attractive, dramatic, stylish, and a little bit enigmatic These qualities have made the hoodie a new favorite among celebrities, who are increasingly wearing it on the red carpet, including Rihanna and Katie Holmes. Kate Moss and Amber Valletta were the most recent celebrities to wear a hoodie dress, all from Saint Laurent’s most recent collection, at the WSJ Magazine 2022 Innovator Awards. Olivia Wilde received the Crystal Award at the Women In Film Honors Gala for her contributions to improving the position of women in the entertainment business from the same Maison and similarly ultra-chic contemporary goddess effect. What exactly makes the evening dress and sweatshirt combo so alluring?
The hood has long served as a sort of prestige symbol, despite the fact that its original origins are unknown. It stood for power and royalty in ancient. In order to boost their authority on important occasions, members of the royal family affixed it to their cloaks and wore it during times of prayer in ancient Rome. On the other hand, it served as a symbol of submission and humility for monks and nuns. But it is insufficient. At least two more useful use of the hood include warming and masking or hiding.
At least two more useful use of the hood include warming and masking or hiding. Because of this, women in the 17th century would cover their heads when they went to see their loves in order to remain anonymous. The hood didn’t discover its sportier, cooler side until the 1970s, when it became a staple of New York hip-hop culture. Since then, it has become an extension of the sweatshirt and is still a crucial component of our wardrobes today.
In the most glitzy form possible, worn with long or wrap-around mini-dresses, more and more designers have decided to re-propose it on the runway in recent seasons. Coperni, Versace, Schiaparelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Dion Lee, Richard Quinn, and Michael Halpern have all done it, but Alaa and Saint Laurent have done it best. Both companies appealed to their tradition and were successful in luring celebrities like Beyoncé. Anthony Vaccarello was inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s capuche designs from the 1980s to create ultra-lightweight jersey dresses and blouses for spring/summer 2023. This collection shows the timeless appeal of the capuche, a garment that the French designer first launched in 1969. Pieter Mulier, Alaa’s new creative director, has also revived the capuche dress, a timeless design that expertly combines Eastern and Western fashion and was frequently praised by the Tunisian designer who founded the company. The undisputed symbol of this fashion? Grace Jones made an indelible impression as May Day in A View To Kill in 1985, in part due to Ala’s veiled costumes.
Celebrities can no longer function without the hoodie dress thanks to its rediscovery by high-end brands. Paloma Elsesser has recently been seen wearing a vintage 1995 Issey Miyake cape with a pleated cape draped over the shoulders and around the face; Michaela Coel selected it by Ferragamo for the Los Angeles premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; and Bella Hadid alternated three different ones during the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize in Qatar, including, of course, an intriguing and enigmatic all-black one by Alaa. Who will give in to the hoodie dress’ enduring attraction as the next victim?
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