Nowadays, nothing comes as much of surprise when it comes to fashion, but this season's cat trend (yes, cats) did make me paws for thought. Sorry.
The feline frenzy began during Jonathan Anderson’s Milan Fashion Week presentation on January 14, amidst a show where the Northern Irish designer examined the intimacy of clothing in that distinct way he does.
The show, which was an evocative love letter to Anderson’s love of fine art, featured a painting of Stanley Kubricks’ favourite cat, Polly, thrown across knitwear, dresses, and a selection of bags.
The painting of Polly, which was originally created by Kubrick's daughter, may also ring bells for Kubrick-heads as it was featured in the directors' Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
Of course one mere kitty catwalk doesn’t make a trend.
But when a new-look Givenchy landed in Paris days later with another array of cat-inspired clothing, the whiskers be tingling.
Givenchy is in that awkward in-between stage following the departure of Matthew M. Williams in December.
So the collection, which was uncharacteristically intimate occasion for Givenchy, was designed entirely by the house’s internal design studio, which, in this case, meant cats. And lot of 'em, too.
Pussycat jackets and vests, with almost camouflaged eyes and whiskers were that of a repurposed archival pattern and were joined by shin-length furry coats that were reminiscent of actual kittens.
Indicative of a Givenchy feline future? Unlikely. But a alternate route, nonetheless.
Still, it takes three to make a trend and, as if by coincidence, Acne Studios came up with the goods.
The Swedish label presented a psychedelic rave and club culture-inspired collection in Paris on January 17 and it included a long-sleeved tee that adorned the face of a giant AI-generated kitten.
The trend was secured. Jackpot.
This feline fascination is perhaps a sign of a much larger animal fetish happening in fashion of late.
Recently we’ve seen a big rise in the popularity of wearable animal ears, whether that's headwear with literal stitched-on animal ears or hoods with devil-like horns.
This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon either. Brands like Charles Jeffrey Loverboy and COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT BOYS released ear hats as far back as 2018 and, naturally, there were plenty before that, too.
But lately KNWLS, with its pointy-eared wool beanie, Coperni and its $350 horned hoodie, and Marc Jacob’s Heaven bunny hat has been a part of a more recent animalistic resurgence.
More specifically, though, FW24 is going in on cats. And, honestly? It's kinda giving crazy cat lady vibes. Which is Purrrfect. Sorry.
