Greta van der Star
Fashion is seeing an explosion of interest in archival styles, like this sundress from Auckland label Daylight Moon.
Fashion designers are often quoted as saying they never look back, it’s all about what’s next and looking to the future to push design forward.
But as the industry continues to reckon with the impact of its production and waste, and Gen Z’s passion for vintage continues to grow, the idea of celebrating and referencing one’s past has become a regular occurrence.
Luxury and local brands from Prada to Gucci, Karen Walker to Kate Sylvester have offered updates on designs and prints from their archives, understanding that there can be eternal value in a good idea, or fabulous pattern.
“There’s a lot to be said for archives acting as inspiration for current designers or an opportunity for houses to reissue elements of its glory days,” New York-based archivist Julie Ann Clauss told Vogue Business earlier this year, in a piece that explored the explosion of interest in fashion archives.
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“Like postmodern art, fashion is obsessed with itself and its references.” This simple button-back sundress is a twist on that theme.
New from the Auckland-based brand Daylight Moon, founded by Madeleine Richards (who some will know as the founder of the label Maw and former creative director of Auckland boutique Made), it’s actually a reissued update of a Marilyn Sainty style from the 1980s.
Richards has been given permission to reproduce patterns from the iconic local designer’s archive, having previously offered a reissue of a Marilyn Sainty “Pinny”, or pinafore with her own modernised touches.
“Made in a super soft cotton lawn with a full gathered skirt, this dress really appealed to me, I wanted to put it on as soon as I saw it,” says Richards. She added a cummerbund to tie around the waist, as a way to incorporate another colour and add versatility – the perfect party dress, with a touch of the 1980s.
Daylight Moon dress, $560. daylightmoonstudio.com
