I was not going to post this video that I had taken at the Charles Anastase SS/09 show on Sunday as when it had uploaded onto Youtube, it became a grainy mess that made Anastase' sheer mini-crinos over stockings and the girls themselves look shonky/wonky. In reality the show was something that I defy even the hardest, most bad-ass, edgiest die-hards to not like. Testament to Anastase's popularity, I hadn't even publicised the video and it's already been commented on Youtube.
The show itself lived up to all those expectations that were pre-conceived; the whole Lula magazine gang were out in force, gaggles of Charles Anastase wearers in the audience and the girls came trooping out with long slightly unkempt (but not messy good lord!) hair, geeky glasses (courtesy of Linda Farrow) and bundles of girliness and French spirit. I was going to raise my eyebrow at the predictability of it all. But by the end of it, it was clear Charles Anastase had played his trump card; that he had stayed true to those cliches and made them his own. He owns that niche. His clothes DEMAND that they be worn by the Valentine Fillol Cordiers of the world, dancing in front of an SX-70 camera, twirling around with a cat umbrella or some such whimsical prop with Au Revoire Simone playing in the background. Why fight it when that is what the clothes are made for and perfectly at that.
Moreoever Anastase has made sure his clothes are weighted down and more rooted, so as to not become a silly pastiche; a shot of denim/leather here or there, black stockings that are more sexy than girly, cycling shorts under the sheer organza skirts, some of Anastase' trademark grafitti/illustration dotted around and most noticeably the SUPER high shoes (a collaboration with Natacha Marro).
When I interviewed Anastase backstage after the show, and he said he loved my cage dress, it did give me hope that despite being sans geek glasses, vintage sailor dress and navy battered loafers, I too can take a piece of Anastase or two and play around with it... in my own messy way of course.
Pics by Kate Rodgers and Rod Edmonds from DD which I think show up the details the best of all the pics thus far of the show.
