Borg has his sights set on fashion future

Press, 7 September 1984, Page 15

Borg has his sights set on fashion future

Bjorn Borg is more interested in his new career in fashion than either the tennis court or discussion of his quick-change love life. “I want to go on with fashion as a career,” said the long-haired blond Borg after his show in the exclusive Automobile Club this week. Borg, in his own white suit with blouson top and striped shirt. and tie, had watched the show with his new girlfriend, Jannike Bjorling. Photographers concentrated on the couple, although the very sporty, ten-nis-inspired clothes, designed by a Swede named Rohdi Heintz were applauded. Borg’s appearance was the big sensation in a week of men’s fashion shows for next summer. All the designers are trying hard to give men new choices to vie with the grey flannel suit. With lots of vivid or subtle colour and some wild selections in sports wear, men’s fashions from France are getting spruced up. But it’s evolution rather than revolution, because — let’s face it—men have not really felt able to dress like peacocks since the days of Louis XVI. Most of the men’s wear designers personally dress conservatively, either in jeans, like Claude Montana, or blazers. and ties, like

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.

But Montana offers amazing elaborately decor-, ated blouson leather toppers with hulk shoulders for men, much as he does for women. And Castelbajac doesn’t mind showing liberty prints for men on shirts, vests, even sneakers. He also likes the precious toile de jouy wallpaper look on vests, and as panels on sports jackets. He had some terrific blousy sweaters with bold nautical-theme knits, the cutest with a dolphin pattern. “When men follow fashion, women follow men,” was the motto of the latest men’s wear shows. Women watched keenly, because they covert a lot of these unisex clothes themselves. There were, of course, some slickly cut city suits, with a Great Gatsby air, notably at Lanvin, whose designer Patrick Lavoix showed double-breasted or single-breasted jackets with vents at the back, peaked lapels, mainly in wrinkleprone linen rather than box plaid soft wools or gabardines. The wonderful candystriped shirts here also came out with matching boxer shorts—presumably to be covered with Lanvin’s rather slim cuffless pants when headed for the office.