Spring 2004… It was a season in which Daria Werbowy reigned supreme—her reemergence last month in a Gucci ad bolsters the idea that fashion runs in 20 year cycles. Also set for a comeback is Phoebe Philo. Back in 2003 she was at Chloé and designed the must-have jean of the season, a high-waisted “mom” model with ’70s flair. Nostalgic for an even earlier time, Miuccia Prada sent dolce vita-era postcard skirts down the runway. Alexander McQueen staged a dramatic dance-a-thon, choreographed by Michael Clark for the designer’s “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” collection. He wasn’t the only one with a feeling for action: At Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière hit the waves with scuba-inspired pieces, Proenza Schouler set out to sea, and Y-3 was ready for the pitch.
Helmut Lang pulled inspiration from the sky, referencing the shimmer and ephemerality of the dragonfly in his collection. In contrast, the Marc by Marc Jacobs lineup was an ode to the teenage dirtbag, a figure recently resurrected by meme culture. As if anticipating the AI revolution, Jun Takahashi’s outing for Undercover, titled Languid and shown on “twins” wearing two versions of the same look, anticipated the distortions of technology and the morphing of image and reality.
A.F. Vandevorst Issued Walking Papers
Alexander McQueen Translated “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” from Film to Fashion
As Four Dazzled
Nicolas Ghesquière Went Body Surfing at Balenciaga
Francisco Costa Made His Debut at Calvin Klein
Phoebe Philo Brought Back Mom Jeans at Chloé
A Skirts Only Collection at Comme des Garçons
Daryl K Did Downtown Right
Karl Lagerfeld Fine-Tuned His Collection for Fendi
Tom Ford Hit a Glam Slam for Gucci
Hamish Morrow Went High-Tech
Dragonflies Lit Up Helmut Lang’s Imagination
Jil Sander Returned—With Wallpaper Prints
Marc by Marc Jacobs Was an Ode to Teenage Dirtbags
Marni Stayed Grounded
At Miguel Adrover, Radical Chic—and a Cameo
Miu Miu Went Glamping
Prada Sent Postcards
Proenza Schouler Set Out to Sea
Rachel Comey Took It to the Street
Ralph Lauren Went Clubbing
Tom Ford Went Deco Deluxe at At Saint Laurent
Sophia Kokosalaki Studied the Classics
Tim Van Steenbergen Stepped Up to the Barre
Jun Takahashi Was Seeing Double at Undercover
Veronique Branquinho Told Bedroom Stories
Y-3 Carried the Win
Yohji Yamamoto Did Some Painting
