Seeing double

Recently I posted a short, well fairly short for me, review of the Pre-fall 2016 Womenswear collections- my favourite design ranges, prints and colour combinations. I also mentioned how there seemed to be an increase in soft focus 80's style photography and Victorian-esque family portrait photos. This post acts as a continuation of my Pre-fall review. Almost every design collection for the Pre-fall season featured pairs- some figures were intertwined(Yigal Azrouel); some standing hauntingly side by side(Veronique Branquinho), some standing/sitting at different levels(Erdem) and some standing slightly back appearing almost as a shadow(Elie Saab). "Twinning" is taking over. Matching hair, colour co-ordinated garments and mirrored poses all combine causing us to see double in the design collections.

Although the Men's Autumn/Winter 2016 fashion weeks are not yet over(finishing in New York on 4th February), we are seeing the twinning theme continue through to menswear although not in as many collections.

Why is it that we suddenly have the urge to dress to match? 

Could our lack of global uniformity be causing us to find unformity elsewhere? Is it to show allegiance to one friend?or does this stem from a deeper obsession with pairs/twins? Whatever the reasoning behind this doubles sensation it is obvious that this craze is gaining immense popularity both on and off the runway.

As can be seen in the photographs below, twinning is hardly a new theme. These photographs, found on Google, date all the way back to the 1920s.

I can remember being a child and absolutely hating it when my younger sister dressed to match me. I should have viewed it as a compliment but when you're 10years old and starting to create an identity for yourself you don't want anyone copying you. One of my biggest fears throughout school was turning up to a party/ non uniform day dressed the same as someone else. Now all of a sudden we're being told it's en vogue to dress the same!?

Back in 2008 Louis Vuitton teamed up with Marc Jacobs and showed a haunting 60s inspired collection which featured a row of escalators down which pairs of models came. It was like a fashion army. This is the first time I can remember seeing pairs on the runway.

For S/S 16 Rick Owens shocked the fashion world with his catwalk collection oddly entitled "cyclops" which showed pairs of models strapped to each other in what can only be described as a fetishistic manner.

Other recent mens/womens collections have also featured pairing heavily.

Top row left to right: Miu Miu, Chloe Pre-fall 16, Balmain Pre-fall 15, Dior Pre-fall 15, Trademark SS15.
Bottom row: MSGM Fall 15, Jil Sander, Emporio Armani SS15, Belstaff Fall 15, Loewe SS15.

Fashion editorials have also been completely on board with the twinning trend throughout 2015.

Top row left to right: V magazine, Thisispaper magazine, V magazine, V magazine
Bottom row: Vogue Paris, Elle Mexico, Cosmopolitan Turkey, Vogue Russia.

For Spring/Summer 2015 Lanvin did an entire editorial campaign featuring pairs dressed to match.

 

Why has 'twinning' suddenly become a thing? This trend isn't reserved solely for the runway, it's appearing more and more frequently in street style shots too. Until recently this 'dressing to match' trend was viewed as quite kitsch and rarely seen outside of Korea, Seoul and Hong Kong. Why has it suddenly taken off in the west?

When the same trend is being reflected in both the runway design collections and in street style it's definitely worth taking notice of. It looks like the doubles trend is here to stay.