the bar in regards to evening wear that reverberates the phantasma, interestingly it was held in Los Angeles, as a red carpet collection for “The Art of Elysium” fund raising gala. I kinda dig this, I mean, Dundas has referenced the Hollywood of the the 70s and 80s in a portrayal of dichotomy within all of its decay and hedonism. So, of course he has said that the 1983 Brian De Parma classic Scarface was an influence for this collection – and a little bit of trivia for you, when America went into Recession in the early 80s, Miami was booming and it wasn't local (legitimate) industry weathering the storm.  Just a ton of cocaine filtering its way onto the East and West coast of the USA.  Are we reflecting a similarity in the 21st Century? Maybe, a split screen between excess and decay could open up in earnest or Hollywood just starts remaking 70s and 80s style movies.  Either way designers will position them selves to offer the cocktail dresses or costume design or both. So, as mentioned, this is more of a romanticism of revealing the glamor of a time, which was the later part of the 20th century – that is no more than a nostalgic trip, with dashes of irony. 

Blazers and feminine styled 80s cocktail tuxedo looks, flowing dresses, jacquard fabrics, gold and exotic shimmer.  Hemmed and high waisted leather shorts, very much a trend moving into Spring/Summer 2019.  Cropped, sports bra, sexed up evening ensemble. Once again, a play on 1990s street fashion, crossing over with the 70s and 80s hedonist overkill. Beautifully crafted evening gowns and suit pants, flowing silk animal prints, thigh high splits – caftan influences, maintaining Dundas's ability to experiment a little, away from attaching onto the Studio 54 yesteryear trend.  The color palette remains fixed onto the glitter and exposé of an evening vice, black on leather, gold, dark green, illuminating blues and purples, splashes of orange.