once upon a time: charles anastase
Are you lost, little girl? Step through the looking glass and into the world of Charles Anastase, abstract childhood cut into cloth for the nostalgic woman. I remember flesh pink tights and criss-cross cardis for ballet; the slightly stiff double-breast woolen coat with the velvet peter pan collar; thick tights and shiny patent buckle shoes; Oilily dresses over polo necks or frilly blouses; Osh Kosh by Gosh dungarees. His is an almost psychoanalytical exploration of what it means to become woman – and I’m not being pretentious, this is the designer’s conceit. Perhaps my attachment to him stems from an almost visceral connection to the childhood belongings which I no longer have, clothes of old, toys, play that I miss. I find something anew with Charles Anastase, details that I’ve forgotten I love, proportions and layering that I feel comforted by. His S/S ‘09 collection sees an emerging sexuality in all that coquettishness – stockings under structured crinoline, shrunken jackets, towering clompy shoes – a collaboration with Natacha Marro. The effect is suggestive of youth from the perspective of both woman and girl, and his exploration of what that means shows a real sensitivity to his customer.
