When Vetements stormed onto the fashion scene a whole new catwalk language emerged.
With garments that appeared borrowed, oversized, ad hoc they often had a me-made, me-found, customised and accessible feel (even if the cost of a Vetements piece would leave you winded).
The brand started in 2014, the creation of designer Demna Gvasalia - you're more likely to spot him accompanying Kim Kardashian in head-to toe black up the steps of the Met Gala now - and his brother Guram. What was notable was the appropriated street wear fashion style, often paired down, stripped back to it's core silhouette. One of our favourite moments comes from the Spring 2015 show where a pair of sleek, overlong, fluid trousers hit a chic note whilst obviously referenced from track pants. Those trousers invited everyone and especially the young to be part of the fashion conversation even if you couldn't afford to buy into the label.
Their other signature design move was often an irreverent, almost punk, fingers up to the fashion audience. A tongue in cheek design style that told you not to take fashion too seriously. The infamous scribbled on "school leaver shirt", that last day of school moment where your pals scrawl in biro on your no longer required uniform. Fashion critics and the media alike were at once gobsmacked and enthralled.
It goes without saying that at some level their influence has filtered through into everyday fashion and our very own pattern designs. Our Palooza Pants have the same loose unstructured nod to a track suit pant, although refined with a false fly to give a slightly more tailored feel and with a more tapered width to the leg. They revel in the joy of how simple yet effective me-made and sew-your-own can be - again part of what we want to do is encourage anyone who hasn't had a go yet at making their own to join the #memadewardobe revolution. Simple construction, easy fit, taking themes from the fashion runways and feeling like I can do this myself. It is that sew-it-yourself attitude that runs through the "sewcialism" movement and the ethos of Make Me Tonight. And of course a beautifully cut but simple pattern silhouette means you can hack, personalise and customise to your hearts content, from taking our pattern and stretching out the length of the leg to adding your own ad-hoc embellishments (and of course if you do we would love to see the finished results),
So what's stopping you believing you have the design power at your fingertips?
(image: from Vetements Catwalk Spring 2015)