Velvet Crush

Posted by Billy Bride


Crushed Velvet is the stuff dreams are made of, yet it can also be a vessel of our deepest, darkest Elizabethan-gothic nightmares. So how do we tread this finest of lines? It is a treacherous path, fraught with textural missteps – ungainly silhouettes set to beguile and entrap you at every turn! It can be tricky, but look toward the light – the Fall runways illuminate a wondrous new direction for Velveteen, and it’s anything but Medieval.

Chloe, Balenciaga, Fendi & Moschino lead the way, setting their catwalks alight with a razor-sharp Winter palette of midnight shades. Cheap Monday and American Apparel are already championing the cause at street level, and this movement isn’t just for the girls either – Menswear’s coverage of the coveted ‘crush’ was exhaustive. Velvet was popping up on everything from boots to blazers to bow-ties.

These dreamy jewel-like garments sparkle against their matte counterparts, and even though this new development might not be exactly what Stevie and Janis had in mind, the wild heart of a free spirit still beats within.

Check back each Thursday for more on the fashion world from Billy Bride