The Thoughtful Dresser thoughtfully invited me to accompany her to the V&A last night. For the launch party of the new exhibition Fashion v Sport.
We had both agreed, over a civilised drink beforehand, that sport was not our forte, and hence not an area of the highest interest when it comes to clothing. But the catalogue to the exhibition maintains that
'sports styles are adapted to make fashion statements , both on the high street and through high fashion'.
To be honest the clothes on display didn't engage me. But then I am of a certain age. Some examples of what I would call art school experimentation seemed designed to provoke a John Macenroesque response (' you cannot be serious'). Then there was the opportunity to exclaim ' Oh look, some more retro Nike high-tops'. And , to be honest, I find it difficult to believe that people are still trotting out Keith Haring as being a stylish or contemporary design motif.
They did have Paul Smith's bicycle, but strangely not the range of cycle clothes that he brought out last year.
Of course the venue was captivating as ever ( as someone once said, 'the best place to lose yourself in London' ). The fizz was in plentiful supply, and the attendant throng were well decked out ( with not much sports influence in evidence I am pleased to say).
Truth to tell, I do actually own some sportswear. Because that's the appropriate thing to wear to the gym ( not for me the faded old t-shirt and distressed baggy shorts look). I was in Lanzarote earlier this year and made the mistake of taking one of my gym shirts, dark blue micro-fibre. The one day I chose to wear it my dapper host Bill looked at me somewhat askance and enquired ' Harry, is that synthetic by any chance?
4 comments:
This is what puts me off about going to that exhibition. I feel I'll have seen it all before. I'm well past the age when I get excited by 80s cagoules and retro trainers, maybe if they had some Claire McCardle stuff it might make a difference...
All I know is by next summer the 'sportswear' trend will have come round again...YAWN.
Wouldn't it have been more interesting with a historical component - in light of the V&A's rich collection - on how much sportswear from the 19th century on has become integrated into street and even business dress?
Indeed, it was a small and uninspiring show. What is wrong, however, with Harry's report is his reference to a 'civilised drink' beforehand which was actually, in my case, two large glasses of rose and two glasses of champagne on an empty stomach, and somehow we got engrossed in various conversations and missed the canapes. Talk about pouring into a taxi (me, not Harry, who can hold his liquor.)
After four glasses of wine on an empty stomach, small and uninspiring would look rather more robust or divinely inspired, to me. Well, briefly, anyway. The sudden excitement would be followed by an irretrievable memory lapse.
Thank heavens Harry posted, while Linda recovered.
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