Gothic in white...

It's been quite well covered in the fashion reports (of S/S not A/W) that the LWD is the new LBD. Now, as everyone who knows me will attest I am definitely not a girly girl. I like dresses and the odd floral print here and there but as a general rule I prefer clothing with a slight edge- a hint of drama and darkness. The thing that is so wonderful about a white dress for Summer is that it needn't be a frilly, frothy ultra feminine creation. It is quite possible to dress in white and still exude a sense of rawness and intrigue. As I was re-watching The Virgin Suicides a few days ago I became enamoured with a particular dress (amongst the pure beauty of the colour scheme, camera angles and solar flares in meadow scenes which have almost become Sophia Coppola's trademark!). Cecilia is the youngest sister who has a fascination with religion, the environment and introverted self reflection in the form of poetic diary writing. Two of the most simple and beautiful shots in the film involve Cecilia- one where she sits in the meadow writing about Lux's teen lust...

and the other is after her untimely death when the boys across the street see a vision of her lounging in the crook of the tree in their front yard:

In both shots Cecilia is wearing a long white lace dress with sheer panelling- the dress which was stained with blood as she leapt from her bedroom window to impale herself on the garden railings. I became oddly obsessed with the idea of a flowing white dress which appeared to signify youth, virtue and innocence but yet was worn by an individual with the attitude, knowledge and critical tenacity of an adult more than twice her age. The same interesting juxtaposition of youth, intellectual curiosity and morbidity is seen in Riccardo Tisci's latest couture collection for Givenchy:

Although all of these pieces are white with a predominantly floral lace fabric which suggests Victoriana, there is a dark undertone evident in the details of the construction. In the first two looks the heavy embroidery and beading on the sheer fabric is positioned to reflect the structure of a human skeleton, and on the other three looks the stiff boning of corsetry and the strict lines of the zip fastenings create a sense of constraint and dissection. The long lengths of the dresses and white hosiery suggest modesty and yet the transparency of the fabric in places makes even the uppermost tops of the thighs visible in a suggestive manner. The styling is exceptional with minimal jewellery, densely textured jackets and long, naturally loose hair and bare faces. The look is gothic but in a very understated and ethereal manner, displaying Tisci's skill in poetically dark design in white as well as black.