Supercalifragilistic frocks: a spoonful of fashion helps the medicine go down

Sometime after the last century became the new century, the gorgeous but heavy and stiff fashions of the old empire began falling off bodies yearning to let loose in the new Edwardian age. Even literary and cinematic supernanny Mary Poppins, who never left home without every button in place (and umbrella and carpetbag at the ready), must have felt the urge to toss her greatcoat and gloves to the winds in order to get more fun out of life than just a spoonful of sugar. This season, designers as diverse as Comme des Garcons and Chloe, Yves Saint Laurent and Rochas are finding new relevance in that era when fabrics lightened, bustles were banned, stays took off, and the female body triumphantly reemerged, ready to fly.

Patrick Giles is Interview's editorial associate.

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