I’ve skimmed past countless articles and blog posts about the fashion in Black Swan over the past few weeks without paying much attention to them. Probably because in the bitterly cold weather we’ve been having this last while, it makes me shudder to think of pale and bony girls jumping about in paper-thin leotards. Pass me the Quality Street and some cosy knits, pur-lease.
Only when flicking through Catwalking’s image database for SS11 for a shoot I’m planning did the sartorial power of both swans and ballet dawn on me. There is Erdem, with their criss-crossing ribbons snaking round the spritely ankles of their models. Miu Miu with a Deco-inspired swan motif adorning their silk shift. Then, of course, there are full skirts and chiffon galore in practically every collection that swanned down the runway in September.
What are the implications of the Black Swan effect for the average girl on the high street, then? Well, hopefully not legions of wannabes attempting to resolve their five-year-old self’s ambitions by practicing their pirouettes in all-out ballerina garb. There are certain trends that require styling with subtlety and this is most certainly one of them (unless you happen to be Bjork, in which case you can get away with anything). A full skirt worn with a tight tucked-in tee/leotard and slicked back hair should do the trick – throw on a biker jacket to toughen the look up with a Paula Yates vibe.
Rosa Abbott is an arts, fashion and culture obsessive originating from Yorkshire, England, and currently living in Dublin, Ireland. On top of being a student at the illustrious Trinity College, she is a freelance journalist, writing for a number of Irish publications, and also edits the visual arts section of entertainment magazine Totally Dublin.
When she’s not up to her eyeballs in writing, Rosa works as an assistant to stylist Aisling Farinella and volunteers at various art galleries. Her musings on life, style and art can also be found over at her blog, Too Gallant.
