Sometimes trying to find obscure messages behind the inspirations referenced in a runway show proves to be a futile exercise, something that does not allow you to really look at the clothes or that makes you lose the point of the entire collection.
The two main references on the runway of Raf Simons' show for Calvin Klein were for example two films - Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" and Mike Nichols' "The Graduate".
The former is a classic, with its scary gory scenes, but the movie is also often seen as a socio-economic critique with links to the then-recent Watergate scandal (the "corrupt authority" was represented by the local mayor in the film); while the latter is a tale of post-adolescent alienation.
Simons seemed more interested in how the themes led to the clothes than in finding deeper conceptual meanings (even though they were there as we will see) for this collection.
Staged on the ground floor space of 205 West 39th Street, the show opened with the ominous "Jaws" soundtrack and with the iconic early scene from Steven Spielberg's film featuring Chrissie Watkins going to swim but never coming back.
Simons worked with literal interpretations of his inspirations: there were vests and trousers inspired by black rubber wetsuits; T-shirts and tops with the poster of "Jaws" were remixed and branded with the "cK" logo (the sort of merchandise item that will attract younger consumers and that will literally be flying off the shelves...).
Scuba gear also pointed at fetish and S&M, especially when the vests were peeled off and folded over at the waist, revealing the models' bare chests, and created one of those dichotomies that Simons loves so much - protection Vs sex.
The most interesting effects were created by the contrasts created by the lining of the vests that quite often revealed colourful patterns that at times called to mind underwater scenes, at other tie-dye effects reminiscent of blood splatters.
There was some conceptualism going on in the '60s cocktail dresses that had been pressed and distressed to reproduce the effect of somebody who had just fallen into a vast amount of water but had managed to emerge again, miraculously alive but with crumpled clothes kept together with chain hooks.
Pleated skirts à la Miuccia Prada were also ripped as if the fabric had been bitten by a shark and they were matched with ample oversized cable knits.
Towards the end of the show there was an emphasis on tailoring, with college boys and girls ("The Graduate" part of the show) wearing jackets and suits matched with mortarboards and coats that looked like chic graduation gowns.
Decorative fringe garlands also made an appearance, linking this collection to the S/S 18 American Horror Story designs, while the soundtrack, comprising Bowie's "This is not America" referenced the A/W 17 show.
Accessories included goggle-strap harnesses, red fisherman beanies and dry bag looking handbags shaped like lifeguard rescue floats.
So, where was the conceptual twist? If you dived deep you would easily find a moral to the story: the American dream turned into a nightmare with Trump, but the beginning of this political nightmare also coincided with Simons' arrival at Calvin Klein (this theme has been going on from the very first collection designed by Simons for cK).
Simons has explored in the past American landscapes such as urban centers and Kansas-based barns, exploring American culture via cinematic snacks like popcorn, traditional quilts or prairie dresses.
The blood splattered beach he has transported his audiences to for this collection is haunted by a sense of fear and shark attacks representing unknown threats.
So in a way this could be a perfect allegory for US politics, for a bloodthirsty monster in power who has so far attacked all sorts of people, or it could be a reference to post-Watergate times and to Simons' own experiences at cK and in the States.
While there was no optimism in this collection, there was a will from the designer to tell consumers that disasters happen, but beauty can come back, as he explained to journalists (in a rather vague manner as if he had a press officer standing next to him with a gun to his head...).
In conclusion, this collection may be a representation of our life as a survival horror film with a pop twist provided by some very commercial pieces like the "Jaws" tops, while at the same time it could be read through its political subtext telling us that we are swimming in shark-infested waters, but we will eventually emerge, cocktail dress crushed and ruined, stylishly in tatters but ready for a new (and better?) life.
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