The feeling of being in a dream-like romance is something that most people would yearn to experience in this lifetime. So much so that an art movement was created based on that emotion. Prominent in the 18th century, Romanticism suggests an alternative worldview that uses intuition and emotion to deconstruct the world around us. This was manifested through a trove of artists throughout different mediums such as poet William Blake and writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who personified abstract concepts and objects with words that bestowed upon them such viscerality, and painter Théodore Géricault, whose works often reflected epic scenes that were highly dramatic and depicted turbulent and vivid environments.
As with every prominent art zeitgeist, their sensibilities often influence the fashion landscape of the period. Romanticism birthed various prominent design codes like volume, fluidity, lightness, transparency as well as nature motifs. Details such as billowing sleeves and Victorian collars were seen often in high society and even in commonality.
Fast forward to today, there seems to be a resurgence in these sensibilities of romance with a modern update. There are Neo-Romantic mainstays like Simone Rocha and Cecilie Bahnsen who continuously play into these aesthetic troupes collection after collection while legacy brands like Valentino and Givenchy experimented with textural, feather-like details to invoke the trend. As for accessories, indie designers like La Manso and Gyouree Kim led the charge with their imaginative take on shoes and bags that played with lace and floral embellishments.
Below, peruse Vogue Singapore’s selection of statement pieces to inject romanticism into your wardrobe.
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Connor Ives skirt
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Kiko Kostadinov skirt
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Mach & Mach shoes
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Rabanne skirt, $1,442
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Saint Laurent earrings
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Tiffany & Co. X Elsa Peretti brooch, $1,700
Available at Tiffany & Co.
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