UO has taken OG pieces from the archives to OMG levels.
This weekend marks the official start of summer. Meaning that in the beguiling time zone that we call ‘Fashion’, soothsayers and seamstresses are already sewing-up Autumn, Winter and thensome.
Our first taste of future seasons comes from Urban Outfitters. Their team have been forgoing virtual pub quizzes and sourdough starters for making a new lookbook, collaborating with in-house buyers and designers to make it from the comfort of their own homes.
The theme? Why the 70s, of course. Unless you’ve been living under a monolithic boulder, you’ll know that the decade of dodgy moustaches, Studio 54 and cassette decks is of the highest currency right now in fashion, and, unlike those dodgy moustaches, refuses to go away.
Throughout the edit, old is spliced with the new, with Urban Renewal pieces competing for wardrobe space with new products, and a focus on make-do-and-mend. Handmade dyes, rips, patches add a rag-tag character to the looks, perfect as we stumble out of lockdown into the blinding light of the unknown.
Twenty-two looks have been compiled by UO to signal what’s on the horizon. Womenswear is led by ‘Authentic Prairie’, ‘Tailoring’ and ‘Strength in Denim’, an Americana approach to proceedings that proves that cowboy inspo still rules the roost.
It’s joined by a range of classic 70s womenswear looks: think flares, chunky off-white knits, burnt oranges, and deep browns. It makes us wish we spent lockdown in the hotel from The Shining, with a Tequila Sunrise and a stack of Bowie records.
The menswear side of things is a little more relaxed. It’s also led by a US approach: ‘Varsity Revisited’ brings college jock to the forefront, while ‘Rare Finds’ and the leopard-printed ‘Animal Instinct’ spins you, windswept, via Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in a burnt-sienna Ford Cortina.
Other looks focus more on the DIY textures and details created through homespun techniques, upcycling and layering. ‘Overdyed Utility’, ‘Blue Ink’ and ‘Indigo’ ratify a tie-dye revival in ink, while ‘Patchwork Construction’ and ‘In Detail’ celebrates the hotch-potch world of the haberdashery.
It’s an intricately produced edit, showcasing the power of remixing the old with pops of the new and vice versa. It also provides us all with a well-seasoned view on what’s around the corner: and if it is 70s, Americana and DIY, then we’ll be there ASAP.
We’re the one in the corner wearing the ripped Yamaha jacket, btw.
Browse through some AW20 inspo now on the UO website.
