Threeasfour Fall 2019 RTW – New York Fashion Week

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

The most prominent of trends from 2017, 2019 and now going into 2019 were the 1970s (late) early 1980s and 90s, also interestingly (and this could be a positive) for men's fashion where the militaristic and mountaineering stylization – with added colors, moving away from black and white starkness, that most probably is a reflection of police now gravitating towards more paramilitary style uniformity, as noted throughout Europe and America in relation to terrorist attacks. However, there has been discussions in the fashion world, more so journalistic and commentators, that fashion is stuck on a re-loop.  That is true, but culture and/or popular culture more specifically has been re-lopping for more than a decade, this can be seen in Hollywood predominately, to which the digitalized production companies have attempted to rework new angles in visual entertainment. Yet, even they struggle to define the new, with more shows been canceled than produced.

Cultural theorists have decreed in the past that society maybe reaching a peak of creativity, the ones that come to mind, who have all passed on, but their resonance holds true at a time when culture was moving more and more towards a digital presentation.  They were the late JG Ballard, Jean Baudrillard and of course the 'simulation theory' scfi writer P.K Dick. All of them proclaimed through their writings and quotes that the future will either reset its self back or infuse with the hyper-real (simulated reloop) and, in Ballard's blunt description become a "boring...suburb of the soul”.  But, it would be prudent to not overly cut and paste twenty year old predictions and align them as new theories. That would be a contradiction. Rather, we hold true to the ambiguous.  Allow the reader to discern their own perspective.

Might make it new again. 

Threeasfour, the avant garde clothing collective and brand: Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser and Adil Gil, set forth their Fall 2019 ready-to-wear collection, without compromising on the risque stylization that the collective has been known for – which has to be respected.  Similar in presentation to UK designer Gareth Pugh's costume inspired arrays, Threeasfour Fall 2019 collection presented the same angles, but from different aspects.  What is the reality in fashion at this current point in time, sans speculation that it (and society) has reached a peak – is the need to cover other markets for survival. As mentioned, the digital relays via Netflix and Amazon Prime, all competing with Hollywood for new entertainment content. Fashion designers, with markets globally now tightening and coming under pressure (costs up, profits down).  Costume design may offer a reprieve, for now it maybe not a crowded trade, but it soon could be; if the corporate acquisitions dry up as they snap up the last of the independent fashion designers. 

The color palette is chaotic with dashes of order, yet confined to the crafted avant garde designs, face masks (seen with other designers) seem to be a recurring theme with the more experimental fashion brands.  Not entirely sure why.  Maybe a medical fetishism ala styled sadomasochism attire.