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12 International Herald Tribune

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 S T Y L E
A fashion hook from yesterday

The many guises of crochet in this season’s fashions: Chanel’s accent

for bell sleeves, left; Prada’s multicolored f lats, top left; dresses from
Temperley, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli, above from left to
right; and a Lorenza Gandaglia stone-encrusted handbag, below.

Crocheted looks with

appeal beyond Granny and
the hippie chick: shoes from
Marc Jacobs, top; the Paris
boutique minaPoe’s Alma
vest, popular with the
actress Uma Thurman, and
the boutique’s sun fuchsia
handbag; a Prada hat and
necklace; and a Fendi dress
with form-fitting bodice.
Christopher Moore/Andrew Thomas

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E
8-10 rue Adhémar Fabri steps of freedom wearing a granny-stitch crochet
poncho made by her fellow inmates, some might
CH-1201 Geneva have thought she had lost her grip on the pulse of
American style. But those in the know saw the truth: Even in
View catalogues lockdown, word had gotten through that the hottest trend
this season is crochet. Martha still had it.
and leave bids online
Say ‘‘crochet’’ and images come to mind of grandma sit-
at christies.com ting in front of a fire, or hippie chicks wearing big floppy
hats and making the peace sign.
But this season those summer-of-love images will be re-
placed by stylish looks from the likes of Chanel, Prada, Marc
Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli. These are just
a few of the designers who have used new technology to
bring crochet and the world of handicrafts into the modern
age while also celebrating its history.
McCartney, whose crochet bathing suit is worn by Jen-
nifer Lopez on CD insert of her ‘‘Rebirth’’ album, was one of
the first designers to introduce crochet into her collection.
For McCartney, the appeal of crochet is not only its history
but also its versatility. ‘‘I like the feminine and delicate tex-
ture of crochet and the fact that it is handmade,’’ she said. ‘‘It
is also quite modern as you can interpret it less literally by
using the same techniques but with different fabrics. In this
day and age, I feel it is important for the industry to keep
such techniques alive.’’
The use of crochet this season was as inventive as it was
diverse. At Fendi it gave a textured and dramatic focus to the
waist of a diaphanous gown. At Chanel it was used as accents
on bell sleeves and hemlines. And at Prada it appeared on
the runway as quirky accessories in the form of oversize
necklaces, hats and multicolored flats.
Advances made in the yarns used for crochet (colors, tex-
tures, thickness) have made it easier to incorporate the tech- Larry Downing/Reuters
nique into modern clothing designs. The choice of stitch and Martha Stewart, leaving prison in a crochet poncho.
the amount of tension also affect the way the crochet drapes
and contours the body. And the use of embellishments, such beyond logos for clothing that will better represent indi-
as crochet covered with embroidery or encrusted with beads viduality and unique style.
or semiprecious stones, has also helped to update the look. For the Italian handbag designer Lorenza Gandaglia, who
The mingling of the past and the future has always been a incorporates crochet into her one-of-a-kind bags, the pop-
part of fashion. But the return of crochet this season is an- ularity of the technique is directly related to women’s desire
other indicator that the world of fashion has started to look to once again show a distinctive fashion flair. ‘‘I believe that
women are sort of tired of wearing big branded accessories
that shout out about the bag and its brand allure and not the
person wearing it, sort of like the accessory wearing the per-
son,’’ Gandaglia says.
But this rediscovered desire for individuality is not the
only reason women have been lured back to crochet. Al-
though this season’s new interpretations of the craft have
made this tradition look modern, its history is also part of
the attraction.
With some already calling the ’00 decade the ‘‘pretty de-
cade’’ with the return of the full skirts, brooches and ladylike
suits that hark back to what grandma used to wear, the
renaissance of crochet does not seem so far-fetched. Women
are reclaiming styles and looks that represented a way of life
the women’s movement once fought. The resurgence of
these looks and their popularity among modern women il-
lustrate that the image of a stay-at-home mother, placidly
crocheting booties for her children, no longer puts fear into
the hearts of women.
‘‘There is something nostalgic about crochet for the
Kleenex generation, used to throwaway fashion,’’ says Mina
D’Ornano, the owner of the Paris boutique minaPoe, a favor-
ite haunt for the likes of Uma Thurman and Vanessa Para-
dis. ‘‘People are starting to appreciate a piece of clothing
that can be passed on from one generation to the next. It is
reassuri ng.’’
At minaPoe handicrafts are celebrated as an art form; all of
the items for sale are handmade and use only the most lux-
urious and noble fabrics. ‘‘I tell my sales staff to make sure
they have people try on the clothing. It is the only way to
really appreciate the workmanship, the silhouette and of
course the cozy aspect of the clothes,’’ D’Ornano says.
With the prices of designer clothing skyrocketing, the idea
of purchasing a piece of clothing that will stand the test of
time seems like a smart investment. Add to that the appeal of
wearing something handmade and unique, and it will be dif-
Foc Kan/WireImage.com ficult to say no to that crochet bikini and matching wrap.
The actress Selma Blair with a crocheted Louis Vuitton handbag. International Herald Tribune