“They can’t take away my spirit.” This is the lyric fragment from a J Hus song playing on repeat in my head for the past two days. It’s bravado, really. Half of the time I’m terrified by the news. On the brighter side, I do have hopes that when we come out on the other side, we’ll be more compassionate and considerate of each other and the planet.
A bit of escapism is necessary in troubled times, and I’m seeking solace in puzzling and fantasies fueled by children’s books, fine art, and literature. From Rapunzel, who lived in imposed social isolation, my mind jumped to somewhat foggy memories of The Decameron, a book written by Giovanni Boccaccio during the time of a terrible plague. The tale starts when 10 well-heeled friends decide to self-quarantine in the country. Sound familiar? Built into the schedule is time for storytelling; and it’s these tales that are “recorded” in The Decameron, with commentary.
Many fashion references to medieval and Renaissance times come not from primary sources, but through artists’ and filmmakers’ imaginative interpretations of the past. In this story you’ll find Renaissance-inspired artwork as well as period works. Most of these are by a group of painters (whose work is often found on designers’ mood boards), called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The group formed in England in 1848, a period, writes Met curator Jennifer Meagher, “marked by political upheaval, mass industrialization, and social ills.” The aim of these artists, she explains, was to “transmit a message of artistic renewal and moral reform.” They aimed to be true to nature, as they perceived Renaissance painters to be.
The subjects of their paintings, many pulled from literature, are often depicted wearing loose robes that allow the body to be free underneath. There was a lot of flou in the fall collections, and many dresses with simple silhouettes and beautiful fabric manipulations. We saw options for ivory-tower princesses, pages of any gender, and bohemians of all stripes.
The fall looks shared here stand as records of a tumultuous, pre-COVID-19 time. They invite us to dream of what is possible and who we might be. Fashion invites fantasy. What’s yours?
