It was all over the runways of New York, Milan, and Paris this season:  filmy, barely-there, flesh-toned clothing that begged for a second glance.  The trend seems to stem from Dior’s 2006 and 2007 runways, in which models sported lacy corset structures over deceptively sheer-looking nude fabric.  So why is it only now that so many designers (including Moschino Cheap and Chic, above, and Nina Ricci) are choosing to follow that lead?

One reason is that flesh-toned garments seems startlingly self-aware.  What better way to question the importance, use, history, and future of clothing than by tying those concepts inextricably to the appearance of the human body?  Fashion is essentially both the enhancement of and the masking of the human form, and the use of nude-colored and sheer-looking fabrics effectively hammers this point home.

Walter’s sheer “Secretary” blouse strikes the perfect balance between revealing and concealing.

Alexia Admor’s nude lace corset dress fuses the earthy with the ethereal.

Posted on November 30th, 2007 by ashley