Maximalism is In: A Love Letter to the Outrageous

Sights | Ella Bowles

At the 2019 MET ball, the theme of “Camp: Notes on Fashion” was introduced, inspired by Susan Sontag’s late ‘60s work on the idea of what Camp means. She defined it as a sort of appreciation for the unusual, a spotlight on extremities. Camp, creditable greatly to 20th-century queer and black communities and early drag culture, often boasts an emphasis on everything; think feathers, gemstones, big hats and lots of tulle. Though perhaps to most, these are more ‘show clothes’, especially set aside for the Chers and Katy Perrys of the world, I think more of us need to embrace these extremes in our day-to-day dress.

When my love for clothes and a lush closet first began, I was completely winded by the artistic aspect of it, particularly the fashion shows. After hours of scrolling through Vogue’s lengthy YouTube channel and clicking on every runway show I could find, I found I had a particular affinity towards the outrageous. The clothes you don’t see out on the street every day. To put it simply, I liked the ugly stuff. Designers like Gucci (who you have not heard the last of when it comes to my fashion opinions) hold a special place in my heart, simply because of the obvious fearlessness that goes into putting the looks together.

As mentioned, I think “ugly” is a positive term when it comes to fashion. Gucci in particular holds a reputation for being one of the least “conventionally attractive” fashion houses, the idea of being a “Gucci model” even once being used as an insult—though I think I’d blush rather substantially at such a comment. However, I think its unconventional nature is what makes it so alluring. Their Fall Winter ‘17 collection best illustrates the marriage of art and fashion they’re best known for. Coats and skirts splash the runway, constructed from fabrics I wouldn’t doubt would make lovely curtains. Pussy bows, socks and heels, booming florals and plenty of power clashing make up the bulk of the collection and are sure to satisfy any maximalist’s closet fantasies.

Another designer who caters to the abnormal dresser is Moschino, their collections are often based on unpredictably unique themes and designs. One of my favourite collections of theirs, also a Fall Winter set, was in 2020. Themed around the looks of Marie Antoinette and 16th-century garments. Jeremy Scott, Moschino’s creative director, commented on his inspiration for the collection to Vogue magazine, highlighting the similarities between “the geopolitical spectrum [of] the 1780s and what’s going on today globally”. Scott emphasizes royal dress with a touch of creative flair, designing several gowns inspired by cakes, an homage to Marie Antoinette's famous phrase “Let them eat cake”. Not only was the collection politically relevant, but it was mind-blowingly beautiful as well.

Luckily, if you’re still on the fence, high fashion designers aren't the only ones going maximalist. Celebrity stylists are putting the quirk back into fame with eye-catching garments and unusual ensembles, even if Twitter responses don’t always agree with their look. UK-based stylist Harry Lambert is a name to look out for if you’re seeking further convincing on maximalist styling. Known for styling the likes of Harry Styles and actress Emma Corrin (The Crown, My Policeman), he constantly pushes the boundaries and delivers the unexpected every time. Lambert never fails to not only find the most unique pieces but knows how to put them together on the right people to push the garment's potential to its absolute peak. A recent favourite of mine, worn by Corrin at the recent London Film Festival, is a dress you likely wouldn’t believe based on description alone. Seen left, Corrin dons a JW Anderson mini dress with a likeness to a carnival goldfish prize. This dress embodies the pure essence of camp; It’s weird, unique, and as Susan Sontag would’ve said, emphatically beautiful.

Emma Corrin, as styled by Harry Lambert for the London Film Festival.

Lambert’s other works, as mentioned, span from magazine styling to arguably most famously the on-and-off stage dress of singer Harry Styles. Now, I promise to keep my own personal biases and fan-girl commentary to a minimum, but some praise is necessary regardless of your stance on Styles’ music. Often selected from the collections of Gucci, Bode and Molly Goddard, Styles is often featured wearing colourful knits, pattern-on-pattern, and lots of feathers and sequins. Being one of my personal favourites, Styles’ appearance at Coachella this past spring was a bright revival of that Cher-esque campy stage style that never fails to brighten the presence of its wearer.

Harry Styles, as styled by Harry Lambert.

So maybe fuss and feathers aren’t quite for you, or maybe you’ve just seen this article as a mirror image of your own style. Whichever side you're on, I hope I was able to shed some light on one of what I see as the most important elements of fashion, which is the art and design that goes into it. With the short cycle of trends, it’s easy to get caught up in the ever-changing views on what’s cool and what’s not and miss out on some of the side-lined elements to the beautiful garments that can come out of a bit of margin shoving and lots of creative liberty. If you were to take anything from this piece, I’d hope it to be that fashion and art are much closer than you might think, and that there’s nothing wrong with a bit of irregularity in your closet, whatever that means to you.