The era of the “naked dress” was officially ushered in on May 4, 2015, on the well-shaped backsides of Kim Kardashian, J.Lo, and Beyoncé. In nearly non-existent dresses of transparent lace, the former two attempted to out-pose one another on the carpet at New York City’s Met Gala before Beyoncé and her body appeared, blowing the competition away.
Today (July 7) at Austrian designer Lena Hoschek’s show at Berlin Fashion Week—mainly a symphony of sweetheart-necked blouses, high-waisted dirndls, and flouncy frocks—a similarly transparent dress appeared on the runway. In midnight navy lace, on a model who appeared to be wearing nothing else, save her jewelry and sandals, the dress—like the woman wearing it—was beautiful. But among Hoschek’s collection, the clearly naked dress felt like a bit of a record scratch.
A handful of elbow-covering, floor-sweeping shirtdresses, on the other hand, looked fresh, despite wallpaper paisley and floral prints that recalled Laura Ashley’s glory days.
The alpine dress of Hoschek’s native Austria, circa-1875, inspires her designs. Paired with floppy straw hats and wood-heeled sandals, as those long dresses were today, they can indeed verge on costume.
But one could just easily wear these with a ponytail and white canvas sneakers or wedge sandals.
The looks called to mind a recent New York Times article about women in Bushwick, Brooklyn, who choose not to bare skin in the summer. The piece regarded these women as a hip, modern, and subversive tribe, heralding the next wave of feminism in their black socks and overalls. It never occurred to me that opting for such clothes in non-Hasidic Brooklyn was a feminist statement; it didn’t really seem to occur to the subjects of the story, either. But it did make me think about the “coolness” of covering up.
For the woman who likes to do that—whether she’s making a political statement, a religious one, or just wearing what makes her feel comfortable—Hoschek offers some pretty options.
Plus, who’s to say all those buttons need to stay closed?