The adage “reading is fundamental” has taken on a new meaning in the fashion world. In recent years, books have become a prominent source of inspiration for designers, who are weaving literary themes and references into their collections. This trend extends beyond mere aesthetic inspiration, with designers actively sharing their reading lists with guests, leaving books as gifts on seats, and even incorporating excerpts directly onto their garments.
In London, Erdem Moralioglu drew inspiration from Radclyffe Hall’s groundbreaking novel, *The Well of Loneliness,* a lesbian novel published in 1928 that was swiftly banned in England. Moralioglu’s collection reflected the impeccable masculine tailoring of the 1920s, juxtaposed with his signature high-femme dresses, creating a powerful interplay of gender and style.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Anderson at JW Anderson cited Clive Bell, a prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of writers, artists, and thinkers who championed the pursuit of love, creativity, and beauty. Anderson printed an excerpt from Bell’s essay on art and design across dresses and shredded knits, using this literary reference to explore the current state of the fashion industry and the search for new creative directions.
However, few designers have embraced literature as explicitly as Daniel Delcore, whose Milan show showcased a collection inspired by a well-read scientist who always carries a book by a female author. Delcore’s runway featured a curated reading list, including classics like Mary Shelley’s *Frankenstein,* Virginia Woolf’s *To the Lighthouse,* and Jane Austen’s *Pride and Prejudice,* alongside contemporary feminist works such as Donna Haraway’s *Staying with the Trouble* and Octavia Butler’s *Parable of the Sower.* This eclectic mix of literary references reflects a deep engagement with themes of the human condition, societal issues, and the power of literature to illuminate our world.
Delcore’s collection is a powerful testament to the ongoing trend of designers using literature as a springboard for creativity. It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue in Paris, but one thing is certain: fashion is entering a new era of intellectual engagement, where the runway becomes a platform for exploring ideas, challenging norms, and sparking meaningful conversations.
