Disappointing fashions in London show

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33060, 30 October 1972, Page 6

Disappointing fashions in London show

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent)

LONDON, October 29.

Remember Archie and Veronica in the “Archie” comics? Archie, as I remember, was the archetypical American “goon,” Veronica his “kooky” girlfriend. Veronica is making a return in English fashion with her bunchy fringe and her rolled-under bangs, her pedal-pushing pants and her goofy antics.

The Clothing Export Council showed a selection of 50 garments representing the best of British manufacturing at its recent fashion fair in London.

With music from the 1940 s and 19505, models looking like parodies of the rock ’n roll era showed clothes that were singularly unoriginal and unexciting. The most disappointing aspect of the show, apart from the tired old cribbing from the 19505. was its silliness. Who wants to wear bunnywool boleros with pedal pushers, or puff-sleeved, baby-print dresses when you are out of adolescence? It is all right for a laugh, but it is not very realistic. The encouraging signs of last seasons clothes geared to the very tailored and smart look, with elegance uppermost, skirts to knee length, shirts and jackets close-fitting and nicely detailed, seems to have been swamped. The reason might be that this type of garment requires much tailoring, and if this is missing the end product looks a floppy failure. FRAYING SEAMS

Manufacturers in Britain are rapidly following fashion, but one has to really look and pay for a lined jacket ot

skirt. Fraying seams are common fare today, the unfinished look an essential characteristic of English manufacturing. If quality is what you want in London it can’t be purchased with average earnings. And yet the working girl represents probably the biggest buyer in the market.

Perhaps the clothing business is merely a reflection of her needs. Does she prefer to be “with it” at all costs, and forget about durability? Does she think it doesn’t need to last if its going to be old-fashioned in six months?

I certainly think the dearth of ideas apparent in the show is an indication of the struggle manufacturers have to keep something “different”

coming out of the pipeline. If change is everything there must be times when they are scraping the bottom of the barrel of ideas. This is one of them. This show was the second of its kind organised by the Clothing Export Council. It represents an attempt to coordinate under one roof the efforts of a large variety of manufacturers.

Four of Britain’s leading designers, John Bates, Bill Gibb, Jean Muir and Zhandra Rhodes will show a separate collection for spring and summer later. Perhaps their message, though more expensive, will be more inspiring.