Why the clothes really provoked such a hostile reaction.
By Josh PatnerPosted
Lindsay Lohan in Paris. Click image to expand.Lindsay Lohan in ParisHow bad was the collection Lindsay Lohan and Estrella Archs designed for Ungaro? The show—held in Paris last week—has been the talk of the town and the blogosphere. It was called a "hot mess," "disastrous," "cheesy and dated." It featured fly-away jackets revealing heart-shaped pasties. But the fashion skeptic can be forgiven for thinking, Designers send weird things down the runway all the time! Was the collection really that horrible? Or was Lindsay Lohan just the victim of fashion snobbery?
Rest assured, fashion skeptic: The collection was truly, deeply horrible. While snobbery did play a role in the reviews, it was only a supporting role.
Before I explain the particulars, I should note that I worked briefly as a design consultant to Ungaro in 2005, when the house was under different ownership, and that I didn't see the show. My comments are based on images and reviews in print and on the Web. But certain points are clear nonetheless.
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There were several factors likely to irk fashion snobs, no matter the quality of design. For one, the show was held in the Carrousel du Louvre, a purpose-built venue under the museum that was opened by the French government and is adjacent to a shopping mall and food court. Although it's conveniently located, it's hardly the place for editors and retailers to strut their Manolos, and I can't think of a single show there that's ever been a blockbuster. Atmosphere is part of the fashion equation, demanding the tonier backdrop of, say, the Hôtel de Crillion (where Balenciaga showed this season), the soaring glass dome of the Grand Palais (Chanel's venue of choice), or the arty galleries of the Marais (Bernard Wilhem, Veronique Leroy).
Second, Lohan's anticipated walk down the runway reportedly caused more than the usual chaos at the door, which surely put the crowd in a bad mood before the show even started. Door frenzy can excite a fashion crowd—we love to walk past a red velvet rope, after all—but it invites insult if the clothes are not well above par. Fashion people will be pissed on, but only for glorious designs, big ideas, and newness. (Cult designer Rick Owens caused chaos at his show this season by double-booking his front row seats, but such a move suits his aggressive brand, and the crowd loved the clothes once the chaos died down.)
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