By: Ishani Datta
When I think about fashion, I think about gorgeous but terribly uncomfortable pieces of clothing—designed to please the eye, not the person wearing them. What’s the point of crafting a stunning, wearable masterpiece if the wearer has to starve or struggle to the brink of exhaustion just to fit into it? They say beauty is pain; I say it shouldn’t be. Fashion should be designed to fit and celebrate a body, not contort and agonise it into fitting a piece of clothing that can only cause pain and discomfort.
Couture has a history of being influenced by various forms of art, both past and present, and most notably, fantasy and mythology. But with it sitting in the utmost status of luxury and lack of wearability, couture’s value in fashion can feel constrained. In recent years, both well-known and up-and-coming designers have taken a stand and are challenging the norms of what wearable couture looks like. Efforts of celebrated creative directors like Daniel Roseberry of Schiaparelli, Virginie Viard of Chanel, and Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior are seamlessly blending the opulence of these established fashion houses with functional wearability.
While it’s no secret to us that fantasy and mythology have influenced notable fashion houses as far back as Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938, it’s only in recent years that we’ve noticed a resurgence of the classical influences of Greco-Roman, Chinese, and Indian mythology. The products of such inspiration blend the beauty and elegance of fantasy and mythology with a higher degree of the wearer’s comfort.
Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 1994 show in Paris was certainly one for the history books, and one that in my opinion, is being referenced as an example for newer designers. The collection was a refreshing change from clothes that frankly made my stomach and back hurt just by looking at them. For the first time, I saw clothes that resembled my history as an Indian woman, on women who looked like me, on a global stage. The best part? These clothes were designed to celebrate women, not to reshape them. They weren’t made to force women into dangerous, unrealistic sizes but to embrace and highlight the natural beauty of their lines, curves, and everything in between. On the runway, the women looked confident and at ease, as though the outfits were an extension of their elegance rather than uncomfortable shackles of fashionable suffering. The garments enhanced their beauty, allowing their individuality to shine through effortlessly. The silhouettes, one-of-a-kind prints, and the gorgeous use of tribal and local pieces of jewellery further added to the cultural references to key figures in Indian mythology such as Goddess Lakshmi. It goes to show that high fashion with a rich cultural inspiration doesn’t have to require popping painkillers to wear.
I’m a sucker for fashion inspired by fantasy figures like the fairy queens and sirens. They evoke a surreal reality that I often find in my escape into books and dreams. My adoration for fantasy fashion leaped out onto the runway of Chung Thanh Phong’s show in Vietnam. His intricate bridal collection, aptly titled ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, featured couture pieces that were nothing short of dreamy, ethereal, and most importantly functional. The backdrop of butterflies in every article of clothing looked like it was taken straight out of a fairytale. While largely composed of bridal pieces, some of them truly resembled outfits that would be worn by powerful women in fantasy universes. I could see characters from the Game of Thrones and Shadow and Bone wearing them, and it warmed my reader’s heart. The divine white, gold, and silver palette is made for enchanted attendees, both in-person and virtually.
Phong’s designs began trending globally for the way he respected and celebrated women through his designs. He went viral under the ‘When a designer loves women’ trend. The clothes were designed for the women who wore them, and it was overwhelmingly clear how much Phong respected the women who wore his designs while bringing another meaning to fashion and its wearability. Vogue Singapore praised Phong’s fairytale efforts to challenge the boundaries of fashion and haute couture.
The industry’s evolution is fuelled by fantasy-inspired silhouettes and mythology-based designs, which are redefining the narrative of toxic ideals of body types. Individuality, diversity, and imagination are the essence of fantasy—and so should be the couture it inspires. For too long, fashion has confined the body to a fragile glass box, precariously balanced on the edge of conformity. By embracing these imaginative forms, designers and fashion houses can transform high fashion into a true celebration of individuality, creating garments that honor and amplify the wearer rather than forcing them to conform.
