Bal Harbour

BAL HARBOUR 73 XXX Hit Me, Baby, One More Time Bring on the mini skirts, parachute pants and bowling bags—and the escapism that comes with them. BY KRISTEN BATEMAN S porty bikinis, layered gold chains, big leather totes, crop tops and little bags shaped like hearts paraded down the raised runway surrounded by boisterous photographers at the Spring 2022 Chanel show in Paris. If you didn't know it, you might think this runway moment was a glance back at a different time. But this was not the late 1990s nor early aughts, but rather a modern tribute to the era, courtesy of Virginie Viard. And she's not the only one with an eye toward the aughts: There were Isabel /CTCPVoURCTCEJWVGUKNMRCPVUCPFNKVVNGƃQTCN prints, Missoni's tube dresses and barely- there tops with low-rise jeans and Versace's archival prints and silk scarf bandeaus. And who could forget Miu Miu's very-mini skirts, paired with cropped button-downs? Miuccia Prada cited uniforms as her biggest reference this spring, but one can't help but draw comparisons to Britney Spears's 1998 Baby One More Time video. Balmain's models also sauntered down the runway in glorious low- slung trousers with details that resembled the visible thongs of the early '00s. While Chanel's heart-shaped bags may be one of the best nostalgic examples from this spring's runway, Dior also saluted the ƂTUVFGECFGQHVJGOKNNGPPKWOYKVJKVU8KDG Classic Bowling bag, which looks straight out of a 2004 John Galliano collection. As celebs like Bella Hadid and Rihanna embrace accessories from the era, it's only natural that brands start making new ones that match the aesthetic. Vintage curator and Gem app founder Liisa Jokinen explains, "Early aughts style is close enough to our times to feel familiar and distant enough to feel new. Gen Z are now the ones who most actively search and shop vintage and second-hand. They gravitate towards those styles they grew up seeing on TV, movies and the internet." We all know fashion is cyclical, but what's thought-provoking is how much nostalgia says about the world today. "Nostalgia is an extremely powerful sensation when it comes to dress and often is evoked in times of crisis," says fashion historian Caroline Elenowitz-Hess. "Dior's New Look of the postwar period looked back to nineteenth century silhouettes as a way to separate from World War II. The 1970s saw a similar interest in nostalgia, with many styles that referenced the 1920s and 1930s, perhaps because of the instability in the world economy and disillusionment after a more optimistic, forward-looking period in the 1960s." In a world where we remain affected by the pandemic and uncertain about what the future will look like, could revisiting the jeans you wore 20 years ago, with a much-needed high fashion update of course, feel like a form of escapism? We think yes. A look from Isabel Marant's spirited 5RTKPIEQNNGEVKQPƂNNGF with aughts-style tops, low rise waistlines, embellished denim and capris; Chanel quilted heart-shaped bag. IMAGES COURTESY OF ISABEL MARANT, CHANEL

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