It's no secret that things are pretty bleak right now. With Wall Street reeling and the economy in shambles, everyone's talking about cutting back like it's 1929. In the magical little bubble known as Fashion World, however, the larger-than-life decadence and glamour of the bull market 1980s is in full swing.
While it is not uncommon for designers to look back 25 years for inspiration, the latest reincarnation of '80s style is interesting in its singular embrace of the high-flying Wall Street yuppie culture of the time, which revolved around the pursuit of corporate success and luxury goods. Rather than predictably referencing the decade's signature punk, new wave or Valley girl looks, designers have ironically turned to the decade's affluent and ambitious overachievers -- the self-aggrandizing young bankers and lawyers who, thanks to that other exhilarating stock market boom, worshipped at the altar of mindless materialism and conspicuous consumption.
For evidence of Seventh Avenue's improbably timed yuppie style, look no further than fashion's unofficial mascot of the moment: the consummate young urban professional, Patrick Bateman, the investment banker-cum-serial killer from Brett Easton Ellis's infamously stomach-turning send-up of 1980s excess, "American Psycho."
The sartorial equivalent of a business card with a watermark, hot new label Cushnie et Ochs's debut collection was built to impress and inspire envy. Fresh out of Parsons, the young designing duo's Spring-Summer '09 show was a bright spot in a largely lackluster New York Fashion Week. When asked about the edgy, starkly minimalist presentation -- slinky, draped frocks, architectural jackets and skintight, neon crop-tops accentuated with risque sheer panels and cutouts -- co-designer Carly Cushnie cited Ellis's name-dropping, obsessively image-conscious protagonist as an influence. She told New York magazine, "American Psycho largely inspired the precision-cut minidresses, the geometric cutout lines and the sleek racer-backs. And, of course, Christian Bale [the actor who portrayed Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film adaptation] for his meticulous sense of discipline!"
Cushnie's fellow Parson wunderkinds and Vogue favorites Proenza Schouler also picked up on the theme. Designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough's latest collection was an overt homage to the power players of the '80s. Massively exaggerated shoulders combined with high-waisted tapered pants riffed on the classic silhouette of the decade's power suit. The looks were unexpectedly accessorized with giant rubber gloves that -- wouldn't you know -- made the models look like fabulously sinister extras from a certain extraordinarily glamorous horror flick. Shoes with giant drill bits as heels and jacket sleeves that gave the appearance of disjointed limbs completed the subtle-but-creepy homage to Patrick Bateman's more, uh, violent hobbies. The effect was an experimental, darkly subversive take on the wealth and power of the well-heeled yuppies of the Me Decade.
The runway looks have already started to catch on; expect to see exaggerated '80s yuppie style trickle down, Reagan-style, into the mainstream aesthetic consciousness. Kanye West (arguably the best-dressed celebrity in the world right now) attended Proenza Schouler in a sharply cut houndstooth suit complete with suspenders and round tortoiseshell glasses, a vision of old school Wall Street. When photographers asked Mr. West about his yup-tastic ensemble after the show, he gamely responded that he was wearing his "Patrick Bateman look." Pictures of Kanye, a hugely influential trendsetter, in his dapper get-up are all over the blogosphere, so prepare yourself for bespoke suits to become the next Jeremy Scott shutter-shade sunglasses.
Fashion's perverse fixation with yuppie culture occurs at a strange time. The nostalgic embrace of the lavish, label-obsessed lifestyles of Patrick Bateman and his ilk may stray far from the reality of our current economic situation, but it serves as a potent form of escapism from the woeful headlines and escalating bad news. At the very least, you'll look like you can get a decent table at Espace.
Stefanie is a writer for The Mirror. She loves Huey Lewis and the News.
