Shopping The Trend: Zipping It Up!

ZIP IT UP: (header image, from left to right)

LaROK Zipper Front Shrug Dress. $348 – Pink Mascara. CHRISTIAN JOY black zipper dress with belt. $138 – Milk. Modern Vintage Shoes Aisha Cutout Wedge Boot. $395 – shopbop.com. Miu Miu Double Zip Dress. $1,640 – Net-A-Porter. Alexander Wang Leather Clutch. $650 – La Garçonne.  H Chalayan Sleeveless Dress with Zipper. $428 –  La Garçonne. Acne Jeans Zipper Charm Dress. $249.50 – La Garçonne. Mischen Zipper Front Skirt. $315 –  La Garçonne.

Fall 2008’s fashion philosophies diverge into antithetical directions. As such,  recession-wary shoppers face a dichotomy: go out with a glitzy bang or revel in the rebirth of bold, artful restraint? Embellishment and ornate detailing dramatically bow out with an elaborate finale (thank you, McQueen, Chanel, Givenchy, and Rodarte), while, concurrently, a new asceticism (thank you YSL, Marni, Wang, and Margiela) quietly competes with a dozen seasons of opulence.  Expressions of cerebral, understated elegance are set to replace the volubility of the “statement piece” era .

Christened “stark”, “luxe”, “smart”, and “clean” minimalism, we welcome masterful sartorial subtlety that attributes quality over quantity. The tenets of the design ideals set forth by Helmut Lang, Calvin Klein, Jil Sander, and Bottega Venetta have created a strong legacy for minimalism. For those who prefer a whisper to a scream, it’s the reverse snob’s dream come true.

Next week, as we cover Mercedes Benz Spring 2009 Fashion Week, we can report to you firsthand if the minimalist tendency spreads deeper and wider into the next season – we suspect it will. Until then, we’re here to walk you through some of the standouts in stark simplicity – and you can buy them right now!

Today, we’ve focused on creative usage of zippers. Featured by many of Fall’s chief minimalist architects, they are a requisite focal point and adornment on otherwise spare, even austere designs. Asymmetrical, centered, or linear – zippers in all varieties enhance the allure of severe, modernist attire and accessories this season. Clever manipulation of functional fashion is inherent to the New Minimalism of Fall 2008.