就像天馬行空的巴黎男裝秀

Out here at the Paris menswear shows, I asked a buyer from a major London store: how will the Brexit vote affect their business? He breathed heavily. Their margins on new season deliveries have already been obliterated by the collapse of the pound. Those pieces were ordered a few months ago but still not paid for yet. How it affects the volume and scope of they’re about to order for next season? Who knows.

我在巴黎男裝周現場詢問一位來自倫敦某大型百貨店的買手：英國脫歐(Brexit)公投影響了生意嗎？他立馬變得神情緊張。由於英鎊大幅貶值，這個新時裝季的訂單利潤空間已經蕩然無存。這批訂單幾個月前就定了，但相應貨款仍未支付。脫歐結果如何影響下個時裝季的訂單數量和類別，目前不得而知。

There are so many repercussions to the fashion industry, many of them affecting the new generation. Young British designers often rely on European factories to produce their clothing at an affordable cost. Will new import duties now make this prohibitive? What about the young graduates who move freely to Milan or Paris to take jobs in the design studios at major luxury houses?

英國脫歐對整個時裝業造成了多重衝擊，很多連鎖反應禍及了英國的年輕設計師。這批年輕設計師往往倚仗歐洲大陸廠家（以低廉價格）代加工成品。英國脫歐後，新的進口稅會讓生產成本高得離譜嗎？那些自願前往米蘭與巴黎奢侈品大牌設計室高就的新銳設計師前景又將怎樣呢？

This came to mind at Givenchy. I can think of two British graduates whose work has had a major impact on the Givenchy signature of loud graphics and sportswear cuts. Graduates like them are at every luxury house, their work unsung yet often of profound affect. It’s the sort of job where they turn up at short notice and then stay for years. With borders closed, will future graduates be denied such opportunities, and will their absence lessen creativity at conglomerates?

這不由得讓我想起了紀梵希(Givenchy)，兩位英國年輕設計師，他們對於紀梵希久負盛名的花哨圖案與運動裝設計立下大功。這樣的設計新銳遍佈每家奢侈品公司，他們的工作默默無聞，但往往影響深遠；他們從事的是那些招之即來、而後能紮根多年的設計工作。英國與歐洲大陸的邊境再次閉上後，這些未來的設計新銳會失去此類工作機會嗎？抑或說他們的缺席會削弱那些時尚巨擎的創意能力嗎？

Givenchy could already do with more free-flowing ideas. It’s spring/summer 17 show was an exercise in product that looked too factory-made, not helped by the women’s couture tagged on to the end, all the work of the hand. On the men’s, dollar prints were blurred and mashed to create an effect like camouflage. Pyramids and eye prints were meant to suggest serenity. Pinstriped tailoring was banal. What happened to the tension that used to infuse the label?

紀梵希是汪洋恣肆設計理念的餞行者。其2017年春夏季時裝週就是個有益嘗試：模樣酷似廠家生產的時裝均爲純手工打造，並沒有借用其標誌性高級女裝的款式來助推；男裝上的美元印圖則設計成了模糊與散亂樣，以營造出僞裝服的特效；金字塔與眼睛圖案旨在顯露恬靜意味；而其細條紋定製裝則是平淡無奇。紀梵希過去根深蒂固的強烈反差感跑哪兒去啦？

There’s been some strong work the past couple of days, especially the Fornasetti collaboration at Comme des Garçons Homme Plus, with those circular black and white faces used like large polka dots on suits. Also excellent were the shirts and sweaters with illustrations by Noah Lyon at Comme’s subsidiary label SHIRT. At Acne Studios, the waterproofs were fresh and desirable, particularly a blue zip-up mac with a bonded plaid lining. Meanwhile Kenzo snapped sharp into focus with work inspired by New York club kids, though it made me think of another site of hedonism. In their pastel nylon zip-ups, loose print shirts worn open and logo T-shirts, many of the models looked directly transposed from Glastonbury, still awake at 10am, on their way to find another party. Hey! Take me with you!

不久前，時尚界推出了好幾款珠聯璧合的力作，尤以弗納塞提(Fornasetti)與川久保玲旗下男裝Comme des Garçons Homme Plus男裝的合作爲甚，其採用黑白圓臉圖案就像西服上的大圓點花紋。諾亞•里昂(Noah Lyon)爲Comme des Garçons從屬品牌SHIRT的襯衣與毛衣設計的插圖同樣賞心悅目。Acne Studios的防水裝顯得既新穎別緻又稱心如意，尤其是帶格子粘合襯的拉鍊款藍色橡膠雨衣。與此同時，高田賢三(Kenzo)推出的怪異裝（其設計靈感來自紐約Club Kids，即上世紀80年代末至90年代初紐約那些穿着另類、放浪形骸的年輕人）一經推出就引發萬衆矚目，儘管它讓我想起了另一醉生夢死之地。模特們穿上高田賢三的淡色尼龍拉鍊裝、敞胸的寬鬆印花襯衣以及帶有品牌標識的T恤衫後，模樣酷似剛從格拉斯頓伯裏音樂節(Glastonbury)盡情而歸的歌迷，上午10點鐘仍毫無睡意，還興致正濃地物色下個嗨場。嘿，我也算一分子！

Dior Homme was better than usual, one of creative director Kris Van Assche’s best at the brand. It had a fashion attitude in its use of punk harnessing, and neat ideas in its tailored blousons. Over at Balmain, its recently announced acquisition by a Qatari private investment fund — already owners of Valentino and Anya Hindmarch — led to a fresh optimism. A few minutes before his audacious show, I asked creative director Olivier Rousteing how long he has known about the deal. “We were in the process for six months, a year,” he said. Rousteing is one of those designer names often linked to other vacant designer jobs, but he says he is happy where he is. “It has been a long journey but I’m really happy and looking forward to a new chapter in my life and the Balmain life.”

今年的迪奧男裝(Dior Homme)勝過以往，算是創意總監克里斯•萬艾思(Kris Van Assche)的巔峯之作。他在定製款夾克衫上運用了朋克風格的揹帶(punk harnessing)以及小巧優雅的設計理念，顯得時尚味十足。而卡塔爾某私募基金（它也是安雅•希德瑪芝(Anya Hindmarch)與華倫天奴(Valentino)的所有者）併購巴爾曼(Balmain)的消息最近一經公佈，樂觀情緒立馬瀰漫業界上下。距其驚世駭俗的時尚發佈會開幕僅幾分鐘之時，我詢問創意總監Olivier Rousteing多久前獲悉這場併購交易。“雙方洽談了有半年時間，我一年前才獲悉此事。”他對我說。Rousteing往往是與那些空缺設計師職位聯繫在一起的名字，但他說自己對目前的一切非常滿意。“一路走到今天費盡艱辛，但我真的很快樂，期待翻開自己人生以及在巴爾曼歷史的新篇章。”

Behind us was a clutch of models in full pale denim looks: denim jacket over denim kaftan worn with denim shorts over what looked like denim jeggings. That’s a jean morphed with a legging. I’ve always admired anyone brave enough to do double denim, let alone quadruple. This long show pushed the embellishment for which it is known beyond previously known bounds — one model attempted nonchalance in a metallic poncho decorated with huge blue stones.

我們身後站了幾位身穿清一色淡牛仔裝的模特：上身是套於牛仔長衫上的牛仔夾克，下穿套於牛仔打底緊身褲的牛仔短褲。本人一直膜拜把衣褲全設計成牛仔裝的那些設計師（覺得他們勇氣可嘉），對四件套都設計成牛仔裝的設計師更是佩服得五體投地。這場爲時很長的時裝秀的配飾設計（它正是憑此聲名大噪）突破了以往所有時尚界限——模特身穿裝飾巨大的藍寶石、閃着金屬光澤的披風時，神情顯得異常淡定。

But what really sung were the more humble knit pieces, though no less bold intheir strong bands of block colour: orange, yellow, red, blue and black. A knit sweater, a buttonless long knit cardigan, a knit T-shirt, blanket knit trackpants. Yes, I did just type those words. Obviously the same colour blocking came in bolero jackets that were beaded and jewelled and encrusted. Really, the whole thing was a ball.

但是，真正點讚的是那些不起眼的針織裝，儘管其豔麗的色塊帶（橙黃紅藍黑等顏色）異常醒目：針織毛衣、長款無釦針織開襟毛衣、針織T恤以及厚款針織運動褲。沒錯，我的確只是寥寥數語點到而已。很顯然，同樣的“色彩重組”(colour blocking)現象也運用於前襟開敞、用珍珠、首飾以及鑲飾點綴的女式短上衣中。事實上，這一切是一場時尚盛宴。

Anyway wanting a textbook example of misguided decisions should look no further than Berluti, which has drifted far from being a house of eccentric but enlightened creativity. Its previous creative director, Alessandro Sartori, had cultivated an air of appropriateness at this storied Parisian shoemaker-turned-clothier. He has headed back to his old home of Zegna, and in his absence owners LVMH decided to throw a pool party. With no actual pool.

不管怎麼說，陰差陽錯的經典誤導例子非伯魯提(Berluti)莫屬，它已大大“背離”了自己賴以成名的設計另類但啓迪無限創意的品牌公司形象。在這家由鞋履轉爲成衣的巴黎知名時尚公司，前任創意總監亞歷山德羅•薩託利(Alessandro Sartori)營造了中庸氛圍。但他如今已轉投老東家傑尼亞(Zegna)，他離開後，伯魯提的主家路威酩軒(LVMH)決定舉辦一場泳池酒會。實際上並無泳池。

In a large garden scattered with inflatable chairs and flamingoes, various models were given various tasks, announced over speakers. First was a skipping rope competition, undertaken to Hot Stuff by Donna Summer. One of the models won the skipping, though it is not clear if this was actually for his skipping skills or just scripted reality. As he was given his trophy, they played We Are The Champions by Queen.

在散佈着充氣椅子與火烈鳥的巨大花園中，各式模特被賦予了不同任務，這一切通過喇叭宣佈。首先是在唐娜•薩默(Donna Summer)Hot Stuff樂曲伴奏下的跳繩比賽。其中一位模特獲得了跳繩大賽冠軍，儘管這是由於其跳繩水平高、抑或只是“按部就班”不得而知。頒獎時，伴奏樂則換成了皇后樂隊(Queen)的《We Are The Champions 》。

Editors on their inflatable unicorns gave each other that look: what are we doing with our lives? The actual collection was shoved in some beach huts on the periphery. Berluti clothing can easily go for four figures. Near the beach huts, some people played with water pistols, their jets of water straying close to the rails. No one cared.

坐在充氣椅上的時尚編輯們面面相覷：我們來這裏是幹什麼來着？真正的時裝展在周邊的海灘小屋裏舉行。伯魯提的時裝輕輕鬆鬆就能賣到幾千美元高價。在海灘小屋不遠處，一些人在用玩具噴水槍嬉鬧，噴出的水柱噴到了小屋圍欄邊，但無人在意。

But wait, there’s the model dumbbell competition. And a hula-hoop round. Berluti dumbbells and skipping ropes will apparently be available to buy — just what nobody ever wanted. No word on a Berluti hula-hoop. It was the total opposite of an on-message. Please, whether there’s a named creative director or not, be a brand that does work of worth, then have pride in the results of that labour. Otherwise, don’t bother.

另外，主辦者還舉辦了啞鈴以及轉呼拉圈比賽。伯魯提的啞鈴與跳繩很顯然可以買到——只是沒人想要。伯魯提的呼拉圈上也無任何字樣，這完全與時尚界的固定套路背道而馳。但請記住，時尚品牌不管有無指定的創意總監，首先得做有意義的事，而後纔有資格對自己的辛勤勞動引以爲豪。否則的話，還是省了這份勁吧。