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Let’s take a little history lesson, shall we? How many of you know the story of Florence Nightingale? Well, after this article, you will not only know a bit about that, but also learn that when models fall, it’s probably not once and it would be best to not let them walk again. And to wear underwear.
Soldiers and pork swords
Dennis Diem’s show was highly anticipated. After seeing the photos from last year (and hearing about the amazing but impossible shoes which he makes himself) I was anxious to see what he’d come up with this year. Before the show started I was completely in shock by a male visitor who wore nothing but a lace dress. At first I thought that the little sparkling stones on his ‘dress’ covered his junk, but when he moved towards me I realised that I was wrong. Very wrong. He was seated next to me and as he sat down, I was eye to eye with his bouncing ‘pork sword’. I’m just trying to give you an idea of what I experienced, before the show even started. Dear God, didn’t he get the memo? Flashing isn’t fashionable at all! Haven’t we learned that from Britney by now?!
But on we go, the show started with wounded ‘soldiers’ which were scattered around the beginning of the catwalk. The scene looked great, international even. All of a sudden we heard a loud bang and Personal Jesus blasted from the speakers. My naked ‘friend’ was screaming with delight at that choice, and being a huge Depeche Mode fan I wasn’t too bummed myself either. Corsets, light ensembles and again: those impossible shoes. It seemed that they didn’t have a proper sole, nor were they equipped with a good frame or a steady heel. This made all the models walk more or less wobbly, and one girl (who was only 14) fell. Not once, but three times. She was rushed backstage and I found this picture later on, pretty shocking.
W-O-W
This put a bit of a cloud over the collection, that deserved more attention than the shoes or the falling model. See, Florence Nightingale –the inspiration- was a British aristocrat born in 1820. Right on time for the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, and growing wealth of both aristocrats and the middle-class, she was destined to live a privileged life. But she wanted none of that: after hearing a call ‘from God’ at age 17, she devoted her life to nursing. In a time where women weren’t even allowed to vote yet but expected to focus on becoming a wife and mother, she was the odd one out. Good thing her progressive father taught her maths and supported her. Florence nursed countless soldiers back to health, studied and brought on reforms that would prove to be of great importance.
During the show I thought that the models served as ‘cheerleaders of the revolution’, a shining light that the wounded soldiers were aching for. Literally. Now, it’s all so clear. The pink, the shiny materials, the white hair and red lips: they looked like angels. When the final piece emerged on the catwalk I could only gasp. It was a floor-length strapless gown, with several layers of sheer fabric and feathers -in the shape of a wing-, draped across the chest. W-O-W. This collection was feminine, special, new and well researched. Dennis, if I ever get married, can I borrow that dress?
Photos by Sacha de Boer
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