Fashion notes. A trend stops to be appealing for several reasons, based on the historic moment and on countless variables – among them, the social mutations. It’s true that, sooner or later, the hyperbole overturns and what was neglected comes back again in the must haves top hit. The cover headline of the picture you see below, in this page, “Style&Transgression together”, sums up in three words the main trend of 1996, when the sobriety of the suits’ tailoring and the lack of bright colors invaded our wardrobes, winking to a new classic; the stretch fabrics fitted the body without squeezing its shapes; the colors, pale but not too much, were a trick to play down the total-black. Nostalgia? No, it’s not. Forecasts? Neither. Only fashion notes in retrospective.

Work Uniform Glam by Comme des Garçons in the nineties. Photo and hand made decorations on print by Francesca Galliani.

One of the most extraordinary collection by Dolce & Gabbana date back to 1993. Knitwear’s patchwork marquetries were still influenced by eighties’ feeling, but were already projected towards the future. Picture by Tyen.

The art of “styling” is about being good at matching clothes and accessories, is about achieving results also through the combination of dissimilar fabrics in a perfectly harmonious way. Is the ability to combine clothing, body shape and proportions. It’s understanding the meaning of style after climbing the ladder for years. By mixing and matching pieces the “stylist” is able to express a certain beauty which is directly proportional to his skills. It’s a real job that involves a high level of professionalism indispensable for published fashion media. Stylists can help photographers building their careers, they can contribute to the success of magazines, editorial campaigns and fashion shows (or they can ruin them as well). It’s an important role that shouldn’t be underestimated. Some of them acquired great writing skills through the years and they now write remarkable articles not just for slick magazines but also for widely-read newspapers. When flipping through fashion editorial pages one should consider that behind each single shot there are passion, thoughts, good taste and quite a lot of work. Foto by Lee Strickland from Harper’s Bazaar Uomo, 1994. The model is wearing Emporio Armani.