“Gilded Glamor” Seen Through the Lens of American Fashion Designers

Everybody loves the Met Gala. And the exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum that inspire the red-carpet looks seen at the Met Gala is equally adored. Still, often the Costume Institute’s exhibit reflect fashion from earlier times being a reflection of where we have been in fashion.

Though these exhibits are expertly curated, customers may ponder how these exhibitions relate to their lives. And if they love the garments in the exhibitions, how they can incorporate some the design aesthetics into their wardrobe.

Fashion Reverie to the rescue!! Fashion Reverie has selected a few American designers whose spring 2022 collections reflect the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute’s “Gilded Glamor” design aesthetic.

Since his debut collection in 1991, Byron Lars has regularly employed a Gilded Age design aesthetic. You will find this silhouette made evidence in Lars continued employ of the classic Gibson Girl aesthetic. Lars takes stripped bodices and his version of a modernized bustle to enhance his customers’ femininity and elegance.  And though, as in his current spring 2022 collection his corseted bodices are more relaxed, ensuing more movement quality and his stripped bodices are more in the form of a shirt dress, the Gilded Age aesthetic is still front and center.

For his spring 2017collection, Bibhu Mohapatra was inspired by the Belle Epoque era. “[in this Belle Epoque collection there] are a lot of fitted bodices and details from that era that I reimagine for today’s women. For instance, I might take inner garments and reverse them, making them the outer garments. I do incorporate some of the fitted elements from the Belle Epoque into this collection; however, for the modern woman I have given those elements more ease. There is a lot draping and combinations of sheer fabrics with heavier fabrics. I like to re-interpret these elements my way without having the garments look very period. That is a challenge I enjoy. I immerse myself in this world and I imagine how that woman lives her daily life and then I extract and make it all my own. My fabrics come from all over the world and the embroideries are still being developed for the collection.”

Though Mohapatra’s spring 2022 collection does not necessarily give a strong nod to a Gilded Age aesthetic, Mohapatra’s predilection for that aesthetic does pop up. Particularly, in Mohapatra’s use of exaggerated padded shoulders and cinched waists.

No other American designers’ collections epitomize “Gilded Glamor” better than Pamella Roland. Known for her red-carpet looks, Roland has been employing classic silhouettes since the launch of her ready-to-wear brand 20 years ago. And her resort and fall 2022 collections are no exception.

Roland’s resort and spring 2022 collections do not source the Gilded Age specifically as its inspiration, the classic silhouettes of that era are in this collection and fit in quite nicely. And like many of Roland’s collections, this outing plays heavily on embellishments and whimsy.

Though she hasn’t shown in New York City for quite some time, Monique Lhuillier’s spring 2022 collection also fits very nicely into that pantheon of American designers that regularly borrow heavily from the Gilded Age design aesthetic. That said, Lhuillier’s fall 2022 collection was inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood. And within that collection there were some looks that reflected a Gilded Age aesthetic.

With Lhuillier there is always a lot of beautiful embellishments on the evening gowns, gowns with trains, and some corset-like bodies—all elements reminiscent of classic silhouettes that evoke Gilded Glamor.

Christopher John Rogers is one of the youngest American fashion designers to incorporate a Gilded Age aesthetic into his collection. For his pre-fall 2022 collection, Rogers looks to his southern roots for inspiration married with classic American silhouettes. In this collection you will find some very structured bodices and well as gowns with trains, two silhouettes that evidence Gilded Age influences. All these influences are bedfellows to Rogers continued fascination with bold color.

This roundup would not be complete without Christian Siriano. Since his burst on the fashion scene over a decade ago, Siriano has been one of the go-to designers that understands how to combine classic silhouettes with modern-day gilded glamor.

For his fall 2022 collection, Siriano looked to a ‘Matrix’ reality, where some days we are living in the Victorian Era and other days we are living in more recent times. This point of view is made evident in several garments that reflect a Victorian or Gilded Age design aesthetic.

There are looks in this collection that utilize Victorian corsetry, full skirts, and emboldened oversized sleeves. All these elements reflect looks you would find during the Gilded Age. Though Siriano’s collection was more gothic and darker than looks from the Gilded Age, there is a definite nod in this collection to a Victorian/Gilded Age point of view.

William S. Gooch

Image credits

• byron-lars-01-2.jpg — Editorial image.
• bibhu-mohapatra-belle-epoque-2018.jpg — Credit/source: fashionreverie.com.
• gilded-age-reflecting-american-designers-pamella-roland.jpg — Editorial image.
• gilded-age-reflecting-american-designers-monique-lhullier.jpg — Editorial image.
• christopher-john-rogers-1.jpg — Editorial image.
• gilded-age-reflecting-american-designers-christian-siriano.jpg — Editorial image.
• gilded-age-reflecting-american-designers.jpg — Editorial image.