Fashion Week Preview

(Un)dead is in this Fall...

Since this winter has been unseasonably warm, many of you may be eagerly looking forward to next year's cold weather to put your fall clothes to use. Luckily, several designers have released their Spring/Summer collections well ahead of fashion week, giving you a quick preview of what to buy for the Fall season. "Death" is the theme that ruled the runways this week, from Alexander McQueen's Irish vampire ensembles and Miu Miu's undertaker-chic for men, to John Galliano's blood-spattered zombie-frocks for the women's line of Dior.

Galliano drew his inspiration from the turmoil that rocked France this past summer. "There was a lot of political unrest happening," he remembers. "I wanted something bolder and toughened up. The beat of what's going on." In order to capture the beat of what's going on in France today, Galliano summoned his memories of another great revolutionary year, 1789. Seeking to create his own miniature Terror, Galliano's collection features oversized crosses, large Count Dracula style capes, spiky leather jackets, blood-spattered hemlines, and of course, lest we forget the source of his inspiration, frequent repitions of the number 1789.

Typically, Miuccia Prada has opted for a more subtle variation on the season's leitmotiv. Leaving the revolutionary zeal to her more audacious counterpart, the men's Miu Miu collection opted instead for the muted macabre. Centering on the theme of hungover undertaker, Prada's collection was full of grays and navy blues, wollen trousers and suede cropped pant; neck-brace scarves and paper-thin sweaters were the hallmarks of her Spring collection.

Fashion commentator Tim Blanks described the setting of the Alexander McQueen men's collection as being akin to "a vision from hell." To Blanks, McQueen's creations seemed to depict "the eventual transformation of healthy young men into the cadaverous undead." The show featured lacy kimono-like bathrobes, cossack-inspired coat-boot ensembles, and an troupe of alien-looking ladies while "a preacher ranted apocalyptically on the soundtrack, Johnny Cash croaked Personal Jesus, [and] a blood-red moon hovered above the catwalk."

If you have been lamenting that the only day it is socially acceptable for you to dress up like a zombie is October 31st, then Lady Luck has finally smiled on you. Or perhaps you have been feeling an overwhelming nostalgia for the days when goth was cool. In any case, there is a lot to look forward to as the Dior, Miu Miu, and Alexander McQueen shows indicate. Although death might not be in your thoughts in light of all the warm days we have enjoyed this winter, come next fall your wardrobe should be prepared for some grim and gruesome additions. Sun and fun may be on your mind at the moment, but a peak at what fashion designers have in store for next season should be enough to put you in a morbid mood.

(Photos from the shows of: Dior; Dior; McQueen; Dior; Miu Miu)