2019: the year that the full-circle skirt was adopted into the catwalk repartee of even the most conspicuously low-key designers; and the ballgown became the wardrobe staple you never knew you needed. From Off-White to Y/Project (the Parisian label helmed by Belgian designer Glenn Martens that famously brought you the denim knicker), fashion editors are now unphased when ballgowns appear on the runway in between herringbone-tweed coats, leather suiting and cycling shorts.
Modernity and the maxed-out taffeta dress may seem like an unlikely match, but consider Molly Goddard. The British designer has been turning us on to the versatile power of tulle since the launch of her eponymous label back in 2014. Goddard's enormous petticoat dresses have been worn repeatedly by everyone from Rihanna to Jodie Comer and Zawe Ashton, and kickstarted the zero-rules-apply styling approach that sets the new era ballgowns apart from their debutant roots.
For proof that the big-dress-plus-sneakers mood that RiRi tapped so well in 2017 hasn't aged, look to Virgil Abloh. The designer's SS19 collection was a Nike mashup that flipped the ballgown's regal tendencies into wearable (and ‘extra') art—flashes of fluro yellow included.
As for theories on why the ballgown has returned, the international hemline index, which links longer skirt lengths to economic hardship, doesn't account for sweeping ballgown trains—or their out-of-nowhere return. Could they hint to our collective longing to deliminate more personal space, which body-con athleisure didn't budget for? Perhaps. What we do know is that for AW19, the ballgown revival has been about breaking new ground. Case in point: Japanese designer, Tomo Koizumi, who caught editrix Katie Grand's attention thanks to Instagram and went on to steal the show at New York Fashion Week with a fantastical collection built solely of frothy polyester dresses, to resounding critical acclaim.
Even at couture level, the ballgown's natural fashion habit, the old school splendour of a full-skirted silhouette is underpinned by resolutely present-day thinking. Valentino's SS19 couture show was creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli's opportunity to “put black women in the centre,” he told British Vogue, with at least half of the 65 looks worn by models of colour.
Need we address the question of how the new ballgowns fair on the street? Well, even your scruffiest sneakers won't dampen the drama—but that's precisely the point. If you're bored of blending in, a ballgown is now a standout solution.
