What is it? Who has it? How to spot it? Read on to find out …
Fashion intelligence (FI), what is it, who has it, how to spot it? Is it a knowledge of current trends, with the backup of historical fashion references? Knowing navy has replaced red as the strongest colour trend this season? Being able to recall the defining characteristics and star designers of each decade’s fashion post 1920? Knowing you can put an archive design from X with a high street Y, and the latest shoes by Z, and it will look incredible. Someone whose clothes are cool, or witty, or unexpected? Someone with the confidence and instinct to play, subvert and break fashion “rules”?
Sarah Macken, fashion writer at thegloss.ie, thinks a true sign of FI is when an outfit elicits a pause: “I’m thinking about those women who make you hover, for just a moment, to take stock of the why of the outfit, as much as the what – the Y2K Prada show, or the 1990s film actress, say they are referencing; women who put things together in a different way to you, who show their nous via an unexpected outfit pairing, a clash of patterns or a ‘Really, those?‘ choice of shoes.”
Aislinn Coffey, Style Editor of THE GLOSS, encountered model and influencer Veronika Heilbrunner (above) at Copenhagen Fashion Week recently: “She just gets it right, every time. Yes, she has great personal style, is a model, and wears a lot of very expensive and beautiful clothes but she understands clothes, and has an insight into why one thing looks good with another. I think that’s fashion intelligence.”
“Women with FI encourage us to consider what we wear, and expand beyond the limits of our usual wardrobe rotation.”
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“Fashion intelligence is about knowledge, and wearing the right “conversational” piece,” says Jane McDonnell, Publisher of THE GLOSS. “Documenting the interesting things I saw people wear this summer, I loved the way a male friend wore a lawn-green and white seersucker suit to Wimbledon, and a girlfriend sourced a vintage Chanel Aertex. The references marry historical info with contemporary critique and you just sigh and think – ‘that’s perfect’. To my mind, FI requires authenticity and refinement. As Miuccia Prada says: ‘The point is you can choose what you wear. I decide every morning if I am going to dress as I was as a 15-year-old girl or the lady I am today.’”
Can fashion intelligence be learned or is it innate? “Women with FI encourage us to consider what we wear, and expand beyond the limits of our usual wardrobe rotation,” says Macken, “to reconsider how we dress, rather than to slavishly follow the masses, or get stuck in a rut. This shouldn’t be a rarity, but in an age of algorithmic dressing, it’s becoming one.”
Deirdre McQuillan, contributing fashion writer at The Irish Times, thinks “confident self-presentation that has to do with personality and an approach to clothing that may include but is fundamentally irrespective of and not dependent on current trends”, is the hallmark of FI. Luis Rodriguez, THE GLOSS New York Fashion Editor, says FI is all about knowing yourself. “With time, you learn what suits you, what doesn’t and what best reflects who you are. Women as diverse as Tilda Swinton, Michelle Obama, Kate Moss, whether dressed formally or casually, always look good, effortless and most importantly, true to themselves”.
Designer Louise Kennedy agrees. “Fashion intelligence is the knowledge (innate or learned) of how to use clothes to enhance your style and personality. It’s also about wearing new accessories with previous seasons’ classics, and making clever decisions when purchasing investment pieces that last a lifetime. Mostly though, fashion intelligence is having the smarts not to be a slave to trends.”
WHO HAS IT?
Janne Aunan: The Norwegian content creator pulls together 1990s-esque outfits in the style of German-French film actress Romy Schneider – think boxy blazers and greige tones.
Leandra Cohen: American author (see The Cereal Aisle on Substack) communicates a sense of humour via the flash of a red sock, a pair of knitted bloomers, or a corsage on her lapel.
Muccia Prada: “My true point of view in fashion is to go against the clichés of beauty and sexy.”
Ashley Olsen: Co-founder of The Row, Olsen tempers ultraminimal looks with a nod to Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, so they look soft rather than monastic.
Michelle Obama: Obama takes to the stage at the Democratic National Congress in a futuristic navy pantsuit by US brand Monse – a modern take on traditional First Lady attire.
Tilda Swinton: Though the actress has been described as chameleon-like, says W Magazine, that isn’t quite accurate; Swinton never blends into the background.