The Confidence of SCALE

Leave low-key glamour behind. The new fashion is hot, haute, and HUGE.

- CHRISTINA BINKLEY

The last few years have provided few opportunities for peacocking beyond donning a spiffy collar for Zoom. But as we tiptoe toward reengaging with public life, a showbird trend is taking hold in luxury: extravagant volumes of fabric pluming into hemlines, pleats, poofs, ruffles, trains, and gigantic coats that could swaddle a bear.

If you spent the winter (or most of the early ’20s) hibernating in pajamas or sweatpants, you would not be alone in wishing to roar into spring with a flourish. For that, fashion designers are preparing a plethora of options: a powerful puffer by Marc Jacobs, a billowing ball gown by Jason Wu, a sweeping train from Fendi, mile-wide ruffles at Balenciaga. Hemlines pool around models’ feet and trail behind them.

Even for his fall collection, Joseph Altuzarra showed tightly pleated wool skirts inspired by a kilt he had recently bought on a trip to Scotland. But his versions extended to the ankles and swirled. The designer confided that he used at least three times as much yardage as in a typical collection in the past.

“I’ve been approaching the idea of risk post-pandemic,” Altuzarra told me backstage in February, jouncing his toddler daughter, Emma, on his hip. “I just feel like I should be doing the most extreme thing I can.” Extreme size extended to his muse: The collection was inspired by the original absolute unit, Moby Dick. (Altuzarra gave front row guests copies of the Penguin Classics edition.)